Agricultural consultancy - a career choice for veterinarians

Objective To document the personal, educational and professional skills tha t characterise veterinarians pursuing careers as agricultural consultants a nd to determine the future direction for veterinary-related advisory servic es to agriculture in Australia. Design Thirty-six veterinarians practising as consultants in agriculture th roughout Australia were sent a postal survey in 1994. Procedure A descriptive analysis was chosen because of the relatively small population available to sample. Comparisons were made on a percentage basi s where appropriate. Results Twenty-four useable responses to the questionnaire were received. C onsultants were mostly men with an agricultural background, aged 31 to 40 y ears. They considered their undergraduate veterinary studies to be a steppi ng stone into further education and practical experience and ultimately con sultancy. Consultants predicted an increased reliance for their work on cor porate farms, private agribusiness, research and development and sub-contra cted work, rather than on family-owned farms. Consultants disagreed on the wisdom of combining consultancy activities with alternative businesses (for instance mixed veterinary practice). Only 13 consultants derived greater t han 76% of their income from consultancy and 14 combined another business w ith consulting. The need for continuing education was considered important. Consultants predicted various future prospects for the industry. Many pred icted that there would not be enough veterinarians to fulfill the demand fo r this type of work. Implications for the veterinary profession Results from this survey suggest that veterinary consulting will extend into finance, agronomy and marketin g in addition to current skills in animal nutrition, parasite control and a nimal reproduction. As clients demand specialised skills and knowledge, the formation of co-operatives or companies of specialists may be beneficial t o both client and consultant in the future. The consultant's role can be ch aracterised as one of extending relevant information to clients in a useful form. Excellent communication skills are necessary, as is an understanding of rural issues and animal industries.