Surveys of Salary, Benefits, and Job Responsibilities for Veterinarians Employed in the Field of Shelter Medicine in the United States Conducted in 2011 and 2018

Kreisler, Rachael; Spindel, Miranda E.; Rishniw, Mark

doi:10.1016/j.tcam.2020.100430

Cited by 4 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 2 publications

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“…Shelter practice differs from traditional companion animal medicine as shelter veterinarians support the health and welfare of individual shelter animals, the population of shelter animals, animals within the community, and public health ( 2 ). The responsibilities of shelter veterinarians are wide ranging, including individual patient care, behavior evaluation, population management, disaster response, policy development for preventative health care, cruelty investigations, and community education ( 2 , 3 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The field of shelter medicine has grown steadily over recent years as shelters increasingly recognize the need for veterinarians to maintain wellness and prevent disease in the shelter environment ( 2 ). Many shelters are hiring veterinarians for the first time or expanding their veterinary team ( 3 , 4 ). Demand is also growing for veterinarians in low-cost spay/neuter clinics and access-to-care community clinics ( 4 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Demand is also growing for veterinarians in low-cost spay/neuter clinics and access-to-care community clinics ( 4 ). As a result, there is currently a shortage of veterinarians in shelter medicine and retention of shelter veterinarians has become a crucial concern for the field ( 3 , 4 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Animal shelters have implemented a number of strategies to increase recruitment and retention in shelter medicine ( 4 ). The average salary of shelter veterinarians has increased considerably over recent years ( 3 ) and is now equivalent to the median salary of private practice veterinarians ( 5 ). The field has also seen an increase in the provision of benefits, such as health insurance and paid continuing education leave ( 3 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The average salary of shelter veterinarians has increased considerably over recent years ( 3 ) and is now equivalent to the median salary of private practice veterinarians ( 5 ). The field has also seen an increase in the provision of benefits, such as health insurance and paid continuing education leave ( 3 ). However, preliminary evidence shows shelter veterinarians continue to leave the field due to poor relationships with management, poor work/life balance, internal criticism, inadequate staffing/budget, and inadequate input in operations ( 4 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Workplace Relations and Opportunities for Career Development Impact the Retention of Veterinarians in Shelter Medicine

et al. 2021

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Shelter medicine has grown considerably over recent years with many shelters hiring veterinarians for the first time or expanding their veterinary teams. As a result, there is a dearth of shelter veterinarians and retention has become a key concern for the field. The goal of this study was to describe veterinarians' perceptions of shelter medicine, and their feelings of job satisfaction, loneliness, and professional fulfillment. The sample included 52 shelter veterinarians, 39 previous shelter veterinarians and 130 non-shelter veterinarians (n = 221) who each completed an online survey. Current and previous shelter veterinarians had comparable perceptions regarding the appeal of most shelter medicine duties, although there were differences in the duties they performed within their job. More current shelter veterinarians participated in population management, policy development, administrative duties, and decision-making for individual patients (euthanasia, treatment, and adoptability). Considering other employment attributes, we found previous shelter veterinarians had lower mean rankings than current and non-shelter veterinarians regarding their interactions with administrative staff, ability to be part of a multiple veterinarian team and the availability of mentorship. Loneliness and professional fulfillment were mostly comparable between the groups, although previous shelter veterinarians were more likely to report they felt unhappy (X2 = 16.60, p = 0.02) and left out at work (X2 = 12.43, p = 0.02). Our findings suggest veterinarians who participate in decision-making for patients and shelter management procedures may be more willing to continue working in shelter medicine. Animal shelters should also employ strategies to improve workplace relationships and offer career development opportunities to improve job satisfaction and retention of veterinarians within the field.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Workplace Relations and Opportunities for Career Development Impact the Retention of Veterinarians in Shelter Medicine

et al. 2021

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A Survey of Veterinary Student and Veterinarian Perceptions of Shelter Medicine Employment

Powell

Reinhard

Serpell

et al. 2023

Journal of Veterinary Medical Education

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Shelter medicine appears to be popular among prospective veterinarians, but there is a shortage of veterinarians entering the field to fill available positions. The reasons for this discordance are not well understand. This study describes veterinary students’ interest in shelter medicine, their perceptions of common duties, and their perceptions of employment attributes in shelter medicine, compared with those of current veterinarians. The sample included 147 first-year students, 155 final-year students, and 221 veterinarians who self-completed an online survey between September 2020 and March 2021. We found high levels of interest in shelter medicine, with 40% of first- and 43% of final-year students indicating they were likely to consider working in shelter medicine. Outreach clinics (84% of first-year students, 86% of final-year students), access-to-care clinics (82%, 83%), and loan forgiveness programs (75%, 64%) encouraged many veterinary students to consider working in shelter medicine. The risk of compassion fatigue, burnout, and stress (70%, 68%); weekend work (51%, 59%); euthanasia decision making (49%, 47%); euthanasia (43%, 41%); and expected salaries of shelter veterinarians (39%, 37%) acted as deterrents. Kruskal—Wallis H tests revealed students reported more positive ratings than veterinarians for most shelter medicine duties and employment characteristics, with moderate to strong consensus within groups. Little difference appeared between first- and final-year students. This study highlights target areas for animal shelters to boost recruitment of newly graduated veterinarians. Increasing veterinary students’ exposure to shelter medicine throughout their veterinary training may also help address their concerns regarding euthanasia, salary, and quality of care.

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Shelter Medicine Sustainability from an Academic Perspective: Challenges and Issues

McCobb

Crawford

Harrold

et al. 2023

Journal of Veterinary Medical Education

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A meeting of veterinary school faculty and partners, many associated with shelter medicine, and/or community medicine programming, was convened at the 2019 Shelter Medicine Veterinary Educators Conference in Pullman, WA to discuss challenges with shelter medicine program sustainability and defining the future. The discussion was facilitated by an outside consultant and is summarized in this manuscript. The goal of the meeting was to identify challenges and issues concerning the needs and goals for shelter medicine curricula to have long-term success in academic training. Four themes were identified in the transcripts including external pressure from leadership and other stakeholders, funder expectations, time horizons, and perceptions of shelters and shelter veterinarians. Addressing these challenges will be critical to ensuring stability in academic training in shelter medicine, a critical tool for both learning outcomes for general graduates and specific for veterinarians pursuing shelter medicine as a career.

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Surveys of Salary, Benefits, and Job Responsibilities for Veterinarians Employed in the Field of Shelter Medicine in the United States Conducted in 2011 and 2018

Cited by 4 publications

References 2 publications

Workplace Relations and Opportunities for Career Development Impact the Retention of Veterinarians in Shelter Medicine

Workplace Relations and Opportunities for Career Development Impact the Retention of Veterinarians in Shelter Medicine

A Survey of Veterinary Student and Veterinarian Perceptions of Shelter Medicine Employment

Shelter Medicine Sustainability from an Academic Perspective: Challenges and Issues

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