New program connects vet students to rural Alberta

A new pilot program aimed at strengthening rural veterinary services in Alberta will help connect veterinary students with livestock practices across the province.

Funded through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership, the Veterinary Student Recruitment and Retention Pilot Grant Program will invest $250,000 over two years to encourage veterinary students to gain hands-on experience in rural communities and consider long-term careers there.

The program is designed to support rural veterinary clinics that provide livestock services and are facing current or anticipated veterinarian shortages. Eligible clinics can receive up to $10,000 as a wage incentive to hire one veterinary student between May 1 and Aug. 31, 2026.

“Helping rural practices to provide meaningful, hands-on experiences to our students will result in lasting connections,” says Renate Weller, dean of the University of Calgary Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.

“This will strengthen a resilient veterinary workforce that Alberta can rely on for years to come.”

Supporting rural opportunities

Jami Frederick, president of the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association, added that improving rural opportunities for students is an important step toward addressing the shortage where it hits hardest.

A 2021 report from the Alberta Veterinary Medical Association and the Alberta Veterinary Technologist Association highlighted the scale of the challenge. While Alberta’s overall job vacancy rate sits at about three per cent, veterinarian vacancies were nearly 17 per cent provincewide and close to 19 per cent in rural areas.

Based on current attrition rates and growing demand for veterinary services, the report estimates Alberta will need more than 1,600 new veterinarians by 2035.

The Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership is a five-year, $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments aimed at strengthening competitiveness, innovation and resiliency in Canada’s agriculture and agri-food sector.