Researches on Veterinary Medicine in Turkey: II. Factors Affecting the Decision to Become a Veterinarian and Their Effects on the Perception of the Future

Abstract

Technological developments and changes experienced bring with it a lot of innovations. One of these innovations is that job roles and sizes undergo change. Positive or negative changes on job roles affect on job choice and preference. This study was undertaken to determine the causes of preference of veterinary faculties and factors affecting the decision to become a veterinarian furthermore to determine the levels of hopelessness of veterinarians and veterinary students. For this aim two questionnaires were developed for collecting data and one was applied to veterinary students and the other was applied to veterinary practitioners. The questionnaires applied by interviewing with 1176 participants individually in cities of seven geographical regions of Turkey that have a veterinary faculty. According to data analysis; near half of all participants pointed out that the first thought of the time to be a veterinarian was the period between high school and university. However, more than half of participants more or less worried on the parameter of concern in terms of a career and more than 90% of the participants regardless of employee or student showed hopeful attitude about the future on the parameter of despair. In conclusion, it can be said that the participants looked to the future with the hope although they have some concerns about veterinary medicine's preference process and after preference.