It’s a common perception that while more women are becoming veterinarians, most of them are treating cats and dogs rather than cows and horses.
Charles Rhodes, dean of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, says it’s also a myth.
“Personally, as the dean of the vet college, I’ve been upset by some of the press painting the picture that female veterinarians don’t go into large and mixed practice, and that’s certainly not true.”
While he doesn’t have statistics that break down the number of male and female vets and the type of work they do, he said it’s not uncommon for women to go into large and mixed practices.
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He also said it’s not a new phenomenon, referring to several women vets who have been in the business for more than 10 years, often in rural communities.
“It isn’t something that has just happened.”
While Rhodes did acknowledge that many women may leave large animal practices early because of the strenuous work, he said men leave early for the same reasons.
“There are a lot of women veterinarians in Western Canada who are doing tremendous work in areas such as beef production.”
