Illinois veterinarians oversee the care and well-being of all animals, from pocket-sized puppies to thousand-pound horses and everything in between. But due to several factors including the COVID-19 pandemic, rising costs and mental health issues, the state is experiencing a shortage of vets.
Growing Obstacles
Historically, rural and large-animal vets have been harder to come by. Urban areas offer more opportunities for recent graduates. That still rings true, but in recent years, smaller companion animal practices have been suffering, too.
“There have been many pressures causing changes in the veterinary industry as a whole since I graduated just over 14 years ago,” says Dr. Ericka Yeley, who owns Farm & Family Veterinary Service in Marshall. “For one, larger corporations have had ever-increasing power over key elements of the industry such as cost of goods, shifting consumer patterns and even supply of associate vets. If a vet office can no longer make some profit off a certain aspect, such as selling medications for example, they must raise prices on things that can’t be bought online: veterinary services.”
Yeley says the pandemic, purchase of private practices by large corporations and mental health struggles also contribute to the shortage.
“Sadly, the suicide rate for vets is four times that of the general population,” she says. “There are multiple factors at play, including the large debt-to-salary ratio from graduation, burnout and the ever-increasing demands of clients who expect higher-quality care, often without the funds.”
Animal Aid
Dr. Jim Lowe, an associate professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Veterinary Medicine, agrees with Yeley that the cost of veterinary school – and subsequent debt – hinders potential students from applying. However, he notes options for financial aid and says the university works to set students up for success after graduation.
“We are trying really creative ways here to help students build relationships early in their veterinary career, especially with rural areas,” Lowe says. “For example, we’re trying to partner with local practitioners and have them help pay for a student’s final year of tuition if that student works there for a period of time.”
Lowe thinks that along with helping mitigate debt for the students, those relationships can bolster the need for rural veterinarians by giving them exposure to the towns where they might work.
“We’re trying to figure out how we can build programs that help both students and practitioners so we can get vets into these jobs, keep them there and help them feel satisfied,” he says.
Sometimes, students aren’t as keen on rural practices simply because they don’t understand the environment, but early relationships can help with that.
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