In the most current Dean's update from Dr. Bennie Osburn (the current Dean of the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine), he wrote that “it appears that over the last 2-years, the U.S. veterinary schools will have collectively lost more than $125 million in state funding.”
This statement is not a shock to me, but is of a major concern. With the increased need for veterinarians, we need to keep our veterinary schools full and up to par with the highest education standards possible. If there is not money for veterinary schools, it will be unlikely that the schools will be able to produce skilled, competent veterinarians with such diminished resources.
This statement is not a shock to me, but is of a major concern. With the increased need for veterinarians, we need to keep our veterinary schools full and up to par with the highest education standards possible. If there is not money for veterinary schools, it will be unlikely that the schools will be able to produce skilled, competent veterinarians with such diminished resources.
In an article that appeared in DVM 360, it was mentioned that “UC-Davis relies on state funding for about one third of its budget and has endured $5 million in cuts over the last three years. The university is planning a tuition increase of about 12 percent — from $27,045 to $30,246 — for the 2010-2011 school year.”
These tuition hikes greatly affect my classmates and I. Many wonder if veterinary education will hit a tipping point. "Several U.S. veterinary colleges have met initial budget cuts in part by generating more revenue through higher tuition and increased enrollment.However, these institutions are likely approaching a critical threshold on tuition costs, as evidenced by median educational debt of $130,000 reported for 2010 graduates, an increase of 4 percent over 2009. High student debt load is not surprising, given that mean annual tuition for students at U.S. veterinary schools during the 2010-2011 academic year is $40,017 for full-time, out-of-state students and $22,348 for in-state students."
It is difficult for me to understand why people still think that taking their pets to the veterinarian is too expensive, with such extensive loan debt upon graduation from veterinary school, many new grads are struggling to find a job even though the need for veterinarians is high. I do understand that the general public is under a lot of pressure to meet the basic care needs of their pets due to such an unfortunate economy, but they need to understand where veterinarians are coming from. We would love to offer reduced services for those in need, but our own lives would be greatly affected by this and we would be unable to keep the clinics open and stocked with necessary drugs, staff, and tools for quality veterinary medicine.
I really wonder how far the schools will have to go as far as accepting budget cuts and managing them effectively. How bad will the states let the veterinary schools get before they decide to raise taxes on the richer sector of our country and re-allocate this upside down pyramid of an economy.
It is difficult for me to understand why people still think that taking their pets to the veterinarian is too expensive, with such extensive loan debt upon graduation from veterinary school, many new grads are struggling to find a job even though the need for veterinarians is high. I do understand that the general public is under a lot of pressure to meet the basic care needs of their pets due to such an unfortunate economy, but they need to understand where veterinarians are coming from. We would love to offer reduced services for those in need, but our own lives would be greatly affected by this and we would be unable to keep the clinics open and stocked with necessary drugs, staff, and tools for quality veterinary medicine.
I really wonder how far the schools will have to go as far as accepting budget cuts and managing them effectively. How bad will the states let the veterinary schools get before they decide to raise taxes on the richer sector of our country and re-allocate this upside down pyramid of an economy.
4 comments:
http://www.aavmc.org/PressRelease/?id=90
At least it's a start for a bit of funding... something is better than nothing, right?
It would be a great start, hopefully it passes Senate! Thanks for sharing the link :)
You say the need for veterinarians is great but in the same breath say that many 2011 grads are struggling to find jobs. Bit of a disconnect, don't you think?
There is a need for veterinarians in certain sectors - public health, food and fiber animals - but don't mistake that for a need across the board. Don't believe what AVMA has spoon fed us over the years that there is some sort of critical shortage of veterinarians. If there was, 2011 grads and experienced vets wouldn't be struggling to find jobs (I know several experienced companion animal vets who are out of work and struggling to find work).
When times are good, things are OK - when I graduated, I interviewed at 10 placed and could have interviewed at 20 had I wanted. Boy have times changed. I look in the back of JAVMA now and the number of advertised positions has dropped I'd say 90% since when I graduated. The ads for positions in the state of Florida used to take up at least 2 pages in JAVMA - when I looked a few months ago there was one job advertised in all of Florida.
I sincerely hope that the economy improves by the time you graduate, but this recession has been a real eye opener for me. AVMA has lied to us when they screamed from the rooftops that there is a shortage...
Restoring state funding back to veterinary schools is one part of the solution of a very complex issue. But we shouldn't be holding our breath for that to happen, we need to find ways around these problems working under the assumption that state funding won't be coming back.
If you haven't already, I urge you and your colleagues to spend some time on VIN under the News That's Fit to Click folder to read about what is going on in the profession, and to read about the growing divide between the AVMA and veterinarians..... You guys are the future and we're going to need your help to right this ship.
Thanks for the comment, and I do agree, there seems to be a "disconnect" between AVMA saying we have a shortage of veterinarians and veterinary graduates being unable to find jobs. I will spread the word around about the link in VIN, sounds very interesting! Thank You!
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