| dc.description.abstract | This study is set up to create an overview of the members of the Groep Geneeskunde Paard (NEVA) and the social position of the (equine) veterinarian in the Netherlands. Using a telephone survey members of the NEVA, former members of the NEVA and non-members of the NEVA with the title Acknowledge Equine Veterinarian (AEV) were approached. 253 subjects were questioned about their private situation, workload and the NEVA including the quality routes. The results were categorized and processed using SPSS. The feminization is still continuing with now 51% male and 49% female veterinarians. From the total subjects 72.7% work full time, 27.3% part time. From the part time working veterinarians, 75.3% is female. 53.8% of the part time working females work part time because of taking care of the children against 17.6% males working part time. A veterinarian works on an average 47.2 hours per week (standard deviation 14.9), with man 53.2 hours (standard deviation 14.3) and woman 40.7 (standard deviation 12.7). Their mean gross annual income is 2.68 (standard deviation 1.45) (approximately 47,000 euro), for a male 3.49 (standard deviation 1.33) (approximately 67,500 euro) and a female 1.84 (standard deviation 1.11) (approximately 29,000 euro). There are significant fewer female employers (10.8%) compared to male employers (34.8%). The majority of the graduated veterinarians are still (partly) practitioners, 91.7%. Around 56% of the working hours gets spend on hands on veterinary care. 37.9% works only with equine. In general, the veterinarian is satisfied with his or her income (68.1%), all though looking at their income per hour most are not satisfied (57.3%). More than half of the subjects have no thought about their age of retirement, 52.6%. The members of the NEVA are significant older than non-members, 1968.57 (standard deviation 10.69) against 1974.5 (std. deviation 9.353). The reason for being a member is to maintain and improve the quality of the trade Equine Veterinarian for 65% of participates. The title requires twenty points of equine profession training in two year. For reaching this goal, 41.7% think they will achieve these twenty points. One should perform a certain amount of equine veterinary medicine to have a right on the Acknowledge Equine Veterinarian title indicates 71.4% from participates. For the Acknowledge Pre-purchase Examination Equine Veterinarian quality route, 8.7% subjects participate on this route with 86.4% do because quality, uniformity and integrity are essential for a pre-purchase examination equine veterinarian. Referring patients for second/third line veterinary care 66.5% of the subjects make use of it. The most importing reason for becoming a member of the NEVA is being an equine veterinarian, 56.1%. The reason not being a member, subjects indicate it is too expensive in combination with a KNMvD membership, 40.6%. The important critic to the NEVA is that they have to support the smaller clinics performing basic equine veterinary medicine, as in general and in profession training for the quality routes, 26.2%. The most members are first line veterinarian (66.5%), yet the policy seems to be focused on second/third line veterinarians. One of the main reasons for not continuing being a practitioner is because for being occupationally disabled (35.7%).
Being that women are significant younger and later graduated than men, the feminization will continue the next decade. The emancipation of women must improve given that they will grow in number but lag in working full time, being employer and income. The income of a veterinarian is low compared to other scientific education professions, while they work more hours per week than other scientific education professions. With the new generation' s attitude being to work more regular hours and have a better income, hopefully the income will catch up with the other scientific education professions. The NEVA should consider the amount of profession training, being that sole-practitioners and mixed practices have difficulties. Also, there is an opinion from 26.2% of the members about being ignored as a mixed practitioner/first line veterinarian and 66.5% is considered to be a first line veterinarian of work in a first line practice. Furthermore the former and non-members complain about the cost of a NEVA membership in combination with the KNMvD membership 40.6%. | |
