(WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Rural Illinois is experiencing a shortage of veterinarians.
Dr. Nicole Johnson of Pekin is president of the Illinois State Veterinary Medicine Association and said in addition to the number of veterinarians reaching retirement age, new graduates are finding corporate veterinary jobs to be more lucrative with higher salaries and sign-on bonusses and those jobs skew toward bigger cities.
There have been instances in which people in a small town send someone to medical school in exchange for a commitment to serve that community after graduation. Well, it can be the same for veterinarians.
Johnson mentioned the veterinary medicine loan repayment program.
“This is an opportunity for qualified veterinarians to reduce their educational debt by agreeing to provide professional veterinary services for three years in designated high-priority veterinary shortage programs throughout the United States.”
Johnson said veterinary schools have all they can handle. The challenge is to get enough graduates into private practice and into rural areas.
Her advice to aspiring vets is to remember that every animal has at least one human being attached to it. Johnson also had advice for animal owners, who live in rural areas.
"For those that are in rural areas with this shortage, getting into your veterinarian is going to be harder, so the biggest key is make sure you have an established relationship with a veterinarian. "
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