Rural Veterinary Workforce Sustainability

Drs. Jessica Fox, Tim Goldsmith, Jim Bennett, Ryan Dutton, Heather Damico, and Stephan Schaefbauer

At this year’s Just-In-Time Lunch at the Annual Conference, we brought together representatives from federal, state, academic, and private practice to discuss a topic that continues to surface in conversations about our profession: sustaining veterinary practice in rural communities.

The discussion reinforced an important shift in perspective. The challenge facing rural veterinary medicine is not simply a shortage of veterinarians, it is a question of sustainability. New graduates are not avoiding rural practice because they lack interest in rural life or agriculture. Rather, they are carefully evaluating whether the workplace environment allows them to build a career that is professionally fulfilling and personally sustainable.

Panelists highlighted practical realities including on-call burden, mentorship availability, safety considerations, business pressures, and work-life balance. Practices that intentionally protect time, share emergency coverage, set clear expectations, and foster supportive culture consistently reported greater success recruiting and retaining veterinarians.

We also heard clearly that the traditional model of rural veterinary medicine has changed. Consolidation within agriculture and shifting community economics mean that solutions focused on recreating past practice structures are unlikely to succeed. Instead, we must be willing to adapt, embracing collaborative call structures, spectrum-of-care medicine, telemedicine tools, and new business approaches that reflect today’s communities.

Encouragingly, many resources already exist. Federal grant programs, loan repayment opportunities, and university initiatives are available, yet often underutilized due to lack of awareness or administrative barriers. Increasing communication and partnership between practitioners, organizations, and educators represents an immediate opportunity for progress.

Perhaps the strongest consensus from the panel was that sustainable rural veterinary medicine will not be achieved by graduating more veterinarians alone. It will come from intentionally building workplaces where veterinarians want to work and can realistically see themselves practicing long-term.

This discussion was intended as a starting point rather than a conclusion. The ideas generated will help guide MVMA as we continue working toward practical solutions that support both our members and the communities that depend on them.

By Dr. Jessica Fox, MVMA President 2026–27

This article originally appeared in the March/April 2026 issue of the MVMA Messenger