LONGITUDINAL-STUDY OF CAREER PLANS AND DIRECTIONS OF VETERINARY STUDENTS AND RECENT GRADUATES DURING THE FIRST 5 YEARS AFTER GRADUATION

Objectives To determine the patterns of work undertaken by veterinaria ns during the first 5 years after graduation, and to study the backgro und to career decisions. Design Longitudinal study. Population Veterin arians (119) who started the veterinary course at The University of Qu eensland in 1985 and 1986, and who responded to a mailed questionnaire 5 years after they graduated. Procedure Questionnaires were completed in the first and fifth year of the veterinary course, and in the seco nd and after the fifth year after graduation. The data were coded nume rically and analysed using the SAS System for Windows. Results Most re spondents (61%) planned to work in mixed practice and 61% entered mixe d practice initially, but only 39% of these (26% of the total) remaine d in mixed practice after 5 years. Those who had grown up on a farm wh ich derived primary income from animals were more likely to enter mixe d practice, but half of this group had left mixed practice after 5 yea rs. Most decisions to change career direction involved a move away fro m negative factors including inadequate private time and/or rewards, i ssues involving other people including the practice principal and some times clients, or aspects of the work itself. However, some cited posi tive reasons, including opportunities to learn, to help others or to t ravel. There were no significant differences between males and females in the numbers entering mixed practice or leaving it, or entering sma ll animal practice, or in attitudes to many issues involving veterinar ians. However, more females than males found their remuneration too sm all, and females did receive significantly smaller incomes than males. Conclusions Most graduating veterinarians, especially those from farm s with animals, seek to enter mixed practice initially. Negative exper iences are mainly responsible for moves to small animal practice. Gend er does not affect the distribution of young veterinarians between mix ed and small animal practice.