Recruitment and retention of veterinary students for food animal practices

摘要

Although there are growing concerns regarding a perceived deficiency of veterinary graduates going into food animal practices, recent surveys indicate that there probably is an adequate number of students interested in becoming food animal practitioners admitted to veterinary schools and colleges to fill current private large animal practice needs. Unfortunately, a large proportion of these students do not ultimately go into food animal practice. The number of new food animal practitioners needed each year has not been determined, yet perceived shortages are based on anecdotal stories by practitioners in rural areas who have been unsuccessful in hiring new graduates, declining numbers of veterinarians belonging to food animal practice associations, and changing percentages of AVMA members in various practice categories. To attract new graduates, food animal practitioners must work closely with veterinary faculty to mentor veterinary students, aggressively advertise their employment opportunities,and provide attractive compensation packages.