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USDA Offering Incentives Due To Vet Shortages

published: March 25th 2010
by: Angela Joiner
source: Abilene Reporter News

There is a nationwide shortage of rural food animal veterinarians and the U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering incentives to entice new veterinary graduates to practice in underserved areas for a minimum of three years in exchange for part of their student loans to be paid by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

That is a pretty big deal considering a student loan costs between $130,000 and $140,000 during four years in veterinary school. To pay off such a large note, most all graduating veterinarians choose a small-animal practice for economic reasons. Operating as a veterinarian for large animals doesn’t offer a fast income to repay a loan.

Veterinarians are critical to the national food safety and food security infrastructures, and to the health and well-being of animals and humans; however, major studies indicate significant and growing shortages of food supply veterinarians and veterinarians serving in certain other high-priority specialty areas, said USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Gary Hodges, who spends much of his time servicing a large-animal clientele across a region that stretches southeast to Brady in the Concho Valley and northward into the Big Country, says there are still a few veterinarians who only deal with large animals.

Russell Ueckert, with the Anson Veterinary Hospital, and Dr. Alfred Vandeman, in Colorado City, have operated large-animal clinics for many years.

Leon Russell, a professor at Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine at College Station, forwarded a letter to me from Alika Conley, who will graduate in May from Washington State University, and is looking for a position as a large-animal veterinarian.

“I grew up on a beef cattle ranch in Hawaii and I am very passionate about agricultural animal production medicine as well as equine medicine,” writes Conley. “I would like to work for a practice that deals mainly with beef cattle, horses and other ranch animals, but I am open to new opportunities that may arise. An area that I would like to get more experience in is the medicine and veterinary practices behind stocker and feedlot animals.”

Perhaps the unique thing about Alika, he is not looking for help with his student loan, said Russell. He wants to gain more knowledge that will teach him about feeding animals efficiently and combining that with veterinary medicine to achieve the best possible finished product.

Since one of my recent columns on the acute shortage of large animal veterinarians was published in the San Angelo Standard-Times and the Abilene Reporter-News, numerous e-mails have come from other vet students and veterinarians. Most of the inquirers wanted more information concerning the USDA student loan payback program. For that information, visit nifa.usda.gov

Editors Note: For more information on this growing problem, search the subject vet shortage on www.southernlivestock.com