Baxter Black: Homegrown vets are harder to find

Typically, smaller, more rural communities have no veterinarian, or at least none who will take a calving call or a horse colic emergency. Veterinary schools, veterinary associations, concerned farmers and isolated ranchers continue their search for new veterinarians interested in practicing large animal or equine medicine. While we are searching in our front yard, it is possible that the answer is sneaking up behind us. If we look to our fellow professionals in human medicine, it is not uncommon to find yourself being examined and treated by a foreign-born physician. They may have graduated in their native country and/or received a degree in the U.S. Of the 22,500 doctorates in the natural sciences and engineering awarded by U.S. universities in 2007, more than half were to foreign-born students. According to statistics, 60 percent remain in the U.S. to work. The Irish and Chinese came and built our railroads. The Germans built our bomb. The Mexicans are building our skyscrapers. The Japanese came here and made our cars better. Dr. Sudesna Bose was Grandpa Tommy's Parkinson's doctor. They did not think that the work was too hard and the pay too little. I can't say if it's too soon, but the next time you've got a wounded horse in the middle of the night, and the nearest capable large-animal veterinarian is two hours away, you might give it some thought...more