Need a job? Talk to the animals
The nation's heartland is calling, and it desperately needs vets to take care of the animals that put dinner on your table.
By Aaron Smith, CNNMoney.com staff writer
April 10, 2008: 10:36 AM EDT
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Dr. Arlyn Scherbenske, a veterinarian on the sparsely populated plains of North Dakota, is directly responsible for the health of every dog, cat, sheep, horse, cow and canary within a 45-mile radius
"The only thing we don't work on is reptiles, like snakes," said Dr. Scherbenske, speaking by phone from his practice in Steele, a town of less than 700 people.
But that doesn't narrow down his clientele much. Dr. Scherbenske estimates that he has some 100,000 animals under his care, most of them cows at surrounding farms. That's a lot of work, and Dr. Scherbenske - who recently sprained his shoulder on the job - could use all the help he can get.
In the coming months, two veterinary school graduates will be joining his practice to help inspect herds for pregnant cows and treat calves with broken legs. But it isn't easy wooing city-bred vets to move to the country, where the need is approaching critical.
"All of a sudden, the shortage is huge and we have less and less of these kids coming to rural practice," said Dr. Scherbenske. "I think those jobs could be filled if we get over the perception that it is a lower-paid job."
A growing market
The U.S. lost 80,000 jobs in March - its third straight month of losses. But the job market for veterinary medicine is expected to grow dramatically in the next few years...
Complete story:
Need a job? Talk to the animals - Apr. 10, 2008
Of all of the folk I knew that came through Claflin, only one has gone on to become a Doctor of Veterinarian Medicine and I think she's up in Minnesota now. I know a bunch of other types of doctors but only one vet.
