Rising Veterinary Student Debt, U.S. Veterinary Maldistribution Issues, and the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program

Authors

Whitney Wells, Grand Valley State University

Disciplines

Veterinary Medicine

Mentor

Terry Trier

Abstract

The purpose of this research is to analyze various aspects of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program and promote awareness of the issues surrounding it. This was done by examining mostly primary sources from scholarly veterinary journals. The program was designed to primarily alleviate shortages of food animal veterinarians in rural areas. However, there is not necessarily a nationwide veterinary shortage, but more of a maldistribution of veterinarians both geographically and within sectors of the field. Veterinarians who settle in the labeled shortage areas often struggle to succeed financially due to the lack of population and economic wealth in the areas. Increasing veterinary student debt is worsening their chances of survival. A lack of data about the veterinary workforce has caused significant problems in improving the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program as well as implementing other ways to aid the current situations at hand.

ScholarWorks Citation

Wells, Whitney, "Rising Veterinary Student Debt, U.S. Veterinary Maldistribution Issues, and the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program" (2015). Honors Projects. 451.
https://scholarworks.gvsu.edu/honorsprojects/451