The veterinarian shortage starts in the pipeline to veterinary school

Journalists are finally putting a long-overdue spotlight on the veterinarian shortage affecting millions of Americans and their beloved pets. The problem, however, goes beyond the wrenching experience of not being able to find treatment for your dog or cat. If you eat meat, got the COVID vaccine or hope that one day there will be a cure for cancer, then you too will be impacted by the shortage, as veterinary medicine is also used to maintain the health of food production animals, oversee the responsible use of lab animals in clinical trials, and conduct cancer research that benefits both animals and humans.