Everywhere you look, new Veterinary schools are set to open their doors, promising to solve the profession’s staffing crisis. Yet if we simply flood the pipeline with more graduates without addressing why so many veterinarians leave clinical practice, we’re not fixing the problem, but rather just delaying it.
The real solution isn’t just more veterinarians. It’s creating careers worth staying for.
The Deeper Problem
The Veterinary shortage is not just about the number of graduates entering the profession. It is about attrition.
New Veterinary schools are opening across the country, increasing the number of students who will eventually join the workforce. However, without addressing why so many veterinarians leave clinical practice after only a few years, we are simply making the bucket larger without fixing the leak at the bottom.
Graduating more veterinarians might create a temporary surge in numbers, but it does nothing to fix the workplace conditions that drive high rates of burnout and career dissatisfaction. In fact, if we continue to add more veterinarians into a system that has not evolved, we risk another unintended consequence: oversaturation. When supply outpaces demand, it can become harder for new graduates to find fulfilling jobs. Over time, this could lead to stagnating or even declining salaries, ultimately devaluing the profession.
The problem is not just workload or a lack of autonomy. It is the way current practice models fail to build sustainable, meaningful Veterinary careers. Without rethinking how we structure the daily experience of Veterinary medicine, we will continue to see skilled professionals leave, no matter how many new graduates enter.
If we want to solve the shortage for the long term, we must focus not just on recruitment, but on retention, not just at the hospital level, but at the profession level.
Retention First
Retaining skilled veterinarians would have a far greater immediate impact than opening more Veterinary schools. Every veterinarian who stays in the profession helps stabilize the workforce far more effectively than trying to replace those who leave or transition to part-time.
Meaningful work is a major driver of retention. Veterinarians need to feel their work has purpose beyond simply moving through appointments. Practices that foster deeper client relationships, provide support for professional passions, and allow veterinarians to influence medical and operational decisions create environments where people want to stay.
Autonomy also plays a crucial role. When veterinarians are trusted to make medical decisions without micromanagement, it builds professional pride and resilience. A strong and healthy workplace culture, built intentionally by leadership, provides the foundation for veterinarians to thrive rather than just survive.
Leadership training must be prioritized early in a veterinarian’s career, regardless of whether they aspire to own a practice. Building leadership skills, including emotional intelligence, strengthens communication, fosters team cohesion, and reduces the conflicts that often drive early-career burnout.
Retention also depends on eliminating repetitive and monotonous tasks that drain time and energy. Investing in systems, support staff, and technology that maximize the veterinarian’s clinical skills while minimizing paperwork and inefficiencies allows doctors to spend more meaningful time with clients and patients.
Finally, financial sustainability is critical. Providing pathways to partnership or ownership not only supports financial growth, but also creates emotional investment and long-term commitment to the practice’s success.
If we want veterinarians to stay, we must create careers that are not only sustainable, but inspiring.
Efficiency Through Technology
Another immediate way to address the apparent Veterinary shortage is by fully harnessing the technology already available to us. Artificial intelligence is often discussed in terms of creating SOAP notes or streamlining medical records, but its true potential goes much further. AI, along with other emerging technologies, has the power to eliminate the mundane and repetitive tasks that weigh down every member of the Veterinary team.
When we remove the monotony from the day, we free up veterinarians and support staff to focus on what matters most: direct client communication and patient care. This allows practices to see more patients without sacrificing face-to-face time with clients, improving both efficiency and service quality.
Beyond AI, we must also look to simpler tools already at our fingertips. Many practices are not using their practice management software to its full potential. Features like automated reminders, digital forms, online booking, and integrated communication platforms can dramatically improve workflows when properly adopted.
While there is always a learning curve when implementing new technology, the long-term gains are undeniable. Greater efficiency decreases the need to hire additional veterinarians, a resource already in short supply. By embracing technology now, rather than waiting four to six years for the next wave of graduates, we can make an immediate impact on the Veterinary workforce shortage.
Innovative Practice Models
The future of Veterinary medicine will belong to practices that rethink how careers are built and how teams are empowered.
Innovative practice models should engage the entire team and provide clear pathways for growth. Veterinarians must have opportunities not just for clinical advancement, but for leadership development and ownership. Models that favor veterinarian-led decision-making and offer tracks toward independent or co-ownership will be best positioned to retain talented doctors who want more than just a job.
Career growth must also extend to support staff. Practices that invest in developing internal leaders, delegate meaningful responsibilities, and fully utilize Veterinary technicians to the extent of their licensure will see significant gains in efficiency and team satisfaction. Empowered teams are more engaged, more productive, and far more likely to stay long-term.
Technology-savvy practices will continue to lead the way. Seamless workflows, automated client communication, and integrated systems will not only improve operational efficiency, but will also elevate the client experience. An efficient, well-organized hospital creates a better experience for clients, patients, and teams alike.
By focusing on leadership development, meaningful work, and operational excellence, these innovative models have the power to reduce burnout, keep veterinarians within clinical practice longer, and dramatically improve job satisfaction across the profession. Practices that innovate across leadership, workflows, and service delivery will not only thrive, but will help secure a stronger, more sustainable future for Veterinary medicine.
Call to Action
More Veterinary schools might add more graduates, but they will not fix the profession’s deeper issues. If we fail to address retention, career sustainability, and workplace innovation, we will simply continue the cycle of burnout and attrition, regardless of how many new veterinarians enter the field.
The true future of Veterinary medicine will be shaped by those who choose to rethink what it means to build a Veterinary career. By focusing on meaningful work, empowered teams, leadership development, efficient practice models, and smart technology adoption, we can create a profession where veterinarians do not just survive, but thrive.
We do not need more schools.
We need better systems, better support, and better opportunities for those already here.
The solutions are within our reach. Now is the time to build a profession worth staying for.