US vets receive $4.5m in loan repayments
The US Department of Agriculture has paid more than $4.5 million to 49 veterinarians in the US to help repay their student loans in return for working in areas where vets are needed.
The awards, made by the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) administered by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, will help fill shortages in 26 states.
Studies indicate there are significant shortages of veterinarians in certain areas of the country, and in high-priority specialty sectors that require advanced training, such as food safety, epidemiology, diagnostic medicine and public health. A leading cause for this shortage is the heavy cost of four years of professional veterinary medical training which leaves current graduates of veterinary colleges with a mean debt burden of $135,283.
Love the fact that the new vets will receive help with student loans BUT hate the fact that the money is from the USDA which is no friend to animals. Now these vets will have to work with food animal herds to help the cattle barons get richer, etc. They will owe their soul to the government–an awful position.