In The News
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21 February 2010
Humanitarian Resource Institute
Phone: (203) 668-0282
Url: www.humanitarian.net
United Nations Arts Initiative
Arts Integration Into Education
Url: www.unarts.org
Twitter: unarts
Pathobiologics International:
Url: www.pathobiologics.org
HRI:UNArts: Student Loan Debt - Veterinarian shortage
plagues rural areas
by Stephen Michael Apatow: Founder, Humanitarian Resource Institute,
United Nations Arts Initiative, Pathobiologics International. [1]
These days, vet students are more interested in caring for dogs and
cats than food animals like cows and pigs. It impacts us all, because most
diseases in humans come from animals... [2] freshly-graduated
veterinarians bear staggering amounts of student loan debt. "When these
students come out, they're packing loan figures that can be $120,000 plus,"
Emerich said. It simply doesn't make sense for someone with that much debt
to work in a rural area where they might only earn about $40,000 per year
when he or she could make about $60,000 working in an established small-animal
clinic in a larger city. -- US: Veterinarian shortage
plagues rural areas, Wyoming Tribune, 20 February 2010.
[3]
In recent years, discussion has intensified regarding hyperinflation in
college and university tuition, [4] especially with regards to studies in
both medicine [5] and veterinary medicine. [6,7] During this last decade,
we have observed unprecedented economic damage to the college and university
system, as unregulated predatory lending provided an opportunity to exploit
and hyperinflate tuition costs while endowments were destroyed by speculative
trading. [8] Though we are striving to address these same variables
that contributed to the collapse of the global financial system,
[9] we are continually reminded of the need to provide low cost educational
opportunities, that support the fundamentals of medicine and patient care.
As for the needs in the rural communities, expansion of educational resources
for medical and veterinary self care [10] provide a temporary 3rd world
level alternative, but loan forgiveness for national service provides a
glimmer of hope, for those in the midst a student loan debt crisis. [11,12]
Compensation, appreciation and support [13] need to be proportional
to the challenges confronted on a daily basis, that include emerging infectious
diseases, [14] and pathogens associated with international public health
emergencies. [15]
One only needs to review international background discussions associated
with International Contingency Planning for Pandemic Influenza, [16]
to understand the importance of veterinarians (equipped with the appropriate
diagnostic tools) on the grassroots level: [17,18]
In December 2003, [19] Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza
(HPAI) was confirmed about 80 kilometres south-east of the
capital, Seoul (December 2003), it was noted that if the outbreak moved
beyond the borders of Korea to countries in the East Asian-Australasian
Flyway via migratory bird patterns, could we be looking at a widespread
international multi-country outbreak (such as West Nile Virus throughout
North America). [20]
References:
1.Stephen Michael Apatow: Founder: Humanitarian Resource Institute, United
Nations Arts Initiative, Pathobiologics International: Url: www.apatow.org
2. Zoonotic Disease Online Course: Humanitarian Resource Institute. Url:
http://www.humanitarian.net/biodefense/fazdc/zdc1
3. US: Veterinarian shortage plagues rural areas: Wyoming Tribune, 20
February 2010. Url: www.wyomingnews.com/articles/2010/02/20/news/01top_02-20-10.txt
4. College Tuition: Inflation or Hyperinflation?: Word Press. Url:
http://satyagraha.wordpress.com/2009/07/14/college-tuition-hyperinflation/
5. Medical Student Debt: American Medical Association. Url: http://www.ama-assn.org/ama/pub/about-ama/our-people/member-groups-sections/medical-student-section/advocacy-policy/medical-student-debt.shtml
6. AAHA sessions tackle student debt—'the elephant in the room': AVMA.
Url: http://www.avma.org/onlnews/javma/jun09/090601m.asp
7. Veterinary Student Debt: Animal Dynamics. Url: http://animaldynamicsinc.com/vets-mainmenu-26/14-communication/26-veterinary-student-debt
8. Ivy League Endowment Meltdown: Forbes. Url: http://www.forbes.com/2010/01/29/ivy-league-endowments-personal-finance-ivies.html
9. IBAHRI: Government Debt: Default Projections: Humanitarian Resource
Institute, 18 February 2010. Includes IBAHRI: G-192: Scope of Global Debt
Crisis in Focus: Humanitarian Resource Institute, 10 February 2010.
Url: http://www.unarts.org/news/ibahri_2102010.html
10: HRI Medical & Veterinary Selfcare Portal: Url: http://www.humanitarian.net/university/med/ecc/
11. Loan Forgiveness: FinAID. Url: http://www.finaid.org/loans/forgiveness.phtml
12. National
Association of Free Clinics (NAFC): Url: http://www.freeclinics.us/mission.php
13. Support for Veterinarians in Crisis: World Veterinary Association,
British Veterinary Association. Url: http://www.worldvet.org/node/5983
14. DNA Based Detection Technologies: Future of Biodetection Systems Workshop,
Los Alamos National Laboratory, PDF, Slide 2. Url: http://www.pathobiologics.org/btac/lanl/bioscience/ref/SMABDS_Final.pdf
15. Declaration/Scope - International Public Health Emergency: Pathobiologics
International, November 2006. Url: http://www.pathobiologics.org/btac/UNIHR1292007.html
16. Pandemic Influenza: International Contingency Planning:
Pathobiologics International. Url: http://www.pathobiologics.org/ivphc/pi102004.html
17. ProMED Announcement: Agricultural Security and Emergency Preparedness:
Protecting One of America's Critical Infrastructures, Humanitarian Resource
Institute, December 2001. Url: http://www.promedmail.org/pls/otn/f?p=2400:1001:50943::NO::F2400_P1001_BACK_PAGE,F2400_P1001_PUB_MAIL_ID:1300,17076
Handout at U.S. Medicine Institute For Health Studies Conference with
DoD/GEIS & The Annapolis Center, January 2002. Url: http://www.fedhealthinst.org/forums/2002-01Jan.html
18. U.S. Agricultural and Food Security: Who Will Provide the Leadership?:
Breeze, Horn, 2003. Url: http://www.humanitarian.net/biodefense/fazdc/usaha_fadp.html
19. IVPHC Working Group: H5N1 Background Discussion, 19 February 2004.
Url: http://www.humanitarian.net/biodefense/fazdc/influenza_eaaf.html
20. West Nile Virus (WNV): Biodefense and Epidemiological Tracking: Humanitarian
Resource Institute. Url: http://www.humanitarian.net/eidnet/wnv/wnv_biodefense.html
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