Lessons of history in veterinary medicine.

The research paper identifies key issues and themes in the history of veterinary medicine in the United States and suggests future directions for the profession. It emphasises the need for a geographically balanced distribution of veterinary colleges, the promotion of women in leadership roles, and the expansion of the One Health concept to include “zooeyia” (the positive impact of animals on human health).

Historical Context and Geographic Imbalance

• The paper analyses the historical development of veterinary medicine, highlighting how the profession evolved from being city-based, especially where horses, physicians and medical schools were prominent, to becoming an agricultural-focused field after the advent of the internal combustion engine in the early twentieth century.
• It notes that a significant number of current veterinary colleges are located in the midsection of the country, outside big urban centres. This has resulted in an uneven geographic distribution of veterinary education and practice, with the majority of veterinarians practicing companion-animal medicine in metro areas, far from these colleges.
• Adding to this imbalance, a significant proportion of US students have received veterinary education in foreign colleges, further distancing the veterinary educational process from US population centres and major medical schools.

Priority Themes for the Future

• The first priority theme is the need to move beyond the historical “land-grant” culture and establish new veterinary colleges that are more geographically accessible, particularly in proximity to medical and public health schools.
• The second priority theme is championing more women leadership roles in the veterinary field. This would involve providing more opportunities for women in organized veterinary medicine, practice ownership, academic roles, and corporate structures that educate, hire, and interact with veterinarians.
• The third priority theme is broadening the understanding of the “One Health” concept. This would involve not only emphasizing veterinarians’ important roles in managing zoonotic diseases and promoting comparative medicine in the genomic era but also recognizing the concept of “zooeyia”, the beneficial role of animals in promoting human health.