Community of origin, preferred community or location of first employment, and food animal experiences are predictors for veterinary graduates choosing rural food animal employment.

Rural background and food animal experience are the strongest predictors of graduates entering rural food animal practice.

This multi-institutional study examined predictors for veterinary graduates choosing rural food animal employment, addressing persistent workforce shortages in rural veterinary medicine. Researchers analyzed data from 6,431 graduates of 33 AVMA-accredited American and Caribbean veterinary schools using the Veterinary Medical College Application Service and AVMA Graduating Senior Survey, covering 2019–2023 first destination outcomes. Logistic regression analysis identified three primary predictors for entering rural food animal practice: community of origin (rural upbringing), preferred community or location of first employment, and prior food animal experience—both veterinary and nonveterinary. Graduates from rural communities were statistically significantly more likely to enter rural food animal practice upon graduation. Similarly, hands-on food animal experience prior to or during veterinary training was a significant indicator of subsequent rural food animal employment. These findings have direct implications for veterinary college admissions strategies, suggesting that targeted recruitment of applicants from rural backgrounds and those with established food animal experience may help address geographic and specialty workforce gaps. The authors propose that admissions committees can use these evidence-based predictors to intentionally shape class demographics, potentially increasing the proportion of graduates who enter rural food animal practice and contributing to long-term solutions for the rural veterinary shortage.

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