|
Return to
Newsletter Home
The State of Our "Stake"
by John
Brooks, DVM
The definition of the word “stake”
can be interpreted in many ways. It may be the wooden sharpened
object that you plunge into the heart of the vampire. It can be
defined as a claim made toward a piece of property, and, it can
be the investment one has made into his or her personal finances
and career. This last definition is the one that I would like to
take a few moments to address, that is, the “stake” that each
one of us as veterinarians has committed to the veterinary
profession. Today, more than ever before, each of us finds him-
or herself examining our present and future in arguably the best
profession in the world.
Within the past 5 years we have experienced the worst economic
downturn since the “Great Depression,” and contrary to those
that felt that our veterinary profession would be immune to the
effects of such a dramatic and prolonged recession, that clearly
was not the case. My travel nationally over the past few years
in my position as a member of the AVMA Executive Board has
provided me a unique and, at times, uncomfortable, opportunity
to listen to concerns from members of our veterinary community.
Some of the comments and questions that have been posed to me
include, from the newly graduated veterinarian, “ I am having a
difficult time finding a job, and the starting salary does not
begin to cover my $150,000 veterinary education.” From the
practice owner, “What are you doing to help bring more clients
to my door?” The rural communities ask, “Why is it that we have
no veterinary service within many miles to provide health care
for our animals?” And Deans of our veterinary colleges ask, “How
can we make the cost of a veterinary education more affordable
in the face of declining state and federal financial support?”
Many members of veterinary associations ask, “Why does the AVMA
continue to accredit new veterinary colleges when we already
have enough veterinarians?”
There is no easy and quick solution to any of these questions.
And, would any of these issues be of significant concern if we
still enjoyed the days of economic prosperity? Suffice it to say
that each one of the concerns posed above is, in fact, being
addressed at the national level in many different arenas. The
AVMA is currently conducting a Workforce Study that will address
both the “supply side” of the equation as well as a “demand
side” of our veterinary profession. A new Economic Division has
been established to be more timely and responsive to the
changing economic landscape within our profession. An open
dialogue is in place with deans of our veterinary colleges to
examine how we will educate our future veterinarians in a way
that will not diminish the quality of the veterinary education
while responding to the escalating costs of that education.
The recently completed Bayer/Brakke Study revealed several
factors that have adversely affected the economics of our
veterinary practices, including such issues as the clients’ ever
increasing use of the internet as a substitute for seeking
animal health care advice from a veterinary practice
professional, as well as the progressive use of internet
pharmacy services. The expanding availability of veterinary
products over the counter has also adversely affected the
“bottom line”.
The State of Our “Stake” in our profession is still very
positive, and the outlook to resolve the current issues before
us is a commitment that the AVMA and other national veterinary
associations take very seriously. Each one of us, no matter what
aspect of the veterinary profession that we have a “stake” in,
must be willing to take an active role in being part of the
solution. Our veterinary profession has been tested during this
current economic downturn, but it is clear that the current
issues will serve to provide a “roadmap” to seek solutions that
will ultimately benefit each one of us. |
Share This Article
Click on the icons above
to share this article with your social networks.
Important
Links from this article
MVMA's Official
Independent Nomination Form
|
