Importance of the human-animal bond for pre-veterinary, first-year, and fourth-year veterinary students in relation to their career choice.

Abstract

The Human-Animal Bond (HAB) is a construct that has received increased attention in the field of veterinary medicine. However, it remains unclear how important the HAB is to veterinary students and how it may be related to their career choice. Questionnaires were administered to 146 veterinary students. A variety of variables was assessed, including sex, year of study, career choice, surgery track, and "farm" versus "city" upbringings. Overall, students consider the HAB to be an important and valuable construct, one that was influential in their decision to become veterinarians. However, the HAB's importance seems to decrease as students progress in school. Also, students aspiring to food animal careers seem to attach less value to some aspects of the HAB. Females attached more importance to the role HAB plays in their lives than did males; those on "alternative" surgery track assigned more significance to the role of the HAB in veterinary medicine than did those on the "traditional" surgery track. Students also reported that they believe the HAB should be addressed in veterinary curricula.