The University of Pretoria (UP), in collaboration with the Health and Welfare Sector Education and Training Authority (HWSETA), recently hosted a roundtable discussion on transformation within the veterinary sector. The event was held at UP’s Technical and Learning Centre in the Faculty of Veterinary Science.

“Different people have different takes on what transformation is,” said Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Science Professor Vinny Naidoo. “In one form, it relates to the demographics of veterinarians in the profession, be it race or gender. Others think of transformation in terms of how students are taught and the syllabus; it could also relate to the type of services being delivered. However, for the meeting under discussion, the focus was on gender and race.”

Transformation mechanisms

Race

As the only veterinary faculty in the country, UP’s Faculty of Veterinary Science has implemented various initiatives to ensure equal representation of different demographics in the country.

“We divide our student categories into an open category – where any student can compete for entry – and a designated group – which is restricted to black, Indian and coloured students,” Prof Naidoo explained. “Both categories are divided 50/50 in an attempt to correct a historic imbalance in the demographics in the profession.”

Several recruitment strategies are in place, including targeted school visits; marketing campaigns such as #ChooseUP; UP’s Pre-University Academy, which seeks to enhance the performance of learners to improve their chances of entering university; and tutoring programmes in the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields. The Faculty also provides financial support, hosts campus events and engages with teachers to promote understanding of and interest in the veterinary profession.

CEO of the HWSETA Elaine Brass, Deputy Minister of Higher Education, Science and Technology Buti Manamela, and Dr Nomsa Mnisi, Chairperson of the HWSETA at the roundtable discussion.

Initiatives that are underway to select students in the designated category are outlined below.

• Every year, UP’s general recruitment office makes several visits to various schools and events to discuss the various programmes available, including veterinary science.
• The Faculty has a dedicated recruiter who visits various rural schools, agricultural schools and school district events to recruit students from designated groups into the veterinary programme. This programme was initiated before students chose their matric subjects; as such, it took five years for the initiative to take effect, which has been evident in the past five years of selection.
• The Faculty’s marketing team attends recruitment events in Gauteng and has annual campaigns that cover 40 to 50 high schools.
• UP’s Pre-University Academy is in the pilot phase of assisting schools in the Mamelodi community. The programme aims to enhance the performance of learners to improve their chances of entering university. On completion of the pilot phase, the intention is to expand the programme to the Soshanguve area and Onderstepoort Campus, where students can be introduced to the profession.
• The Faculty’s Postgraduate Student Association has adopted a local high school and undertakes tutoring in STEM fields. This is because many learners tend to drop maths and physics as school subjects. Both subjects are compulsory for entry into the veterinary degree, with maths being a gazetted minimum requirement as per the Veterinary Act (Act 19 of 1982)
• Students who don’t meet the 60% entrance requirement can enrol in UP’s extended science programme. The Faculty selects four to five students from this cohort annually, although at this point, there is poor interest from students in the designated groups, who tend to opt for engineering and medical programmes.
• The Faculty hosts an annual on-campus event known as the “I Want to Vet Weekend”. It is partially funded by UP to bring disadvantaged students onto campus together with a few self-funded students.
• The University hosts events with life orientation teachers so that they can better understand the profession and selection criteria.
• When students are identified, they can join the Junior Tukkie programme, which provides support for their studies during their final years at school.
• The Faculty has a dedicated brochure  and several high-quality videos that have been produced over the years for student recruitment purposes.
• The faculty hosts an annual campus open day, when prospective students are invited to UP to learn more about the veterinary profession.
• UP hosts the annual #ChooseUP Day, when selected students are invited to tour the campus. Those who aren’t able to come to campus can view it by way of a virtual campus tour, which can be accessed on UP’s website.
• UP offers campus tours to school groups that would like to learn more about the profession.
• The Faculty offers a feeding scheme to assist students who are unable to support themselves. This includes bursary students who sometimes run out of funds by exam time.
• With the help of internal funding (mainly bequests), the Faculty and UP-supported initiatives make small stipends available to undergraduate students to supplement their studies (about R1.6 million was granted in 2023). This is in addition to the merit bursaries offered to students annually by the University.

The Faculty has transformed its curriculum to be more focused on large animals, including food-producing animals.

Gender

The Faculty has been highly effective in selecting female students, with the entire student cohort of 2023 being 70% female.

Curriculum

The Faculty has transformed its BVSC curriculum over the past 10 years to be more focused on large animals, including food-producing animals and wildlife. This meets two important needs: food security and protection of South Africa’s wildlife, a unique natural heritage. 

Need for greater flexibility, accessibility and on-call animal care

As the economy develops, more veterinary services are required to ensure that food production of animal origin is safe, sound and wholesome. According to Prof Naidoo, as people have more family/home income, pets become more integrated within family life, which is when the number of vets in the country becomes important, as more services means vets tend to become semi-specialised in their fields.

“At present, we don’t have sufficient vets in the production animal and rural animal sectors in South Africa,” Prof Naidoo says. “Likewise, with the number of jobs far exceeding the number of vets, professionals have choices, and they are less likely to take on night duties. Some vets may prefer to work in the field, while others may prefer to work in practices with state-of-the-art equipment.

“About 3 500 veterinarians are registered in South Africa. This is lower than the figure indicated by the Department of Higher Education and Training, of 100 to 200 vets per million persons in the country. In reality, there are insufficient vets in rural and farming areas, where salaries are lower than in cities.”

Leveraging technology in veterinary practices

The veterinary profession has embraced technology to enhance diagnostics, though the extent of telemedicine usage remains limited. While technology may aid in faster, more accurate diagnoses, the essence of veterinary science often necessitates hands-on evaluation, making the full adoption of telemedicine challenging.

Navigating mental health challenges in the profession

Despite its noble purpose, the veterinary profession struggles with issues of low mental health and overall well-being. Emotional fatigue is a prevalent concern, stemming from the delicate balance between a passion for animal care and the financial constraints faced by both practitioners and animal owners. To mitigate this, a mentorship programme is in place for first-year graduates to provide vital assistance during their first year in practice. Additionally, through the South African Veterinary Association, senior veterinarians are on call to provide assistance.