Associate Professor Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine Ithaca, New York
Why is veterinary surgery just reaching approximate gender equality when women outnumber men in veterinary admissions 4:1? What does this mean for the future of veterinary surgery, especially in private practices where the majority of surgeons will work? This session will discuss the gender shift in veterinary medicine admissions and how that has and hasn’t affected veterinary surgery specifically. Arguments regarding differences for female surgeons and staff between private practice and academic environments will be introduced. Data will be compared between human and veterinary surgery spheres with regards to gender equality and research highlighting current areas of concern including: pay, promotion/tenure, practice ownership, and work-life balance will be debated. Reasons why this matters and real-world recommendations will be outlined and veterinary support groups (AWVS, WIVO) will be examined.