Thesis
Women in rural veterinary practice: challenges and barriers to recruitment and retention
University of Iowa
Master of Science (MS), University of Iowa
Summer 2021
DOI: 10.17077/etd.005847
Abstract
Over the course of two decades, the veterinary profession has seen a rapid change in gender composition. In 1961, less than 5 percent of women occupied seats in veterinary colleges across the US. Today, over 80 percent of veterinary schools' seats are occupied by women. Despite the drastic increase in the number of women graduating from vet school, components of rural veterinary practice (RVP) such as food animal and mixed animal practice remain male-dominated. The decrease in percentage of male matriculation coincides with a steady decline in the number of veterinarians pursuing a career in RVP. As a result, RVP continues to battle a shortage of veterinarians despite focused institutional recruitment and federal remediation efforts. This phenomenon illustrates a knowledge gap as to why women are not choosing a career in RVP in the face of a known shortage and national need. However, there is little information available or ongoing research to explain why few female veterinarians are practicing in a rural agricultural community. The goals of this study were to identify structural barriers and challenges of RVP that might impact female veterinarians, gain a better understanding of how women in RVP establish and interact with their rural client base, and characterize potential occupational risk factors for injury specific to RVP. By implementing an ethnographic approach to a qualitative method of inquiry, descriptive data was collected using three methods – semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and a media analysis. The results indicate that women who pursue a career in RVP are confronted with challenges relating to historical structuring of RVP, establishing a rural client base and various occupational risk factors that may impact their decisions to remain in the field. Participants also identified factors such as physical stature and technical procedure as primary contributors to risk in the field. Physical stature includes components of height and strength while technical procedure identifies specific medical procedures carried out by the veterinarian. Understanding these challenges has the potential to improve efforts to recruit and retain female veterinarians in rural communities and influence agricultural safety and health initiatives.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Women in rural veterinary practice: challenges and barriers to recruitment and retention
- Creators
- Rebekah S. Estes
- Contributors
- Brandi Janssen (Advisor)Nathan Fethke (Committee Member)Matthew Nonnenmann (Committee Member)
- Resource Type
- Thesis
- Degree Awarded
- Master of Science (MS), University of Iowa
- Degree in
- Occupational and Environmental Health
- Date degree season
- Summer 2021
- DOI
- 10.17077/etd.005847
- Publisher
- University of Iowa
- Number of pages
- x, 51 pages
- Copyright
- Copyright 2021 Rebekah S. Estes
- Language
- English
- Description illustrations
- color illustrations
- Description bibliographic
- Includes bibliographical references (pages 46-48).
- Public Abstract (ETD)
Veterinary medicine has transitioned from a male dominated profession to a predominantly female profession in little over 3 decades. Over the course of this shift, all sectors within private clinical practice have seen a similar transition except for those relating to rural veterinary medicine. Reasons for why rural veterinary practice has been slow to adjust to the changing gender demographic continues to be debated in the literature and therefore requires further research to gain a better understanding of the phenomenon.
This study interviewed and observed female veterinarians currently practicing in a rural agricultural community to gain a better understanding of what women in RVP experience and why they chose to pursue a career in the field. Participants identified many challenges unique to RVP and characterized factors relating to their work that may contribute to increased risk for injury. In addition, participants expressed a unique desire to invest and build relationships within the rural community. These findings could create a unique opportunity for influencing not only the occupational safety and health of rural veterinary clinic operations but also agricultural safety and health in rural agricultural communities.
- Academic Unit
- Occupational and Environmental Health
- Record Identifier
- 9984124360102771
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