What concerns or significant issues do you think the animal medicine community will face ten years into the future?
The Admissions & Recruitment team at OSU College of Veterinary Medicine want to see that you have a beat on the conversations happening in animal medicine. The animal care profession faces many challenges today and will continue in the future. These challenges include slow cash flow for clinics and practices, lack of financial solutions for low-income pet owners, and expensive changes in veterinary technology.
Be prepared for an open discussion with your interviewers regarding the significant issues you believe the animal care industry faces. Rather than ending on a 'doom and gloom' tone, be sure to offer some positive statements regarding your hope for the field of veterinary medicine and how you plan to make a positive impact as a future veterinarian.
"I have spent a lot of time watching roundtable videos, reading journals on the future of veterinary medicine, and diving into blogs related to the challenges veterinarians expect to face. The top issues include the lack of solutions for low-income pet owners when unexpected expenses arise, particularly emergency treatments. Unattainable financial demands will increase the rate of unnecessary animal surrender or even euthanization. A veterinarian can choose to reduce their pricing in these instances; still, the expenses associated with emergency care are then put primarily on the veterinarian who may already be experiencing clinic cash flow issues. With fast and continuous change in vet tech, practitioners will need to focus on continued education, again incurring significant expenses. I was speaking with my veterinarian not long ago, and she estimates that, since becoming a vet, she has invested at least 100,000 in continued education. In the future, I would love to see veterinarians gain access to more affordable options to continue educating themselves on the latest industry techniques. Further partnerships with the companies manufacturing this tech would benefit the vet, the manufacturer, and pet owners. Overall, I feel positive, knowing that our industry is ever-evolving. If we can find a way to make these changes financially sustainable for animal care professionals, that would be ideal."
