Document Detail


A survey of reasons why veterinarians leave rural veterinary practice in the United States.
MedLine Citation:
PMID:  20392181     Owner:  NLM     Status:  MEDLINE    
Abstract/OtherAbstract:
OBJECTIVE: To identify factors associated with veterinarians leaving a career in rural veterinary practice (RVP). DESIGN: Cross-sectional descriptive study. SAMPLE POPULATION: Veterinarians from the United States who no longer worked in RVP. PROCEDURES: Veterinarians in any area of practice were solicited to participate in an online survey through invitation letters sent to various veterinary associations. Those who indicated that they had left RVP were asked to rank the importance of various potential factors in their decision to leave RVP. RESULTS: 805 responses were obtained from veterinarians who had worked in RVP, of which 246 (30.6%) had left RVP. Most (231/246 [93.9%]) of those who reported leaving RVP had been in practice > 5 years, and 75.2% (185/246) had been in practice > 12 years. Eighty-three (33.7%) who left RVP pursued careers in urban areas, 72 (29.3%) entered academia, and 7 (2.8%) retired. Reasons for leaving RVP ranked by the highest proportions of respondents as being of high importance were emergency duty, time off, salary, practice atmosphere, and family concerns. Women ranked factors such as time off, mentorship, practice atmosphere, conflict with staff, and gender issues as being of high importance more often than men did. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that the perceived shortage of veterinarians in RVP may be in part influenced by a lack of retention, particularly among experienced veterinarians. Targeted efforts to tackle issues related to emergency duty, time off, salary, practice atmosphere, and family issues could help alleviate the efflux from RVP.
Authors:
Aurora Villarroel; Stephen R McDonald; William L Walker; Lana Kaiser; Rene? D Dewell; Grant A Dewell
Publication Detail:
Type:  Journal Article    
Journal Detail:
Title:  Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association     Volume:  236     ISSN:  0003-1488     ISO Abbreviation:  J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc.     Publication Date:  2010 Apr 
Date Detail:
Created Date:  2010-04-15     Completed Date:  2010-05-11     Revised Date:  -    
Medline Journal Info:
Nlm Unique ID:  7503067     Medline TA:  J Am Vet Med Assoc     Country:  United States    
Other Details:
Languages:  eng     Pagination:  859-67     Citation Subset:  IM    
Affiliation:
Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA. aurora.villarroel@oregonstate.edu
Export Citation:
APA/MLA Format     Download EndNote     Download BibTex
MeSH Terms
Descriptor/Qualifier:
Career Choice*
Cross-Sectional Studies
Data Collection
Female
Humans
Male
Questionnaires
Rural Population
United States
Veterinary Medicine*

From MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine


Previous Document:  A survey of reasons why veterinarians enter rural veterinary practice in the United States.
Next Document:  Evaluation of topical application of 10% imidacloprid-1% moxidectin to prevent Bartonella henselae t...