A shortage of large animal veterinarians in rural America has cattlemen concerned. A Pfizer Animal Health program aims to combat the issue. Mike Nichols, senior veterinarian for Pfizer Veterinary Operations, says the Bovine Externship Program was instituted last year in 28 schools and involved 78 students. The program targets veterinary students who have completed one to two years of school and have not declared a specialty in large animals. It places them with a mentor that allows them to gain experience in serving the cattle industry. The students spend 8 weeks with their mentor and are paid $2,000.
The investment is important to Pfizer so that cattle producers will have access to adequate number of animal health professionals. The program has been a success with both the students and the mentors. Many of them have maintained the mentoring relationship.
"Some of the students have no farm experience," Nichols said. For those students, many of them enjoyed experiencing a rural communities and seeing the important role that veterinarians play.
Next year's group of vet students will be chosen shortly.
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