Camrose MLA Jackie Lovely hosted a virtual round table session with students from the University of Calgary, local veterinarians and elected officials from the Camrose Constituency on Feb. 10.
“There is an alarming shortage of large animal veterinarians which is putting a huge strain on those in the profession, the producers, and the animals they care about,” said Lovely in her opening remarks.
“There are approximately 864 vacant professional veterinary positions in Alberta with the majority of the shortage in Rural Alberta. The vacancy rate for veterinarians is around 17 per cent which is shockingly high when compared to the provincial vacancy rate of 2.6 per cent. The detrimental affect this has on existing vets is leading to increased cases of burnout,” she said.
Local veterinarians from the constituency clarified some questions the students had about entering rural practice.
Students expressed the challenge finding summer employment and shared their stress about the high volume of student dept they incur while studying, their need for mentorship, concern about a lack of affordable housing in rural Alberta, and a lack of funding.
Local officials offered encouragement about their desire to have the students move to the community and focused on the amenities, proximity to the airport and the positive quality of family life the Camrose Constituency has to offer.
Lovely has been working with the Minister of Labour and Immigration, the new dean at the University of Calgary, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association to move toward solutions for Alberta.