By TIM THORNBERRY
Kentucky Correspondent

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The need for qualified large animal veterinarians seems to be growing in rural America, as more new vets are choosing more lucrative small animal practices and students interested in veterinary medicine are opting out because of large educational expenses in obtaining a degree.
The USDA is stepping up efforts to help alleviate the strain through its National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP). This helps by repaying the student loans of qualified veterinarians in return for their services in areas suffering from a lack of vets, according to the USDA.

The agency’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) administers the program, which was created by the National Veterinary Medical Services Act of 2003. “USDA can help ensure there is a first line of defense against animal diseases across the United States, by placing qualified veterinarians in areas where there is a critical need,” Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said. “This program will help reduce veterinary shortages, especially in the area of food animal medicine, which will reduce stress on producers and improve the health of the livestock industry.”

The USDA notes in return for a commitment of three years of service in a designated veterinary shortage area, NIFA may repay up to $25,000 of student loan debt per year. Tennessee is one of many states looking to fill this void. The Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) recently identified four areas in the state eligible for USDA assistance.

“Livestock production is a billion-dollar industry in this state, and it’s critical that Tennessee farmers have access to quality veterinary services,” said State Veterinarian Charles Hatcher.

“This program is a great way for veterinarians to not only get financial assistance, but to provide a valuable service to the agricultural community.”
The eligible areas include Carroll and surrounding counties in West Tennessee; Hawkins, Greene and surrounding counties in East Tennessee; the Upper Cumberland; and, Bedford, Moore and surrounding counties in southern Middle Tennessee.

Tom Womack, TDA director of communications, said the state has recognized for some time that there are certain underserved areas when it comes to large animal veterinarian services. For the first time of which he is aware, the USDA has recognized that shortage and approved those areas for the student loan repayment program.

“We want to work with our livestock industry and all of our partners to try to get all four of those positions filled and funded,” he said.

Womack added while the program isn’t exclusive to a state graduate, TDA is working with the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine to get information out to prospective vets and recent graduates.

“We think this is a great opportunity for them to reduce their school debt load, but also to provide an important service to agriculture,” he said.
Womack noted even as farms have decreased in numbers, the need for large animal vets is still critical to the state’s livestock industry.

“In Tennessee, livestock production makes up more than 40 percent of farm income. We not only have beef cattle being one of our top livestock commodities, but also the poultry, hog and dairy industries and certainly, we are among the top states in horses, as well,” he said.

Sara Clariday, assistant Tennessee state vet, said while many new vets have a desire to help in the large animal sector, the economic environment in these designated areas makes it tough to earn a living and pay off their student loans.

“The USDA is trying to help these veterinarians survive as they build a practice in these economical depressed areas,” she said.

She said the public doesn’t understand how important these types of vets are when it comes to animal health, and there is a need to have properly trained veterinarians in these underserved areas serving as a first line of defense in spotting potential problems.

In a related matter, Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, along with Sen. Thad Cochran (R-Miss.) introduced legislation into the Senate last week to address the issue by way of the Veterinary Services Investment Act, which would serve to support veterinary education and rural recruitment.

“Veterinary services are critical in ensuring a strong and robust agricultural industry in Michigan, and too many rural areas are lacking adequate support,” said Stabenow. “This legislation will address vet shortages while also creating good-paying jobs, improving food safety and continuing to strengthen Michigan’s agricultural sector, which supports one in four jobs in Michigan. As Chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, I’m focused on helping our agricultural sector to continue to grow and create jobs, and this bill will help to do that.”

Cochran said veterinary care shortages, particularly in rural areas, may pose security risks for food safety, animal health and public health. “This legislation would help alleviate those shortages by awarding grants to support growth in areas where veterinary services are most needed. It is written to create incentives for veterinary schools and their students to work in areas that currently lack important access to animal health care,” he said.

According to information from Stabenow’s office, the legislation “would create a competitive grant program administered by the USDA and would allow states to customize their own veterinary programs in accordance with the needs in rural and underserved areas of that state.”

According to an American Veterinary Medical Assoc. study, the demand for food supply veterinarians will increase by 12-16 percent over the next seven years, but the rate of veterinary school graduates is projected to decrease by 4-5 percent annually over the same period.