By Beth Bohn and Michelle Hall
Veterinarians play an important role in ensuring the safety
of the nation's food supply through their work with food animals. But
according to researchers at Kansas State University's College of
Business
Administration, the United States and Canada are experiencing a shortage
of food supply animal veterinarians - a trend they say must be reversed.
David Andrus, professor of marketing, Bruce Prince, professor of
management, and Kevin Gwinner, associate professor and interim head of
the
department of marketing, are bringing their recommendations for turning
this problem around to the Food Supply Veterinary Medicine Coalition, a
group of food supply veterinary interest groups.
The coalition, with Bayer Animal Health, commissioned Andrus, Prince and
Gwinner to perform the $300,000 study, "Estimating Food Supply
Veterinary
Medicine Demand and Maintaining the Availability of Veterinarians in
Careers in Food Supply Related Disciplines in the United States and
Canada," and make recommendations. The coalition's members include the
Academy of Veterinary Consultants, American Association of Bovine
Practitioners, American Association of Small Ruminant Practitioners,
American Association of Swine Veterinarians, American Veterinary Medical
Association, the Food Safety Inspection Service and the Association of
American Veterinary Medical Colleges.
Having adequate veterinary involvement in the production of a continuing
abundant supply of safe and wholesome food is vital, Andrus said.
"Food supply veterinary medicine encompasses all aspects of veterinary
medicine's involvement in food supply systems, from traditional
agricultural production to consumption," Andrus said. "Veterinarians
need
to be involved throughout the food chain to ensure a safe and healthy
food
supply."
Andrus said the 1,700-page study involved multiple phases, including
surveys and focus groups of food animal veterinarians in the United
States
and Canada, looking at the supply and demand of veterinarians, how to
attract people to the profession and the job satisfaction and commitment
of food supply animal veterinarians to their profession.
Although they found high levels of satisfaction and commitment,
researchers also found a capacity problem for veterinary students. With
only 28 veterinary schools in the United States, for example, numbers of
students are limited by faculty and facility resources. Many students
don't end up going into food animal medicine, Andrus said, although they
may initially start veterinary school with that intent.
Andrus said the researchers' recommendations for helping in the shortage
of food supply animal veterinarians include a debt relief plan for
students who work in underserved areas after graduation, such as in
rural
food animal practices, and establishing a center for food animal
medicine
and management with a special emphasis in beef practice at K-State.
"This would have a really positive impact on the Kansas economy and also
help with rural economic development," Andrus said of the center. "We
want
to establish this to improve food supply animal veterinary practices."
The
center would focus on curricular aspects within K-State as well as
practice management issues for clinics around the area, he said.
Bringing the center to K-State will be a focus for not only Andrus,
Prince
and Gwinner, but also Brad White, assistant professor of clinical
sciences; Dan Thomson, assistant professor of clinical sciences; and
Mike
Apley, associate professor of clinical sciences. White, Thomson and
Apley
are all with K-State's College of Veterinary Medicine and are all
experts
in food animal medicine.
Andrus, Prince and Gwinner will soon begin sharing their results and
recommendations to the various food supply veterinary interest groups.
"This is a huge study with lots of different issues involved," Andrus
said. The research team also will work to get legislation passed to
better
support the food chain by relieving school debt burdens for
veterinarians
who work in underserved areas, he said.