The supply-demand relationship for qualified veterinarians in the U.S. from 1985 to 2005 indicated that the field is grossly under-supplied.
Though people have been graduating from veterinary colleges, the requirement supersedes the supply. Doctors that cater to illnesses of human beings are in plenty and so are training institutes for them that are dispersed across the globe. However, a major point of concern is the dwindling number of students enrolling in veterinary colleges. There should be an absolute assessment of the demand and supply for the animal care services provided by the numerous medical facilities that include laboratory animal medicine. This assessment will be invaluable for the students who choose to pursue a career in veterinary medicine, as they shall get a fair idea of what is expected out of them when they graduate.
Veterinary Students
As the number of students in veterinary colleges have been more or less stagnant for the past few years, the demand for the trained ones keeps soaring high. A demographic model was used in 2005 to project what the future would look like in the veterinary field. The model never seemed to suggest that there could be a surplus of veterinarians in the U.S. Every measure in the model indicated that there existed a steady state in the field where demand was almost equal to supply. However, the future demand of veterinarians seems to be rising and the same may not be controlled if deliberate steps are not taken to implore more students to join the profession and to graduate with flying colors.
Growth Of Vet Professional
But this wasn’t the case all the time. The exponential growth experienced towards the end of 1980s signalled good tidings for the vet professional. The growth incidentally coincided with the newly enacted federal laws that governed certain ideas about laboratory animals and their treatment. The field received ample funding during the period which made it hard to match supply and demand even then. There were more veterinarians than were required. The students who were in session then were taken in as interns in order to acquaint them with the skills as early as possible. In order to help bring the field back to equilibrium, the federal government worked hard to ensure that the supply of veterinary services was outsourced to other countries as well.
The rate of growth of the veterinary profession reached a plateau phase in the early 1990s though this reduced intermittently until 1995 when it went to an all-time low. The low growth of the profession seemed to coincide with that of the national economy. The economic forces that led to this plight included concerns that seemed to suggest a reduction in the workforce; even as they conveniently missed out considering the ever-growing population of the animals.
Dynamics Of Veterinary Medicine
Market place dynamics of veterinary medicine are certainly changing and they are affecting the equilibrium of the field. This is a clear indication that even as the current workforce may expand slowly, they will exit the market sooner than later, hence creating a dearth of well-trained veterinary officers. The population of the animals has not decreased and neither have their needs. It is therefore absolutely necessary to ensure that the future is secure by having veterinarians who understand animal psychology and their ill-ease. In addition, technology should be made use of more often in the field, so that caretakers and owners can easily keep up-to-date with their pets well-being and animal care, like, knowing when the next vaccination is due etc.
