Penn's School of Veterinary Medicine is making an effort to curb a national and statewide shortage of some types of veterinarians.
In recent years, there has been a lack of veterinarians who specialize in fields other than companion-animal practice, according to Gary Althouse, chairman of the Vet School's Clinical Studies department.
To address the shortages, the Vet School plans to accept more students interested in pursuing other fields and is working with a number of groups to develop a state loan-forgiveness program.
Areas with a shortage of veterinarians include food-supply veterinary medicine, regulatory medicine, biomedical research, public health and academic medicine.
Fewer students who are interested in these areas are applying to veterinary school, contributing to the shortage, Althouse wrote in an e-mail.
He also wrote that companion-animal practice pays best - an important factor for vet school students, who can graduate with debt exceeding $150,000.
The shortage is a concern because the areas with a lack of veterinarians "are of vital importance to the nation's agricultural industries, food safety and national security," Althouse wrote.
In order to combat the veterinary shortage, the Vet School is taking a number of steps.
The school is expanding its class by 15 students and will fill these extra spaces with applicants who are interested in going into the fields facing shortages.
It is also participating in an initiative called Project Pennsylvania, which is working on a loan-forgiveness plan for people who practice in one of the fields with a shortage.
The University is working with a number of other organizations on Project Pennsylvania, such as the Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association, the Pennsylvania Society for Biomedical Research and the Pennsylvania Farm Bureau.
Despite these programs, Althouse said he is still concerned about the shortage.
"Although Penn Vet and other organizations in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania have made great strides recently in trying to address this shortage, it is truly a national problem approaching crisis which is in need of immediate attention," he wrote.
Students interested in applying to veterinary school find the shortage to be potentially beneficial for their chances at admission.
"I think it takes a little pressure off getting top grades for getting into vet school," said College sophomore Matthew Lanza, who added that he thinks the shortage may help him get more aid to pay for vet school.
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