Impact of gender and race-ethnicity on reasons for pursuing a career in veterinary medicine and career aspirations.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the impact of gender and race-ethnicity on reasons applicants to the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine decided to pursue a career in veterinary medicine and their career aspirations. DESIGN: Retrospective cross-sectional study. SAMPLE: Personal statements from 694 veterinary medical school applications submitted in 2008. PROCEDURES: Personal statements were read by investigators to identify the turning point for each applicant's decision to pursue a career in veterinary medicine and each applicant's intended career path. RESULTS: Veterinary practice experience and animal ownership were the most frequently stated reasons for pursuing a veterinary career; differences were not identified between males and females. More Caucasian applicants than underrepresented minority (URM) applicants stated veterinary practice experience and more URM applicants than Caucasian applicants cited animal ownership as a reason for pursuing a veterinary career. Many applicants did not cite a specific career path within veterinary medicine; applicants who indicated a career path most often cited veterinary practice. More females than males stated an interest in equine medicine, and more Caucasian applicants than URM applicants indicated an interest in mixed animal practice. More URM applicants than Caucasian applicants indicated a desire to pursue specialty training. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that veterinary practice experience and animal ownership were important factors influencing applicants' decision to pursue a veterinary career, but many applicants had not selected a specific career path. Opportunities exist to influence the decisions of individuals to become veterinarians and the selection of specific career paths within the veterinary profession.

Representations of the veterinary profession in nonfiction children's books.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate how the veterinary profession is represented in nonfiction children's books and determine whether representations reflect the current veterinary profession or the demographics of the United States. DESIGN: Survey. SAMPLE: Covers of 46 nonfiction children's books and contents of 45 nonfiction children's books. PROCEDURES: Book covers and book contents (images and text) were evaluated for representations of veterinarians and to identify settings, clients, technology and equipment, and animals portrayed. Book contents were additionally evaluated to identify specialties and career opportunities specifically mentioned in the text. RESULTS: Book covers predominantly portrayed veterinarians as Caucasian women who wore examination coats, worked alone in veterinary clinics, and cared for dogs without a client present. Book contents predominantly portrayed veterinarians as a Caucasian man or woman who wore an examination coat, worked as part of a team in a veterinary clinic, and helped clients care for dogs, cats, and exotic animals. Specialties and career opportunities in the veterinary profession were mentioned in the text of 29 of 45 (64.4%) books. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Nonfiction children's book covers that focused on the veterinary profession portrayed a greater percentage of women than is currently found in the profession. Similarly, books portrayed a greater percentage of Caucasians than in the current or predicted US population. With the exception of Asians, books collectively represented lower or similar percentages of underrepresented minorities, compared with the US population. Veterinarians are encouraged to select books for individual children that portray veterinarians with whom the children can identify.

Impact of the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine's Boiler Vet Camp on participants' knowledge of veterinary medicine.

OBJECTIVE: To assess whether Boiler Vet Camp, a 7-day residential summer camp for students entering eighth or ninth grade in the fall, would increase participants' understanding of career options in the veterinary profession, increase understanding of the science of veterinary medicine, or increase the number of students stating that they intended to apply to the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine. DESIGN: Survey. SAMPLE: 48 individuals attending the 2009 Boiler Vet Camp. PROCEDURES: Information on participant demographics was obtained from camp applications. A questionnaire was administered on the first and sixth days of camp, and results were analyzed to identify changes in responses over time. RESULTS: More campers correctly answered questions designed to evaluate knowledge of the veterinary profession and 10 of 12 questions designed to evaluate specific knowledge of the science of veterinary medicine on day 6, compared with day 1. Remarkable differences were not observed among gender or race-ethnicity groups for these questions. There was no significant difference between percentages of campers who stated that they would apply to Purdue before and after camp. Significantly more Caucasian campers stated they would apply to Purdue on both day 1 and day 6, compared with campers from under-represented minority groups. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results indicated that the Boiler Vet Camp accomplished 2 of its 3 planned objectives, suggesting that such camps can be successfully used to increase knowledge of the veterinary profession among middle school students. Reasons for the low percentage of participants from underrepresented minorities who indicated they would apply to the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine require further exploration.

Purdue University graduate certificate program in Veterinary Homeland Security.

