Because of a feared shortage of veterinarians to care for farm animals in rural areas, the state government has announced the introduction of a rural veterinarian quota – albeit initially without naming a timetable. In concrete terms, this means that those interested in studying veterinary medicine could get a chance even with a slightly poorer Abitur grade – if they commit to working in certain Bavarian regions after their studies. “It’s about increasing the number of rural veterinarians, because that’s necessary for many reasons,” said Head of the State Chancellery Florian Herrmann (CSU) on Tuesday after a cabinet meeting in Munich.
Such a country doctor quota already exists in human medicine. There, up to five percent of the medical study places are given to applicants who contractually agree to later settle down as a family doctor in an underserved area. Now, according to the cabinet decision, there should also be a comprehensive “future strategy” for the veterinary care of livestock in Bavaria. “Ensuring good veterinary care in rural areas is an important concern for the state government,” the state chancellery said in a statement. “It serves both animal welfare and the preservation and continuation of sustainable agricultural business structures in rural areas.” The environment and science ministries are now to develop a concept.
“With a rural veterinarian quota, veterinarians should be bound to rural areas at an early stage and contact with livestock practices should be promoted,” it said. For example, a selection process should be introduced “that comes alongside performance-related criteria such as Abitur grades or medical tests”. In addition, there should be special scholarships or settlement subsidies. “The aim is to make the veterinary profession in rural areas more attractive overall, especially in livestock practice, in order to counteract possible supply gaps at an early stage,” the statement said.
According to a study by the Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, there will be a shortage of veterinary services in cattle farms in some regions of Bavaria in the coming years. “Especially in rural areas, recruiting young people in livestock practice is becoming increasingly challenging.” In Bavaria in 2014 there were still almost 1200 established veterinarians for the care of farm animals, today there are still almost 740.