82 WORK FORCE / Confidence Motivates Interns
As the number of interns grows each year, it is increasingly important to understand the benefits and costs of choosing an internship over going into private practice without one.
Definitions
Internship: a 1-year commitment to a strong mentorship program that has been organized to enhance a veterinarian’s (usually a new graduate’s) clinical knowledge.
Residency: a program designed to allow for advanced learning in a specific focus of veterinary medicine over a period of 3–4 years usually, with specialty certifica- tion as a goal. Publications are often necessary. A year of internship is required for entrance into a residency program.
who did not pursue internships. What is unknown is whether those who pursued internships ultimately earn more, less or the same over the course of their careers and whether those who pursued intern- ships produce more revenue than those who did not.
Conclusions
Until now, there has been very little quantitative data published on the eco- nomic or quality care value of veteri- nary internships.
As the number of interns grows
each year, it is increasingly important to understand the benefits and costs of choosing an internship over going into private practice without one. According to “Comparison of long-term financial implications for five veterinary career tracks,” of all small-animal veterinary career tracks, specialist practice and prac- tice ownership are the two that produce the most money over a lifetime career.6 Our profession also needs to under- stand better why more recent gradu- ates appear to be interested in residen- cies than in previous years and why those choosing residencies feel the need for more training before entering pri- vate practice.
Further research into internship
trends, satisfaction by internship type and concentration, post-internship pro- ductivity, and financial return on invest- ment will help to answer these and other questions.
Acknowledgments
This study would not have been pos- sible without the generous support of the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine’s alumni depart- ment. Linear regression statistics were provided by Dr. Dottie Brown of the Uni- versity of Pennsylvania. A huge personal thanks must be given to Dr. Jim Wilson and Dr. Karen Felsted, who inspired me to pursue my curiosities and acted as sounding boards for discussion.
References
1. “Employment, Starting Salaries, and Educational Indebtedness of Year-2009 Graduates of US Veterinary Medical Colleges,” by AVMA Communications Division and A.J. Shepherd, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Vol. 235, No. 5.
2. AVMA Report on Veterinary Compensation, 2009.
3. “Employment, Starting Salaries, and Educational Indebtedness of Year-2000 Graduates of US Veterinary Medical Colleges,” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Vol. 218, No. 5.
4. “Employment of Female and Male Graduates of US Vet- erinary Medical Colleges, 2009,” Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Vol. 235, No. 7.
5. “Employment of Female and Male Graduates of the US Veterinary Medical Schools and Colleges, 2008,” by AVMA Communications Division and A.J. Shepherd, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Vol. 233, No. 8.
6. “Comparison of Long-Term Financial Implications for Five Veterinary Career Tracks,” by M.E. Gordon, J.W. Lloyd, and D.L. Harris-Kober, Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Vol. 237, No. 4.
Liz Choca is a fourth-year, University of Pennsylvania veterinary student, who plans to start work in small-animal emergency practice, without an internship, after graduating.
Trends magazine, November/December 2010
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