Rural areas need more veterinarians; low pay, student debt make choice difficult

Rural veterinary clinics, especially those practicing on large animals like cattle, have been declining since World War II, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

By

National News

September 12, 2022 - 4:07 PM

For as long as she can remember, Dr. Cyrena Hull wanted to be a veterinarian — she recalls how as a child she would pretend to hook up her stuffed animals to makeshift IVs.

Hull began working at the Perry Veterinary Hospital in Perry, Oklahoma, straight out of veterinary school six years ago. She’s one of the two doctors that work at the small town clinic, and her experiences growing up in rural Colorado make working in the town feel like home.

“I love the profession. I love what I do,” Hull said. “It’s just really pretty crazy to look at the debt load that it takes to get there.”

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