Wednesday, February 16, 2022 Vol. 45, No. 7
Happy Family Day
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MLA hosts round table to address shortage of large animal veterinarians Moush John Staff Reporter
The Bill has been passed, but the conversation has to continue, according to MLA Jackie Lovely, who hosted a virtual roundtable discussion on Thursday, Feb. 10, to create more awareness about the acute shortage of large animal veterinarians in the rural areas. Also present were students from the University of Calgary, local veterinarians, and elected officials from Camrose constituency, notably Beaver County Reeve Kevin Smook and Camrose County Reeve Cindy Trautman. “There is an alarming shortage of large animal veterinarians, which is putting a huge strain on those in the profession, the producers, and the animals they care about,” Lovely said in her opening remarks. “There are approximately 864 vacant professional veterinary positions in Alberta with the majority of the shortage in rural Alberta; the vacancy rate for veterinarians is around 17 per cent, which is shockingly high when compared to the provincial vacancy rate of 2.6 per cent. “The detrimental effect this has on existing vets is leading to increased cases of burnout.” Veterinarians from the constituency clarified some questions the students had about entering rural practice. Students expressed the challenge finding summer employment and shared their stress about the high volume of student debt they incur while studying; their need for mentorship; concern about a lack of affordable housing in rural Alberta; and a lack of funding. Local officials offered encouragement and shared their desire to have students move to rural areas and focus on the amenities, proximity to the airport, and the positive quality of family life Camrose constituency has to offer. Lovely has been working with the Minister of Labour and Immigration, the new Dean at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association to move toward positive solutions for Alberta. “Similar to the situation regarding health care, rural Alberta faces challenges attracting new veterinarians,” Smook later said in an interview. “It was interesting to hear from veterinary university students as to how
they feel about the future. Several long-time veterinarians will be retiring across the province and we need to ensure there are replacements ready to take over.” Lovely said that the session allowed her to make introductions of the University of Calgary veterinary students to the local veterinary clinics and elected officials. According to her, the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association (ABVMA) has some regulations in place that must be adhered to, for instance, no registered veterinarian or permit holder can employ a student without the consent of the registrar. The registrar may consent to the employment of a student if the registrar is satisfied that the student will be directly supervised by an unrestricted veterinarian. “A number of rural communities find funding to
attract doctors to practice in their community,” Lovely explained. “I believe that this same approach may need to be considered for veterinarians. I will continue to do my part to ensure a higher volume of students receive training as veterinarians and that the cost becomes more reasonable.” There is a summer online program that the University of Calgary offers for high school students who may be interested in learning a bit more and seeing if veterinary medicine is what they want to pursue. “As more information becomes available, I will share it with the community,” Lovely added. “The best solution is a home-grown student base who would like to become veterinarians and practice in the community they grew up in and have the support of family and friends while on their journey.”