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Epilogue

Veterinary Medicine in the Postmodern World

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 August 2022

Susan D. Jones
Affiliation:
University of Minnesota
Peter A. Koolmees
Affiliation:
Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands
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Summary

In 2021 veterinary medicine faces traditional concerns and new realities. These include the need to ensure food animal and herd health in a world increasingly affected by emerging diseases and climate change. However, most Western veterinarians specialize in individual treatment of companion animals (pets), not herd health, and this is becoming more common globally. Veterinary leaders are concerned about this workforce imbalance, the challenges of critical animal owners and consumers, and sustainable food production. Many people have ethical concerns about technological developments such as the ability to genetically modify and clone organisms. Young veterinarians face educational debt, increasing competition, and high levels of stress. In response, veterinary education must include the "soft skills" and "support skills," such as how to communicate effectively, make ethical judgments, and manage stress. The veterinary profession, and its members, must be well informed, flexible, and able to change quickly to meet the challenges of animal owners’ expectations, controlling disease without harming ecosystems, and feeding the world’s people despite the inequalities built into the global animal economy. As mediators between humans and animals, veterinarians and other animal healers have both shaped and been shaped by the social, cultural, and economic roles of animals over time.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2022

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  • Epilogue
  • Susan D. Jones, University of Minnesota, Peter A. Koolmees, Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands
  • Book: A Concise History of Veterinary Medicine
  • Online publication: 11 August 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108354929.010
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  • Epilogue
  • Susan D. Jones, University of Minnesota, Peter A. Koolmees, Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands
  • Book: A Concise History of Veterinary Medicine
  • Online publication: 11 August 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108354929.010
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Epilogue
  • Susan D. Jones, University of Minnesota, Peter A. Koolmees, Universiteit Utrecht, The Netherlands
  • Book: A Concise History of Veterinary Medicine
  • Online publication: 11 August 2022
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108354929.010
Available formats
×