Veterinarians, like other professionals, in short supply in rural America

NPR's Esther Honig reports from Brush, Colorado, population 5,463, in a story featuring veterinarian Karen Chandler: 

Large-animal veterinarians such as Chandler inspect livestock before they can legally be sold for slaughter. If an illness spreads among a herd or flock, it's Chandler's responsibility to diagnose and report the problem to public health officials. Early detection is key to preventing devastating outbreaks, like the 2015 bird flu in the Midwest that led to the deaths of 50 million turkeys and chickens. 

But there's been a shortage of large-animal vets in rural areas since 2003. Experts say that's because of a combination of low wages, long hours and fewer new graduates wanting to live outside a major city. 

Without vets, farmers and the nation's food supply are more vulnerable to disease outbreaks.

The story goes on to discuss the reasons for the shortage.   The USDA has identified 187 areas--mostly rural places--that lack sufficient access to a veterinarian.  Not surprisingly, the vet shortage is a lot like the rural physician and rural lawyer shortage--partly about the high cost of education in professional schools and partly because newly-minted professionals are less attracted to rural living.  (I documented some of the reasons for this re the legal profession here). 

Another reason for diminishing interest in rural is a massive rural-urban wage gap. 

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, veterinarians in rural areas earn between $61,470 and $73,540 a year—roughly half of what they could make in a city. And the vet-school loans are hefty: an average of $143,757, according to the American Association of Veterinary Medicine.

Still, Dean Mark Stetter of Colorado State University's School of Veterinary Medicine, says many more students do come into vet school interested in rural practice (30%) than wind up going into rural practice at the end of their programs (less than 10%). 

Karen Chandler, the veterinarian featured in the story, is benefitting from a USDA loan forgiveness program which, after three years of service in an underserved area, lightens her debt load by $75,000.