WRIGHTSTOWN, WI (WTAQ-WLUK) — Fox Valley veterinarians are having a tough time keeping up with demand, adding to the headache of what is already a headache-inducing vet visit for you and your pet.
Dr. Kelly Schaumberg has owned and operated her practice Wrightstown Veterinary Clinic for more than 10 years.
She says the phone’s been ringing off the hook.
“It’s not uncommon for us to hear, ‘You know you’re the third or fourth or fifth veterinarian we’ve called and a lot of them are not seeing new patients or accepting new clients’,” said Schaumberg.
Schaumberg says the problem is there’s a shortage of veterinarians and veterinarian professionals in the Fox Valley.
“There’s a high turnover, people are leaving the job. Whether that’s burn out or find an opportunity a better hours, better pay, so those things are obstacles that we as a community are trying to remedy and fix,” said Schaumberg.
Dr. Lori Nagel, Veterinary Technician Program director at Fox Valley Technical College, says the new Veterinarian Technician Program is helping to fix that problem.
And its first graduating class, proved successful.
“Our first cohort of students finished in May of 2021, they all had a job within one week,” said Nagel.
13 graduates, who are all working in Fox Valley clinics.
“I’m ready, I’m ready to go out there and help out!” said Annie Colling, who is one of 12 graduating from the FVTC Vet Tech program in May.
She says she feels fully prepared for her new career and understands the obstacles that come with the busy job.
“Thanks fully because of our program we can put more techs out there,” said Colling.
Dr. Schaumberg says she’s relived to see more vet professionals.
“We’re reaching limits so sometimes that means for the first time in a long time we actually have to tell people no,” said Schaumberg.
Which is something no veterinarian clinic wants to do.
Fox Valley Tech was recently approved to add more students into the veterinarian technician program.
Now they can have a class of 25 to 30 students.
