Senior Farm and Ranch Broadcaster Ron Hays spoke with Dr. Carlos Risco, the Oklahoma State University Dean of Veterinary Medicine, about the shortage of veterinarians seen across the country and beyond, but especially large animal veterinarians in rural communities.
Dr. Risco says that the shortage is due to a nearly crisis-level, worldwide, societal problem that will be complicated and challenging to fix.
OSU is not backing down from the challenge. Dr. Risco said, “At OSU, I am very comfortable with our curriculum. I’ll match our curriculum with anyone in preparing graduates to be able to go forward with small animals, cattle, or horses. Our faculty is experienced, talented, and dedicated.”
Through USDA NIFA and Beef Quality Assurance grants earned by OSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine Beef Cattle Extension Specialist, Dr. Rosslyn Biggs, twenty veterinary practitioners from across the state may participate in OSU’s Integrated Beef Cattle Program which consists of three modules geared toward elevating the services that they are already providing to producers.
“The modules go beyond diagnosis and treatment,” Dr. Risco said. “The program includes economics, nutrition, leadership, to provide new tools to those veterinarians so they can bring added value to the service they provide to the producer.”
Practicing DVMs and current veterinary students are paired to work side-by-side to foster networking connections and build lasting relationships while expanding knowledge of beef cattle medicine, practice management, and more. Students earn a credit for participating in the program.
“What is difficult for the college to address this shortage is the lifestyle sustainability of these new graduates in a rural community,” Dr. Risco admitted. “We have to consider their income potential against the significant student debt that they have. There is light at the end of the tunnel, because of the Dr. Lee Denney Act that the legislature just passed. It will provide scholarships to a number of students who will graduate and go into those practices to offset their debt.”
For more information about the OSU School of Veterinary Medicine, please visit the website.
The Beef Buzz is a regular feature heard on radio stations around the region on the Radio Oklahoma Ag Network and is a regular audio feature found on this website as well. Click on the LISTEN BAR at the top of the story for today’s show and check out our archives for older Beef Buzz shows covering the gamut of the beef cattle industry today.
