The medical professional shortage has been covered in the news, but veterinarians are not often mentioned in that coverage.  However, there is a veterinarian shortage now, too.

Dr. Michelle Henry Barton shared with Atlanta News First that there are many reasons for the shortage. She said many families adopted during the pandemic and now 90.5 million households have a dog or a cat. The pandemic also was a main contributor to the retirement and career changes of many baby boomer generation veterinarians.

UGA’s College of Veterinary Medicine has been working to combat this shortage by increasing their class sizes. They have increased the graduating class size from 115 graduates three years ago to 150 members of the news class.

In addition to universities increasing their class sizes and their recruitment efforts, the federal government is stepping in to help with college loan payback assistance. The goal is to encourage all prospective students to consider a veterinarian program without worrying about loans.

UGA Online offers a program that provides students a competitive edge on their applications to veterinary school. The Master of Science in Comparative Biomedical Sciences prepares students for professional school and helps students strengthen their candidacy. The online program is offered through the College of Veterinary Medicine.

To learn more about UGA’s impact on the combat against the shortage of veterinarians check out the full article from Atlanta News First. Explore the opportunities provided by the Comparative Biomedical Sciences program and learn how it can prepare students for their medical professional careers.