A PROPOSED HECS-HELP debt relief scheme could help reverse the shortage of vets in rural mixed practices across Australia.
While the Australian Veterinary Association is only starting to discuss the scheme with Federal Government, similar incentives are in place in the United States and New Zealand.
AVA president Barry Smyth said it seemed to be difficult to retain vets in rural or mixed practices, especially if they were young graduates.
"The facts are that the majority of practices are located in cities and towns, and not in the bush," he said.
"The lifestyle can be tough. Sometimes remuneration is not as good and a reduction of services in rural areas can mean they are less attractive for many professionals, including vets."
Dr Smyth said most graduates had a debt to income ratio of 3:1, with many having a $125,000 to $150,000 student tuition debt at the end of their course and a starting salary of only $40,000 to $45,000.
"We are talking to the Federal Government because there needs to be something here and suggested relief of the HECS-HELP debt is relatively small in the scheme of things," he said.
Dr Smyth said about 2500 undergraduates were studying veterinary science in Australia.
"When (the University of) Adelaide comes on board in two years time there will be 600 vet graduates a year," he said.
"But where they go will depend on where the jobs and money are."
Since 2009, a NZ government voluntary bonding scheme has meant vets working in eligible rural areas can be paid a taxable bonus of $11,000 for every - for up to five years - if they are working in an under-staffed area.
Last year, the American Veterinary Medical Association announced an educational debt relief scheme for vets who committed to working in the food animal sector, with eligible vets being paid up to $100,000 over five years towards student loan debts.
MPV Consulting director Rob White, a guest speaker at the national Australian Veterinary Conference in Adelaide last week, delivered results from a student survey about the shortage of veterinary graduates in mixed practices that was undertaken in the past 12-months.
Of 2500 vet students, 510 filled out the survey, and 82 per cent of those respondents were female.
"In my opinion, there was a lack of reality in student responses," Dr White said.
"In the survey, 49pc of students said they wanted to go into a mixed practice after graduation, but of those only 29pc expected to be working in a mixed practice five to 10 years later.
"But mixed practice vet clinics only account for 25pc of vet clinics in Australia."
Dr White said it appeared many students used mixed practices to gain experience, before moving onto different fields.
"There's a number of conclusions I have reached about this topic (but) to retain graduates in the country they need to be paid more," he said.
"Secondly, with lifestyle issues vets need to be integrated into communities.
"Associations also need to be involved with students more directly - universities need to be lobbied to change intake from being based on academic scores to encouraging country students to study."
*Full report in Stock Journal, May 26 issue, 2011.
