The need for veterinarians in small towns and rural communities continues to be an area of concern within the profession, with the USDA in 2023 recognizing shortages in 47 states.
One of the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences’ (VMBS) newest efforts in addressing this nationwide shortage is a program launched in the summer of 2024 known as the Rural Veterinary Practice Preclinical Externship.
The program allows first- and second-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine students to complete a 2-week externship in a small-town veterinary clinic. In addition to working in the clinic, students live in the community they’re serving and are introduced by local leaders to the small-town lifestyle.
“The program is really designed to show students the veterinary profession through a new lens,” said Dr. Kristin Chaney, assistant dean for professional programs, curriculum, and assessment. “We’re showing them that when they choose to serve in a small town, they quickly become a pillar of the community.”
The Rural Veterinary Practice Preclinical Externship is modeled after and hosted in tandem with the Texas A&M University College of Medicine’s Rural Medicine Program, which began in 2019 with the overall goal of introducing medical students to the rural areas where healthcare is often needed most.
As the College of Medicine’s program experienced success, communities participating in the program began asking the program’s director, Mr. Curtis Donaldson, if it was possible to include veterinary students. He contacted the VMBS, and work began to develop a veterinary version of the program.
The 19 veterinary students who participated in the pilot program spent 2 weeks this summer living and working in 10 rural communities. Thanks to the generosity of donors, each participating student received a $1,500 stipend to support their travel and expenses during the externship.
“I served in a rural community for 30-plus years,” said Dr. Glennon Mays, director of VMBS professional program recruitment and student services. “I wish we’d had a program like this sooner. It’s an opportunity to introduce veterinary students to your community, to start building a relationship with them, to possibly bring them on after they graduate, and then help mentor them as young veterinarians. Perhaps someday they’ll want to take over the practice, which is good because that gives you a retirement plan and you don’t have to feel guilty for retiring because you know your clients are in good hands.”
Texas A&M students spent 2 weeks serving small communities like Mason, Texas, this summer.
Citation: Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 262, 11; 10.2460/javma.24.09.0583
Based on initial feedback, the pilot program has been a success and the future looks bright for the Rural Veterinary Practice Preclinical Externship.
“This interprofessional collaboration is an opportunity for young professionals to connect and bond in the rural communities that have traditionally been overlooked when it comes time for veterinarians and physicians to choose a professional home,” Dr. Mays said. “That’s huge. If they continue to stay in touch, perhaps they’ll be able to work together to bring both medical and veterinary doctors back to places that need them most.”
