PERSONAL AND FAMILY BACKGROUNDS OF FIRST YEAR VETERINARY SCIENCE STUDENTS AT THE UNIVERSITY-OF-QUEENSLAND

Objective To provide information on changes in the social and educatio nal backgrounds of veterinary students over a 10 year period in an eff ort to determine the extent to which they are representative of the co mmunity. Methods Questionnaires were completed by first-year veterinar y students at The University of Queensland in 1985 and 1986 (152 stude nts), and 1995 and 1996 (154), and the data were analysed using the SA S System for Windows. Results The gender ratio of first-year veterinar y students was 50:50 (male:female) in 1985 and 1986 but 10 years later it had changed to 38:62. In 1985 and 1986 77% had come directly from school, with 43% of the total coming from government schools, 17% from Catholic schools and 34% from other private (Independent) schools. A decade later the percentage coming directly from school had decreased to 40%, that from Independent schools increased to 45% and that from c ities increased from 53% to 64%. The educational backgrounds of parent s varied widely though a high percentage had university degrees; mothe rs had received Results less formal education than fathers, and the ed ucational attainments of both parents were higher at the beginning tha n at the end of the study. More than half (57% initially; 67% 10 years later) the fathers were in professional or managerial occupations, an d a similar number (50% initially; 48% 10 years later) of mothers were teachers, nurses or clerks. The number of males from country areas de creased from 26 to 16 over this period. Conclusion These veterinary st udents differed from the community generally in that progressively mor e were female, more were from Independent schools, their parents had m ore formal education and more of their parents were in professional, m anagerial or clerical occupations.