[Nutritional lifestyle and «production animal» tracking during veterinary curriculum]

Veterinary medicine students are confronted with choosing a specialty track after completing their bachelor›s degree. They can choose between clinical (Livestock (NT), Equine (EQ), Small Animal (KT)) and non-clinical track (Pathobiology, Biomedical Research or Veterinary Public Health (VPH)). Overall, the proportion of vegetarians and vegans in the population has increased in the last few decades. An even higher percentage of vegetarian and vegan lifestyles could be observed among veterinary students. There is empirical evidence that those who follow a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle are more likely not to choose the focus on «livestock (NT)». For this reason, a group of students of the Vetsuisse Faculty in Bern examined in more detail whether the choice of track differs depending on eating behavior. Despite some inaccuracies associated with such a study, it is shown that students who eat an omnivorous diet are more likely to choose the NT focus than students who follow a vegan, vegetarian or pescatarian diet. Moreover, that vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, as an expression of underlying values, ethical convictions or emotional attitudes, could play a role in specialization and career choice. Against this background, it seems reasonable, within the framework of the discussion on admission and training structures in veterinary studies, to examine how it can be ensured that a sufficient number of graduates are both professionally qualified and motivated in the long term for the livestock sector.