LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The need for large-animal veterinarians, vet technicians and technologists has prompted much attention in this state and other parts of the country where there is demand.

Kentucky, along with a growing number of other states, has identified a need to offset the cost of becoming a veterinarian, with the help of some of the state’s major agriculture organizations – including the Kentucky Farm Bureau (KFB) Education Foundation, the Kentucky Cattlemen’s Foundation (KCF) and the Kentucky Agricultural Development Board (KADB).

The Kentucky Large/Food Animal Veterinary Incentive Program helps alleviate shortages in the state’s large-animal medical workforce, with financial assistance to qualified veterinary graduates who have school loans to repay, according to information from KFB. The program is funded by the Kentucky Agricultural Development Fund and was started by the KCF through a $100,000 donation. The KADB later approved $1 million for the project.

“For those graduates who choose to pursue a veterinary career that devotes at least 50 percent of its time to large/food animals, a judging committee will select three individuals who are in their first, second or third year of practice post-graduation. Selected incentive program recipients will be announced in January of 2012 and may receive up to $18,000 over three years for payment toward outstanding school loans,” noted the KFB.

The agency’s president, Mark Haney, said the program began about three years ago and includes the help of every livestock commodity group in the state along with the Governor’s Office of Agricultural Policy, the Kentucky Veterinarian Medical Assoc. and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture.

“It was a combined effort and we’ve hit on a plan that we think, over a period of time, is going to make a difference,” he said.

Haney added it’s no one’s intention to persuade vet students to go only into a large animal medicine, but it would be good for them to include that sector into their practice since not every county in Kentucky has the benefit of a large animal veterinarian practice.

“We also think a very strong role can be played by vet techs. We have two or three schools in Kentucky that offer a veterinarian technology program,” he said.

Those programs can come at a substantial savings in tuition over what it costs to become a doctor of veterinary medicine. Indeed, it is that tremendous cost of tuition that is at the heart of the Incentive Program.

Dr. Donna Angarano, associate dean for Academic Affairs at Auburn University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, said students there accrue an average of $90,000 in loans by the time they graduate. Nationally, that figure can swell to $120,000.

To counter some of that debt, Auburn and the state of Kentucky have a contract with the Southern Regional Education Board (SREB) that allows students here to attend the College of Veterinary Medicine there and pay in-state tuition. Currently 38 students from the Commonwealth are permitted to attend Auburn each year under the program.

There are other states with similar SREB contracts for veterinarian programs in various colleges in the South. Incidentally, there are only 28 vet schools in the country.

Angarano noted at Auburn, the program concentrates on giving students an opportunity to have a broad exposure to the many different sectors of veterinary medicine.

“We think it is really important for students to have a broad base. There are a few programs that do, what’s called tracking, where students indicate early on what they plan to do and then their whole curriculum is geared toward that,” she said.

“We do not track. We think it’s important for students to have that broad exposure partly because they are not always sure of what they want to do. Many times they’ve only seen that one aspect of veterinary medicine.”

Angarano added many students now are interested in public health and a background in different areas of animal health is helpful to them. “One concern is that in the future a terrorist event on this country might be aimed at our food supply, more so than directed at people,” she said.

“So, we have students participating in a program that’s known as Ag-ERT, agriculture emergent response training so they could be prepared, as first responders if there is a crisis, to help. If students have no background in large animals at all, they would really be at a disadvantage to come in and help. The better prepared they are, obviously the better that is for all of us.”

Angarano noted there is a debate as to whether a shortage exists for large animal vets or if it is more of a distribution problem.

“We certainly know that we have students that would like to do large animal work or predominantly large animal work,” she said. “Part of the problem is because of the amount of debt students have. Part of the challenge is going to that rural community and being able to make a living.”

Haney sees the interest as well and said there has been a steady rise each year in the number of applicants for the Incentive Program.

Those wishing to apply must have either a degree in veterinary medicine from an accredited college or university, or have completed an accredited two-year veterinary technician or four-year technologist program. They must also be accredited by the USDA-APHIS to perform veterinary medical tasks in Kentucky.

Applications can be downloaded at www.kyfb.com to be postmarked by Dec. 1, Summit applications to  KFB Education Foundation, P.O. Box 20700, Louisville, KY 40250-0700.