Current Trends in the Sectors of Interest for Veterinary Medicine Students and Job Placements of Veterinarians in Kenya Drugs

Abstract

The Veterinary Medical Profession is a world leader in developing medical and scientific understanding of companion and farm animals in a manner that supports society’s desire to care for and derive benefits from them. As the only health discipline with expertise across multiple species and ecosystems, veterinary medicine plays a vital role in protecting and enhancing human and animal health. In Kenya, the profession has been hit hard by both privatization and other government policies. Currently, little understanding exists among institutions and the public as to the challenges, threats, student job sector preferences and opportunities, and educational training needs for the Veterinary Profession. We conducted a cross sectional survey to assess these factors among veterinary medicine students and veterinarians in Kenya. The study involved forty veterinary medicine students from the University of Nairobi and twenty veterinarians practicing within Nairobi City County. The study was conducted between the months of December 2014 and March 2015. 73% (29/40) of the students preferred working in the private sector, with only 27% preferring the public sector. Bachelor of veterinary Medicine graduation class sizes sharply decreased from 111 in 1994 to a meager 32 in 2006, these numbers have slightly increased from the year 2007. About 80% (16/20) of the practicing veterinarians cited the private sector as the current largest employer of veterinarians in the country. 48% of the students (19/40) cited deregulation of the activities of veterinary paraprofessionals “Quacks” as the greatest threats facing the profession at present and in the foreseeable future. Another 50% (10/20) of the practicing veterinarians reported that wildlife practice is an emerging area of diversification, while small animal practice was identified as the current area with most employment opportunities. Further, approximately 70% of the veterinarians reported small animal practice as still underserved and has good future prospects for growth. Other areas identified as underserved included veterinary practice in the ASALs, Wildlife practice and Donkey and Equine practice.