USDA had taken the first step toward implementing a plan to address veterinary shortages throughout rural America.  Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced on February 12 that a program approved 7 years ago will finally begin repaying the student loans of qualified veterinarians in return for their services in areas suffering from a lack of veterinarians.

“USDA can help ensure there is a first line of defense against animal diseases across the United States by placing qualified veterinarians in areas where there is a critical need,” Vilsack said.  “This program will help reduce veterinary shortages, especially in the area of food animal medicine, which will reduce stress on producers and improve the health of the livestock industry.”

The Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP),which was established in the National Veterinary Medical Services Act of 2003. Implementation of the program began on Jan. 22, 2010 when USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) released a Federal Register notice asking for comments and nominations for shortage situations from the chief animal health official from each state and insular area and appropriate federal animal health officials. 

Guidance on what constitutes a shortage situation and nomination forms can be found on the NIFA Web site.  Nomination forms are due March 8, and can be returned via email to vmlrp@nifa.usda.gov. NIFA expects to begin accepting applications from veterinarians wishing to participate in the program on April 30, 2010. They expect that applications will be due June 30, and that offers will be made by September 30. 

In return for a commitment of three years of veterinary services in a designated veterinary shortage area, NIFA may repay up to $25,000 of student loan debt per year. 

Veterinarians are critical to the national food safety and food security infrastructures, and to the health and well-being of both animals and humans; however, major studies indicate significant and growing shortages of food supply veterinarians and veterinarians serving in certain other high priority specialty areas.  A leading cause for this shortage is the heavy cost of four years of professional veterinary medical training, which can average between $130,000 and $140,000. Congress established the VMLRP as a way to remedy this growing need.

                                        posted by Taylor Brown

                                        Credits:  USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture

USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture