Work, life, and the gender effect: Perspectives of ACVIM Diplomates in 2017. Part 2-The intersection of personal life and professional career

Assessing US Small Animal Veterinary Clinic Adaptations and Their Impacts on Workforce COVID-19 Preparedness and Response

Veterinary personnel are an essential yet often underappreciated workforce, critical for zoonotic disease prevention and response efforts that impact human health. During the early COVID-19 pandemic, the veterinary workforce supported emergency responses by promoting zoonotic disease risk communication, sharing animal health expertise, and boosting laboratory surge capacity against SARS-CoV-2 in animals and people. However, small animal veterinary workers (SAVWs), similar to healthcare workers, faced organizational challenges in providing clinical care to family pets, including those susceptible to SARS-CoV-2. We analyzed a cross-sectional survey of 1,204 SAVWs in the United States to assess veterinary clinic adaptations and their associations with SAVWs' self-perceived readiness, willingness, and ability to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic as a workforce. SAVWs who worked fewer hours than before the pandemic (ready, OR 0.59; willing, OR 0.66; able, OR 0.52) or used personal protective equipment less frequently for protection in the clinic (ready, OR 0.69; willing, OR 0.69; able, OR 0.64) felt less ready, willing, and able to respond to COVID-19. SAVWs working remotely felt less ready (OR 0.46) but not less willing or able to respond to COVID-19. Lastly, SAVWs with dependents felt less ready (OR 0.67) and able (OR 0.49) to respond to COVID-19 than SAVWs without dependents. Our findings highlight the importance of proactively managing work schedules, having access to personal protective equipment, and addressing caregiving concerns to enhance SAVW preparedness and response outcomes. SAVWs are knowledgeable, motivated personnel who should be integrated into local public health emergency preparedness and response plans, supporting a One Health framework that unites multidisciplinary teams to respond to future zoonotic disease threats.

Comparison of resident and intern salaries with the current living wage as a quantitative estimate of financial strain among postgraduate veterinary trainees

OBJECTIVE

To compare resident and intern salaries with current regional living wages as a quantitative estimate of financial strain.

SAMPLE

152 residency programs and 141 internship programs listed with the Veterinary Internship and Residency Matching Program for the 2021-2022 training year.

PROCEDURES

Data were collected for program annual salary and location. Regional living wage for each location was determined with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Living Wage Calculator, and annual salary was compared with living wage to estimate income surplus before and after taxes. Results for programs in academia and private practice were compared. Spearman correlation was used to determine whether program annual salary was significantly associated with regional living wage.

RESULTS

Mean ± SD income surplus before taxes was $7,786 ± 9,426 for clinical residency programs, $16,672 ± 5,105 for laboratory animal programs, and $5,829 ± 8,119 for internships. Academic residencies and internships offered salaries significantly lower than those offered in private practice, and income surpluses before and after taxes were significantly lower for academic programs than for private practice programs. There were weak and moderate, respectively, correlations between program annual salary and regional living wage for residency (r = 0.369) and internship (r = 0.570) programs.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

Postgraduate training prolongs financial instability, and annual salaries generally do not meet the minimum income standard of a living wage. Financial stress has implications for mental health and diversity, and these findings invite deeper consideration of current remuneration practices for veterinary residents and interns.

Occupational segregation by gender in veterinary specialties: Who we are choosing, or who is choosing us

OBJECTIVE

Gender demographics vary across specialties including surgery, internal medicine, cardiology, neurology, and oncology. Our objective was to determine whether residency selection or the decision to apply for training drives these differences.

STUDY DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study.

SAMPLE POPULATION

Matched and unmatched residents lists from Veterinary Internship and Residency Matching Program (VIRMP) from 2011 to 2020. Comparative Data Reports from the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges from 2010 to 2019.

METHODS

Names for matched and unmatched residents with addresses in the United States or Canada were coded for gender for seven programs: large and small animal surgery, large and small animal medicine, cardiology, neurology, and oncology. Match rate by gender was compared using chi-square tests. Gender demographics of applicants were compared to demographics of graduates using tests of two proportions.

RESULTS

No differences were observed between genders for the likelihood of successfully matching into each residency program evaluated except in large animal internal medicine. Women (44.2%) were slightly more likely to match, overall, than men (39.0%, p = .003). The proportions of women applying for residencies overall (70.7%), in large and small animal surgery (66.1%, 62.2%), cardiology (70.2%), and neurology (70.7%) were lower than the proportion of female graduates (79%; p's < .001).

CONCLUSION

No evidence for gender bias was detected in the VIRMP resident selection process. Female veterinary graduates seemed less likely to apply for residencies than their male counterparts.

IMPACT

Occupational segregation seems to stem from the decision to apply for residency. Interventions aimed at altering gender demographics in specialized medicine should target potential applicants.

Work, life, and the gender effect: Perspectives of ACVIM Diplomates in 2017. Part 2-The intersection of personal life and professional career

BACKGROUND

In the field of veterinary surgery, women neither marry nor have children at the same rate as men, and those who do may experience more career disruption as a result. The American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) is 1 of the few areas of specialized medicine that is predominantly female; it is unknown if such a demographic shift would produce a different environment for individuals cultivating their personal life.

HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES

To report data regarding subjective and objective aspects of the intersection of the personal and professional lives of Diplomates of the ACVIM.

SAMPLE

Eight hundred ninety-six surveys (781 completed) of ACVIM Diplomates, including cardiology, large and small animal internal medicine, neurology, and oncology.

METHODS

An 82-item online survey was distributed to ACVIM Diplomates via Diplomate college listservs. Participation was voluntary.

RESULTS

Men were more likely to be married and have children than were women. Women had or adopted their first child at a later career stage compared with men, and agreed more strongly that career stage was an influential factor in family planning. Those with children worked fewer hours compared with those without, and this effect was greater among women. Women were more likely to require external childcare, but most men and women shared childcare responsibilities equally outside of working hours.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE

The intersection of personal and professional life differs between men and women in the ACVIM, which may create different needs, preferences, or barriers to work-life balance in the workforce.

Work, life, and the gender effect: Perspectives of ACVIM Diplomates in 2017. Part 1-Specialty demographics and measures of professional achievement

BACKGROUND

Barriers to achieving work-life balance, as well as gender-based differences, exist in the male-dominated surgical specialty in veterinary medicine. Similar information does not exist for the more feminized American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM).

HYPOTHESIS/OBJECTIVES

To provide data on the professional and personal lives of Diplomates of the ACVIM so as to help define the state of the specialty, including gender-related differences, and identify areas requiring intervention to improve work-life balance.

SAMPLE

A total of 896 surveys (781 completed) of Diplomates of the ACVIM, including cardiology, large animal internal medicine, neurology, oncology, and small animal internal medicine.

METHODS

An 82-item online survey was distributed in February 2017 to ACVIM Diplomates via their respective ACVIM listserv. Participation was voluntary.

RESULTS

Thirty percent of the total ACVIM registered membership responded and 26% completed surveys; 25% were men and 75% were women. Specialists in academia worked significantly more hours, with larger numbers of diplomates per specialty section, and made less money compared with those in private practice. Women were less likely to report full-time employment, practice ownership, or higher academic rank, and reported 20% lower income overall (after adjustment for relevant factors) as compared with men. Men and women differed in their subjective assessment of the effect of gender in the workplace. Eighty-three percent of respondents were somewhat satisfied or better with their career.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPORTANCE

Specialization in the ACVIM is a satisfying and potentially profitable career. However, despite a highly feminized workforce, significant gender-related imbalances are evident.