Bringing Attention to the Veterinary Shortage
Posted Nov 19, 2022 in News
Since early 2020, we’ve been in a healthcare worker crisis. We’ve all experienced long waiting times and far-out scheduling due to understaffing and many pets. Almost three years later, we are experiencing the same issue of not being able to fill positions within hospitals, both humans and pets. But the real question is, how did we come to this problem?
Pre-Pandemic
According to the Veterinary Business Advisors Group, Veterinary jobs have had a high turnover rate since before 2020. It’s a challenging profession for most people because animal care can be pretty complicated. It takes a strong person to deal with the emotions about the ups and downs of a pet’s health. Many Vet practices could not keep up with a timeline for personnel leaving and the rehiring process. This career field is also known for being a “burnout” job, leading to more turnover. A significant cause of this can be attributed to the high costs of veterinary school and low career salaries not lining up. Vets are paid significantly less than even low-end doctors.
How Did This Happen?
On a positive note, roughly twenty-three million furry friends were adopted by the many people stuck at home due to the pandemic. Humans don’t enjoy being alone twenty-four-seven, so naturally, we were all looking for new ways to relieve stress. Enter the new wave of pets: Covid Pets! Unfortunately, the backup occurred when it came to getting appointments at the Veterinary office for our new pups. Short-staffed Vet offices can only help so many pets per day, causing them to book months in advance.
What Now?
One of the best ways to combat the issue is to advocate for higher salaries within the veterinary field. Veterinarian salaries don’t nearly measure up to the student loans needed for the degree. Supporting your local Vet clinic by volunteering or donating is more involved and always welcomed! We need to maintain our support for these clinics so they can continue to help our furry friends.
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