This document summarizes a qualitative study on how gender influences career choices among senior veterinary students. The study found that as the field has become dominated by women, there has been a shift toward careers focused on companion animal medicine, which are seen as more caring and relational. In contrast, careers dealing with food/farm animals are seen as more pragmatic and instrumental. Male and female students both valued work-life balance but it influenced their choices differently, with women more likely to choose careers allowing family time. The increased preference for companion animal work among women graduates represents a horizontal segmentation of veterinary specialties influenced by gender norms.

1. 89.0%
66.2%
51.1%
23.2%
20.4%
11.0%
33.8%
49.5%
76.8%
79.6%
0.0%
10.0%
20.0%
30.0%
40.0%
50.0%
60.0%
70.0%
80.0%
90.0%
100.0%
1970
1972
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PercentageofTotalEnrollment
Academic Year
Enrollment in the US Veterinary Medical Colleges
By Sex
AAVMC Internal Reports
1970-2013
!
Men Women
Methodology:
Career decisions were revealed through the narratives
students constructed about their career pathways:
• Semi-structured, open-ended interviews with senior
veterinary students in a professional programme in the
United States.
• Data was coded and analysed through the lens of feminist
standpoint theory.
Caring for all creatures great and small:
a qualitative analysis of senior veterinary students’ career choices
L.#Clare#V.#Allen#MA#VetMB#PhD#&#Ada#Demb#EdD#
University#of#Cambridge#&#The#Ohio#State#University#
Introduction:
The gender shift in veterinary medicine: 11% women (1970’s)
to 80% women (currently).
Current graduate career choices yield a mismatch between
vet students career aspirations and projected future careers in
“One Health”:
• Graduates predominantly choose careers in species-
specific, small animal, private practice.
Paediatrician-Like1
• Caring
• Relational
• Individualised
• Companion animal
Mechanic-Like1
• Pragmatic
• Instrumental
• Systems-based
• Food/farm animal
Feminine
characteristics2
Masculine
characteristics2
Contact: Dr. L. Clare V. Allen, lcva2@cam.ac.uk
Department of Veterinary Medicine,
University of Cambridge,
Madingley Road,
Cambridge CB3 0ES
References:
1. Rollin, B. (2006). An Introduction to Veterinary Medical Ethics (2nd ed.). Ames, Iowa: Blackwell Publishing.
2. Gilligan, C. (1982/2003). An Ethic of Care. In H. Sigerman (Ed.), The Columbia Documentary History of
American Women Since 1941 (pp. 369-377). New York, NY: Columbia University Press.
3. Valian, V. (2000). Schemas that explain behavior. In J. Glazer-Raymo, B. K. Townsend, & B. Ropers-
Huilman (Eds.), Women in Higher Education: A Feminist Perspective (2nd ed., pp. 22-33). Boston, MA:
Pearson Custom Publishing.
Gender Affects
Career Choice3
Work-Life Balance
• Valued by men and women
• But influenced career choice differently
Discussion/Insights:
• Increased horizontal segmentation of veterinary specialties was revealed through the study.
• Key dynamic of feminisation – as the role of vets in society has shifted towards companion animal medicine, more women increasingly attracted to the
caring role of veterinary medicine.
• Take gender into account in the recruitment and training of veterinary students for the full range of career paths.
”I feel like communication
is the key that connects us
to our clients.” - Donna
“We want them (our
patients) to be happy and
healthy.” - Marissa
“I feel like if I were to go
through (specialist training)
… then I would feel
obligated to work full-time
and it’s like I wouldn’t have
a family.”
- Maureen
“Being a veterinarian
hopefully will give me an
income where I can
provide for my family.”
- Paul
“You’re involved in huge
populations. It’s all rational.
There’s no emotion involved,
no owners or anything… Very
black and white. I like that.”
- Tony
Horizontal Segmentation
of
Veterinary Work