Recent veterinary graduates over the last five decades: the first 10 years

To describe changes that have occurred over the last five decades in the career paths of veterinarians during the first 10 years after they graduated.

A questionnaire, sent by mail.

A questionnaire seeking information on experiences as a recent graduate was sent to about 100 veterinarians who graduated in or about 1950, 1960, 1970, 1980, 1990 and 2000, and 68% responded. Data were entered onto an Excel spreadsheet, and analysed with the SAS System 8 for Windows.

Fifty years ago, about half of the graduates worked initially for a government under a cadetship contract. About half of them then left the government, mainly for mixed practice, and > 40% of the cohort remained in mixed practice. Cattle were > 40% of the case-load over the first 10 years, and dogs and cats were 22% at both the first and tenth year. For graduates of 1970, the percentage in government service remained at 27 to 28% over the 10 years, but that in mixed practice decreased from 51 to 25% between the first and fifth year, and was then fairly constant. The percentage in small animal practice, much higher than for graduates of 1950 and 1960, was 37% in the first year, and 45% in the tenth year. Overall dogs and cats increased from 34 to 47% and that of cattle decreased from 39 to 25% of the case-load between the first and tenth year. The graduates of 1990 continued the trends towards an exodus from mixed practice, and decrease in cattle (19 to 9%) and increase in dogs and cats (63 to 79%). Data from graduates of 2000 point to a continuation of these trends. Female graduates tended to concentrate in small animal practice in each of the 10 years after they graduated.

Over the last five decades, the career paths of veterinary graduates over their first 10 years have increasingly involved (a) leaving initial positions in mixed practice, (c) less work with production animals, and (c) more work with dogs and cats.