Clemson animal health chief focuses on veterinarian shortage

Published: March 1, 2010

COLUMBIA — Clemson University Livestock and Poultry Health officials are working to deal with the shortage of large-animal veterinarians in South Carolina.

Dr. Boyd Parr, state veterinarian and director of Livestock and Poultry Health, is asking South Carolina veterinarians and cattle producers to identify areas lacking coverage. Parr will use the information to apply for federal aid set aside to attract large-animal veterinarians to under-served areas. South Carolina can nominate three sites to be considered by U.S. Department of Agriculture officials.

“Across the nation, there has been a serious decline in the number of veterinarians who treat large animals, especially animals used for food,” said Parr. "The federal government has a program to help pay school costs for veterinarians willing to work on large animals in places without coverage.”

Public health officials are concerned that the lack of veterinarians could lead to an increase in livestock disease outbreaks that could put the nation’s food supply at risk and affect human health, as well. There are more than 800 diseases, such as salmonella and E. coli., that can spread from animals to humans.

Studies indicate there are significant and growing shortages of food-supply veterinarians and veterinarians serving in other high-priority specialty areas. A leading cause for this shortage is the heavy cost of four years of professional veterinary medical training, which can cost an average of $130,000 to $140,000.

The USDA announced Feb. 12 that it has taken the first step toward implementing a plan to address veterinary shortages throughout rural America by repaying the student loans of qualified veterinarians in return for their services in areas suffering from a lack of veterinarians.

"USDA can help ensure there is a first line of defense against animal diseases across the U.S. by placing qualified veterinarians in areas where there is a critical need," Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said at the program launch. "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."

USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture administers the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program, which was established by Congress in the National Veterinary Medical Services Act of 2003.

The institute will convene a panel of federal and state animal-health experts to recommend submitted nomination packages for official designation as a veterinary shortage situation. The public will be able to review designated veterinary shortage situations in list and/or map form, along with information describing the nature of the shortage situation. 

The National Institute of Food and Agriculture expects to begin accepting applications from veterinarians wishing to participate in the program on April 30. In return for a commitment of three years of veterinary services in a designated veterinary shortage area, the institute may repay up to $25,000 of student loan debt per year. Loan repayment benefits are limited to payments of the principal and interest on government and commercial loans received for the attendance at an accredited college of veterinary medicine resulting in a degree of Doctor of Veterinary Medicine or the equivalent.

The institute projects applications will be due June 30 and that offers will be made by September 30.

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