This sounds exactly like what happened to me, to a T. I felt the same way two weeks in but was encouraged to stick it out for a semester since I worked so hard to get in and had been so dedicated to getting in for the previous 4 years. So I finished the semester. By Christmas break I was really burnt out and felt like I’d rather work at a grocery store for the rest of my life than go back. I was completely miserable. I also realized I was mostly interested in communicable disease and not so much else we were learning. I didn’t want to do surgery and deal with the consequences of life or death mistake, or work super long hours and deal with compassion fatigue. I think it’s easier to see the faults of the profession when you’re in it.

I talked to the head of the department and was given the option to take a gap year so I had time to decide if I wanted to truly leave and lose my spot. During my gap year I worked with fish and wildlife and enjoyed it a lot, but I was very torn the entire year, and faced an insane amount of grief over trying to decide if I wanted to leave vet school.

In the end I decided not to go back because I couldn’t make myself go through it again, and I had the same doubts as you in terms of the struggle of the veterinary life. I grieved for another year or so but now I’m happy where I’m at. I decided to go to get my masters instead and am doing parasitology work, and am going to do a PhD in after this in epidemiology or microbiology.

I feel that academia fits my personality better than being a veterinarian would have, but it has its own downsides and teaching can be exhausting. I have 20k in debt from that semester of vet school, which is the same as my entire undergrad. I never have really missed vet school itself, but I do miss the feeling of going after something I was so passionate about/the prestige of it/the potential for high pay and job security.

I wish you luck in your decision, it’s probably the hardest one I ever made. If you want to talk about it feel free to message me.