Our nation lacks a critical mass of professionals trained to prevent and respond to food- and animal-related emergencies. Training veterinarians provides an immediate means of addressing this shortage of experts. Achievement of critical mass to effectively address animal-related emergencies is expedited by concurrent training of professionals and graduate students in related areas. Purdue University offers a Web-based Graduate Certificate in Veterinary Homeland Security to address this special area of need. The program is a collaborative effort among the Purdue University School of Veterinary Medicine, the Purdue Homeland Security Institute, the Indiana State Board of Animal Health, the Indiana State Police, and others with the overall goal of increasing capacity and preparedness to manage animal-related emergencies. Individuals with expertise in veterinary medicine, public health, animal science, or homeland security are encouraged to participate. The Web-based system allows courses to be delivered efficiently and effectively around the world and allows participants to continue their graduate education while maintaining full-time jobs. Participants enhance their understanding of natural and intentional threats to animal health, strengthen their skills in managing animal-health emergencies, and develop problem-solving expertise to become effective members of animal emergency response teams and of their communities. Students receive graduate credit from Purdue University that can be used toward the certificate and toward an advanced graduate degree. Currently, 70 participants from 28 states; Washington, DC; Singapore; and Bermuda are enrolled.

Effectiveness of using a mat filled with a peroxygen disinfectant to minimize shoe sole contamination in a veterinary hospital.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effectiveness of using a disinfectant mat filled with a peroxygen compound to prevent mechanical transmission of bacteria via contaminated footwear between the food animal ward and common breezeway of a veterinary teaching hospital. DESIGN: Observational study. SAMPLE POPULATION: Shoe soles of individuals entering and exiting from the ward. PROCEDURES: A mat filled with peroxygen disinfectant was placed at the entrance to the food animal ward, and participants wiped each shoe twice on the mat surface (n = 16) or walked on the mat surface but did not wipe their shoes (17) before entering and exiting from the ward. Swab specimens were collected from the shoe soles of participants before and after mat use and submitted for bacterial culture. RESULTS: For both study days, as participants entered the ward, median number of aerobic bacteria isolated from shoe swab specimens collected prior to use of the disinfectant mat was not significantly different from median number isolated after use of the disinfectant mat. However, as participants exited the ward, median number of aerobic bacteria isolated from shoe swab specimens collected prior to use of the disinfectant mat was significantly higher than median number isolated after use of the disinfectant mat. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggest that placing a mat filled with a peroxygen disinfectant at the exit from the food animal ward of a veterinary teaching hospital may help reduce mechanical transmission of bacteria on the footwear of individuals leaving the ward.

Evaluation of current and novel protocols for disinfection of airplane passenger footwear under simulated conditions.

Aerobic bacterial culture was used to compare the effectiveness of the current USDA footwear disinfection protocol for airplane passengers contacting livestock to a novel protocol. The current protocol consists of brushing and dipping shoe soles in 1% Virkon S. The number of bacteria was not different between shoes treated with the current protocol and untreated shoes. No shoes met the standard for disinfection after the current disinfection protocol was completed. The novel protocol consisted of brushing shoe soles, wiping soles with a cotton towel soaked in 1% Virkon S, and drying soles with paper towels. The number of bacteria was less (P<0.0001) on treated shoes compared to control shoes. Eighteen of 20 shoes (90%) cleaned using the novel protocol met the standard for disinfection. Direct comparison of the current and novel protocols found that the number of bacteria cultured was less (P<0.0001) after implementing the novel protocol compared to implementing the current protocol. Again, no shoes treated using the current protocol met the standard for disinfection after the current protocol was completed. Sixteen and 17 of 20 shoes (80--85%), respectively, met the standard for disinfection after the novel protocol was completed. Under conditions of this study, current US airport footwear disinfection protocols were inadequate to disinfect footwear when using aerobic bacteria as a marker for disinfection. We recommend implementation of the novel footwear disinfectant protocol for select passengers from international flights.

Procedures for preventing transmission of foot-and-mouth disease virus (O/TAW/97) by people.

The aim of this study was to determine personal hygiene protocols and animal avoidance periods needed to prevent transmission of FMDV (O/TAW/97). Forty-six, 9-week-old barrows free of FMDV were randomly allocated to five treatment groups and a control group. Investigators contacted and sampled FMDV-inoculated pigs for approximately 40 min and then contacted and sampled sentinel pigs after using no biosecurity procedures, washing hands and donning clean outerwear, or showering and donning clean outerwear. Personnel were sampled for nasal carriage of FMDV for 85.43 h. Contaminated personnel did not transmit FMDV to susceptible pigs after handwashing or showering, and donning clean outerwear. FMDV was transmitted when biosecurity procedures were not used. FMDV was not detected in nasal secretions of investigators. Thus, extended animal avoidance periods do not appear to be necessary to prevent transmission of FMDV (O/TAW/97) by people to pigs when organic material is removed through handwashing/showering and donning clean outerwear. This study supports similar findings in a previous publication using FMDV (O/UK/35/2001).