State/Territory
Missouri
Shortage Location - Must Serve
State of Missouri
Shortage Location - May Serve
Location Center
Columbia, Missouri
VSGP Status
Unavailable
VMLRP Status
(Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program)
Open
Priority of shortage
High
Fiscal year
Percent FTE
(Full Time Equivalent, based on a 40hr work week.)
75
Type of Shortage
(Veterinary Practice Area / Discipline / Specialty)
Type III Shortage: Public Practice
Other Must Serve
Other May Serve
Employer
MU Veterinary Health Center- University of Missouri
Position Title
Assistant Teaching Professor
Disciplinary area
Epidemiology
Other disciplinary area
Clinical practice
Carry Over
Nominator Name
Steve Strubberg, DVM
Nominator Title
State Veterinarian
Nominator Org
Missouri Department of Agriculture
Nominator Email
Nominator Phone
573-751-3377
Importance/Objectives of Veterinarian
The University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine (CVM) is the only veterinary training program in the state of Missouri. Among its educational missions are the training of future veterinary practitioners to service rural areas in Missouri and providing clinical care to advance livestock health and productivity in the state. In recent years, the food animal faculty has experienced significant turnover. Thus, there is a need to recruit and retain qualified individuals to staff the food animal faculty so that the College can adequately accomplish its mission. An Assistant Teaching Professor of Food Animal Medicine at the CVM provides patient care, veterinary student education and consultation to non-specialist veterinarians in Missouri. Within the CVM, hands-on clinical training of veterinary students and patient medical care of client animals including beef cattle, dairy cattle, small ruminants, swine, and camelids falls primarily to the veterinarians with a high (80%) teaching/clinical service commitment. Having a veterinary shortage area located at the University of Missouri for a faculty member focused on clinical care and teaching would help MU recruit and retain a faculty member by deferring some of the financial burden of veterinary specialist training and education. This nomination is for a 3 year commitment only.
Veterinarian Medical Activities & Services
An Assistant Teaching Professor of Food Animal Medicine with an 75% teaching/clinical service commitment, this individual will dedicate the majority of their time to clinical medicine and teaching through the Veterinary Health Center in Columbia. A minority of their time will be dedicated to providing ambulatory clinical services and teaching to the surrounding areas, and distance consultation & outreach via phone, email and extension services to veterinarians throughout the state of Missouri. Daily activities include teaching 3rd and 4th year veterinary students on their Food Animal clinical rotation, providing in-patient and out-patient clinical care to client animals, and mentoring veterinary interns and residents getting advanced training in Large Animal Internal Medicine. Thus, the impact of this individual goes beyond that of the typical veterinary practitioner in that she/he will contribute to the education of future rural practitioners, advance livestock health and provide meaningful new knowledge to the state's livestock sector via extension and outreach activities.
Historical Efforts of Recruiting/Retaining a Veterinarian
The Food Animal Medicine and Surgery section at the University of Missouri continues to have a high rate of turnover of faculty members. This high level of turnover makes it difficult to maintain continuity of care and optimal veterinary student training. Recruitment and retention of academic food supply veterinarians is hindered by rising student loan debt, the additional 3-4 years of education required to obtain board certification to qualify for a faculty position, and the draw of a higher salary in private practice or industry. This shortage designation will help recruit/retain quality faculty.
Consequences of Not Securing/Retaining a Veterinarian
Missouri agriculture is the economic driving force of the state and ranks 3rd nationally in beef cattle production, 5th in goats, 5th in turkeys, 7th in broiler chickens, 7th in hogs, and 10th in horses and ponies. Protecting the state and nation's food supply requires a network of well-trained veterinary practitioners who can recognize disease and understand the broader implications of livestock health interventions on animal, human, and environmental health. Hence, retaining faculty who understand these interactions and convey these messages to future rural veterinary practitioners through teaching in the professional veterinary curriculum and delivering information to livestock producers in the state and nation is vitally important. The risks of not retaining such a faculty member means that veterinary care pertinent to livestock health that affects the wellbeing of the community, state, region, and potentially the nation will not be provided in a timely manner and veterinary graduates will not possess a well-rounded perspective on their role in One Health. This request is aimed at retaining a qualified and talented faculty member to fulfill these vital needs.
Community Aspects
Columbia, Missouri is a mid-size college town with an abundance of restaurants, shops, activities and attractions. Multiple parks and trails allow one to enjoy nature without having to drive for hours first. There is always something going on in Columbia from festivals to sporting events to celebrations to plays. The multitude of restaurants are so diverse, you could eat out every night for a month and never go to the same place. For those who want access to larger urban areas, in a short one and one half hour or less drive, one can enjoy all the amenities and attractions St. Louis, Missouri has to offer. Or, go the opposite direction for the same distance to Kansas City, Missouri and enjoy the multitude of restaurants, attractions, and activities there. In addition, Columbia's central location makes it easy to travel to other areas of the state and enjoy the rich history and beautiful scenery of Missouri.