Article, shortage of vets

[OSJ]

http://www.usaha.org/news-alerts.shtml#NEWS1

Thought some of you might be interested in this article. Good to know that vets are ranked 9th on the list of fastest-growing professions!
And more seats at vet schools would be nice, please!

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[enchantingme2]

Yay for a growing field!!! Vet schools are def already looking for people to fill those positions. At one interview my interviewer literally asked me if I wanted to research preventative medicine/go into public health and there is also def a national shortage of large animal vets!

 

[Moonpaw]

"DeHaven testified in support of the Veterinary Public Health Workforce Expansion Act, which would create a competitive grants program designed to produce more veterinarians and enhance the country's capacity for research on diseases that threaten public health and food safety. If approved, the program would provide federal funding to build more classrooms and laboratory space at the country's 28 veterinary colleges, which are currently at or above capacity and graduate only about 2,500 veterinarians annually."

How about a grant to help vets who DO go into large-animal medicine pay back their student loans?

 

[SillyFilly]

"SO LET US IN!" - hopeful 2012 class

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

"DeHaven testified in support of the Veterinary Public Health Workforce Expansion Act, which would create a competitive grants program designed to produce more veterinarians and enhance the country's capacity for research on diseases that threaten public health and food safety. If approved, the program would provide federal funding to build more classrooms and laboratory space at the country's 28 veterinary colleges, which are currently at or above capacity and graduate only about 2,500 veterinarians annually."

How about a grant to help vets who DO go into large-animal medicine pay back their student loans?

We research nerds need it to! We'll fight you for it! (Though ya'all will probably win because it takes a lot more arm strength to deliver a calf then it does to hold a pipette...)

But more seriously, even though it isn't my field I agree that LA people absolutely need more debt repayment help. Haven't a few states (Missouri I think?) instituted some LA loan repayment/help programs to make the field more attractive? If I were to do clinical anything, it would be LA clinical. For some reason, it is much more attractive to me than SA - just getting outside, getting bloody, dirty, exhausted, kicked, stepped on...heh...but then I have my (opposite) lab rat side, who usually wins, whispering on my shoulder, beckoning to me from the nice air-conditioned rooms with arrays of microscopes.....

 

[theunraveler]

i hope this translates to a bigger pay package

 

[Moonpaw]

We research nerds need it to! We'll fight you for it! (Though ya'all will probably win because it takes a lot more arm strength to deliver a calf then it does to hold a pipette...)

I was thinking about that too, actually, but it seems like LA vet med is both a little less lucrative and less appealing (to some!) than is research. But yeah, research nerds should get some help too!

But my basic point is that the professions that are both less lucrative and more important to public health should get some kind of help.

 

[dyachei]

"DeHaven testified in support of the Veterinary Public Health Workforce Expansion Act, which would create a competitive grants program designed to produce more veterinarians and enhance the country's capacity for research on diseases that threaten public health and food safety. If approved, the program would provide federal funding to build more classrooms and laboratory space at the country's 28 veterinary colleges, which are currently at or above capacity and graduate only about 2,500 veterinarians annually."

How about a grant to help vets who DO go into large-animal medicine pay back their student loans?

We research nerds need it to! We'll fight you for it! (Though ya'all will probably win because it takes a lot more arm strength to deliver a calf then it does to hold a pipette...)

But more seriously, even though it isn't my field I agree that LA people absolutely need more debt repayment help. Haven't a few states (Missouri I think?) instituted some LA loan repayment/help programs to make the field more attractive? If I were to do clinical anything, it would be LA clinical. For some reason, it is much more attractive to me than SA - just getting outside, getting bloody, dirty, exhausted, kicked, stepped on...heh...but then I have my (opposite) lab rat side, who usually wins, whispering on my shoulder, beckoning to me from the nice air-conditioned rooms with arrays of microscopes.....

Can't tell you which states, but there are some states that help with loan repayment for going into large animal. I think TN is among them, but they've been having problems with actually getting the funding.

 

[sheep girl]

Many states have a repayment programs for large animal vets. For more details: http://www.aavmc.org/documents/AAVMCMemberInstitutionFoodAnimalCareerIncentivePrograms_2_.pdf

 

[Catch91]

I agree. It makes me wonder, if there's such a shortage of vets, why don't they accept more applicants into vet school?

Now that's an idea!

 

[VAgirl]

I agree. It makes me wonder, if there's such a shortage of vets, why don't they accept more applicants into vet school?

Now that's an idea!

They don't have space, I think. However, some schools are. Like Iowa State which has begun an expansion program with Nebraska for 25 additional students.

 

[LVT2DVM]

Another idea would be to open new US vet schools modeled after international schools like Ross or SMU which take students in by semester not per year which allows for increased enrollment. Do you bookwork at the semester location and then complete your clinical rotations by matching thru the larger universities like the medschools do it. Different but possible

 

[VAgirl]

Another idea would be to open new US vet schools modeled after international schools like Ross or SMU which take students in by semester not per year which allows for increased enrollment. Do you bookwork at the semester location and then complete your clinical rotations by matching thru the larger universities like the medschools do it. Different but possible

That's kind of what ISU is doing with Nebraska, from what I understand. Students will do their first 2 years in Nebraska, then move over to ISU for 3rd and 4th year, when things are becoming more clinical. Not exactly the same, but similar. Addresses the question of clinical experience. However, most schools seem to encourage students to start going into the hospitals to observe right from their first year. I think not having that locally (where one is doing their classroom learning) could be a big negative.

 

[LVT2DVM]

No, definately. I completely agree. Most schools like this model, contract with local veterinary emergency hospitals, referral specialists and shelters for continuous hands on during the first years of school. You couldnt possibly hope to learn everything from a book. The book learning only gives you a base then the hands on gives you the understanding and application of the idea.

 

[philomycus]

"SO LET US IN!" - hopeful 2012 class

Word.