Student View:
USDA NIFA Kentucky Preceptorship Grant by Mary Jehlik, Auburn University CVM, Class of 2018
Rural Kentucky. Long, winding country roads with fields of corn and wheat next to a herd of 50 Angus cross
cattle littered on the hillside. Tere’s a 60 year old to- bacco barn standing tall and proud that’s been renovat- ed to house the farming equipment. An old brick farm- house sits off in the distance with three maple trees out front, and each changes a different color when fall comes around. Te vet who has been coming out to the farm for the past 15 years just recently retired, leaving the clos- est food animal ambulatory vet over an hour and a half away. What happens now to the care of his livestock and is there relief coming?
I am proud to announce and to be the first class at Au- burn University to have a unique grant help address the situation I previously painted. Tis grant is provided by USDA’s Veterinary Services Grant Program for rural ar- eas of Kentucky to help strengthen the veterinary services providing food animal medicine. Te $237,233 grant will allow training, continued education, recruitment, and fu- ture employment of veterinary students and veterinari- ans. Tis grant is being funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agricul- ture, or USDA-NIFA. Leading this program at Auburn is Dr. Misty Edmonson, who is an associate professor of farm animal medicine, and Glen Sellers, who teaches business and practice management rotations at the col- lege. Dr. Dan Givens, associate Dean of Academic Affairs states, “Te long-term goals of the program are to assist veterinarians currently serving in rural underserved areas as well as to work with current students to transition into sustainable careers in rural areas. Adequately supporting current veterinarians and recruiting future veterinarians into sustainable careers will meet the needs to maintain the health and well-being of cattle, sheep and goat popu- lations and ensure the provision of a safe and wholesome food supply.”
Te areas that are designated in need of and have been identified within the last two years as being underserved are as follows: a 50-mile radius around Sandy Hook in Elliott County, Georgetown in Scott County, Morgan- town in Butler County, Manchester in Clay County, and Columbia in Adair County. Tese areas are based on high cattle to veterinarian ratios, along with the basic fact, as stated in my scenario, that more large animal veterinari- ans are retiring and no new recruits are coming in to fill their place, or it’s a one doctor practice and the case load/ambulatory distance to travel is too
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great. “Sustainability of the prac- tice hinges on getting students in a practical setting, understanding life in a rural area. Tat is where preceptorships and externships are important,” said Ed- mondson.
I understand living in a rural area in eastern Kentucky and not having the availability of an ambulatory veterinarian to make farm calls to your house. For my parents and me, it has been extremely frustrating at times, especially in an emergency situation. With the implementation of this new program at Auburn, my hope is that the rural areas of Kentucky will have more food animal/mixed practitioners available to these areas. If your practice is in one of these designated areas and meets the criteria, please contact Dr. Misty Edmonson or Glen Sellers.
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