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Demand for rural veterinarians outpacing available practitioners

Michigan’s state veterinarian says she hopes educating graduate students about federal debt relief programs can help alleviate production livestock veterinarian shortages in rural areas.

Dr. Nora Wineland tells Brownfield, “Getting them thinking about some of these things earlier in their time, I’m hopeful that will have more of them that rural practice and consider food animal medicine as a viable path for them.”

Last year 226 shortage designations were made by USDA after state departments of agriculture conducted annual surveys with current practitioners.

“It’s a shortage when there are animals that need veterinary care and there are not enough veterinarians in the area to serve those animals and those producers with those animals,” she explains.

Nearly a third of requests were granted through USDA’s Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program, which provides up to $25,000 in student debt payments for at least three years.

Wineland says just as there are fewer farmers, there has been a decline in interest in large animal medicine especially when veterinarians are typically paid less in rural areas.

“I think what we see really relates to what is happening with people who are owning livestock,” she shares.  “Are more people getting into the cattle business for instance or are more people getting out?”

She says USDA’s Veterinary Services Grant Program also provides additional funding to veterinary students and those servicing rural areas.

Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine recently partnered with the state of Michigan to create a mobile veterinary unit servicing local animal shelters in underserved communities.  Veterinary and veterinary nursing students will be able to gain professional experience while supporting areas in need.