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Can The Horseracing Integrity And Safety Act Entice More Vets To Regulatory Work?

The veterinary shortage in the United States has reached an almost critical juncture, but those behind the Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act believe they may be able to entice more vets to regulatory work with the promise of a work-life balance.

As an increased veterinary presence at tracks in California is required, the lack of veterinarians in the state – and throughout the United States – is becoming more apparent, reports Thoroughbred Racing Commentary.

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There are multiple reasons why fewer students are studying veterinary medicine and even fewer are interested in pursuing large animal practice, including debt, stress, mental health concerns, and work-life balance. The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Act (HISA), which is slated to launch in July of 2022, is hoping to entice more vets into the regulatory side of veterinary medicine.

In racing, veterinarians typically fall into two camps: vets employed by racetracks and vets employed by state racing commissions. In California, the veterinarian's scope of duties now extends well beyond that of a pre-race examiner: vets in the state now are asked to monitor training, help with entry review panels and sit on necropsy review programs.

Dr. Dionne Benson, chief veterinary officer for The Stronach Group (TSG), has a unique proposal to attract vets into regulatory work: The creation of a fellowship program aimed at vet school graduates who have completed an internship, but who would like to do something more before entering into full-time practice.

Benson suggests the fellowship be a two-year program split between academic studies and practical experiences, with the student graduating from the program with a master's degree in regulatory or sports medicine.

Proponents are hopeful the job of a regulatory vet may soon be streamlined through HISA's creation of a nationwide veterinarian database, which could better allow regulatory veterinarians to communicate about required tasks and prevent the role from being too overwhelming. Another potentially large draw for regulatory vet work is the standardized hours.

Read more at Thoroughbred Racing Commentary.

The post Can The Horseracing Integrity And Safety Act Entice More Vets To Regulatory Work? appeared first on Horse Racing News | Paulick Report.

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‘Critter Fixers’ Stars Dedicated To Mentoring Black Veterinarians

Looking for a new show to watch while the cold weather drags on? Give Nat Geo WILD's Critter Fixers: Country Vets a try. Featuring rural veterinarians Drs. Terrence Ferguson and Vernard Hodges, the reality show follows the two Black practice owners as they treat everything from cats and dogs to camels, lizards, pigs, ducks, rabbits and more.

The two owners are drawing attention for more than their easy-going, kind attitudes: People magazine reports they're serving as role models for Black students who dream of a career in veterinary medicine. Black vets make up just 2 percent of practicing vets in the United States, but Drs. Hodges and Ferguson are working diligently to change that statistic.

The team has grown their influence as mentors by taking time to talk on the phone with students beyond their local area. The Critter Fixers also speak in schools and on Zoom calls for career and professional days.

The second season of Critter Fixers: Country Vets premieres Saturday, May 22, at 9 p.m. EST on Nat Geo Wild. Previous episodes are streaming on Disney+.

UC Davis Vet Hospital Updates And Expands Equine Reproduction Space

The UC Davis veterinary hospital's Equine Reproduction Service has a newly renovated clinical teaching and research space at the school's Center for Equine Health. Dean Michael Lairmore, Executive Associate Dean John Pascoe, and Executive Assistant Dean Mary McNally officially unveiled the newly renovated space, which includes four custom-designed stocks and all new flooring. The Equine Reproduction Service team, led by Service Chief Dr. Ghislaine Dujovne and newly acquired faculty member Dr. Pouya Dini, also has a new student meeting space and expanded laboratory as part of the renovation.

Improvements to the Equine Reproduction Service facilities were funded by the school's Dean's Office, which saw the benefit the new space will offer to students and clients. The adjacent laboratory and clinical spaces offer “benchtop to bedside” clinical translation – a hallmark of the future Veterinary Medical Center and a major advantage of seeking treatment at a teaching hospital.

“We are grateful to Dean Lairmore and his office for providing the funding for this space,” said Dr. Carrie Finno, director of the Center for Equine Health. “This project has been more than a year in the making, starting before the pandemic began. It is a tremendous asset for students and residents training here at the Center, and also provides top-notch facilities for our clients.”

The Equine Reproduction Service provides routine and advanced equine reproductive care, including artificial insemination, ultrasonographic pregnancy diagnosis, fertility evaluation, semen collection and evaluation, transvaginal aspiration of oocytes, and embryo transfer.

“This new space gives our service a more efficient place to teach and practice,” said Dujovne. “The opportunities for students in this new treatment and research area will increase significantly, improving the quality of their education in equine reproduction.”