The fourth year veterinary student, Alexandra Ponkey, maneuvered the camera and surgical tools through the belly inserts of a 2 -year -old German shepherd named Jackie.
On his last day as a student, as part of his laparoscopic procedure class, Ponkey assumed the role of primary surgeon to sterilize the dog and remove his ovaries. But before he could cross the graduation stage as a licensed veterinarian, he had to return to the surgery room, this time as an assistant to another student who assumes the work of primary surgeon.
Ponkey, 34, left his first career of teaching and training of cables and care to achieve his childhood dream of becoming a veterinarian. The practical classes at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the Universidad Oeste of Health Sciences in Pomona represented the first step to achieve that dream.
Today, their new skills have a great demand. Upon entering the countryside, California and the rest of the nation are experiencing a shortage of veterinary professionals due to the high rotation rates, the increase in student debt and an increase in the ownership of pets stimulated by the pandemic, according to John Tegzes, dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the West University.
The fourth year students Alexandra Ponkey, second from the left, and Anastasiya Kantserova, second from the right, are supervised during laparoscopic castration surgery in a dog on May 9, 2025.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A recent survey of the Society for the prevention of cruelty towards animals He discovered that more than 344,000 refuge animals in California do not have adequate access to veterinary care personnel. Throughout the state, about 60% of the shelters say they have unworthy veterinary positions and approximately 54% have positions of registered veterinary technicians, according to the SPCA.
The lack of animal medical attention has led to overcrowded shelters, an increase in pet diseases and an increasing rate of adoptable animals, according to the survey. Veterinarians' shortage also leads to lack of medical attention available to pet owners, which leads to more animals from shelters, according to the survey.
“The pandemic really raised a crisis that was probably brewing in the background during the last 20 to 40 years, but really accelerated it when many new people adopted pets,” Tegzes said. “The demand for veterinary services began to increase exponentially rapidly in southern California.”
Western University College of Veterinary Medicine is one of the only two veterinary schools in California. The United States has 33 schools for veterinary medicine, each with a limit of admitted students. For Western University, the number of students accepted in their four -year program is limited to 120, said Tegzes. Its 2025 graduation class will see 104 students entering the profession.
The registration for veterinary students of Western University costs approximately $ 67,000 per year, which means that most graduated students leave school with a large student debt. Another concern is the high suicide rate among veterinarians.
Dr. Ohad Levi, Centro, advises veterinary students of the Western University of the fourth year Anastassiya Kantserova, on the left, and Alexandra Ponkey, while performing laparoscopic castration surgery in a dog at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine of the University in Pomona on May 9, 2025.
(Allen J. Schaben / Los Angeles Times)
A 2019 study conducted by the centers for disease control and prevention showed that veterinarians have up to four times more likely to die from suicide than the general population. In an interview with National Public RadioThe psychologist Kerry Carafa attributed the high suicide rate in the PET care field to the balance of attention they must support. A veterinarian needs to worry not only for pets, but also for the owners and for themselves.
“While social networks can be a platform for education, community support and the exchange of positive stories, it also has a darker side,” said Dr. Karen Lee, medical director of the Human Society of the Interior Valley, in an email. “In some cases, unsatisfied customers have used these platforms to publicly attack veterinarians, sometimes causing a viral reaction without the complete context.”
The second year veterinary student, Amber Elalem, 30, is very aware of the pressures that entails a job that often results in life decisions or dearest death.
“You must understand that you are going to enter an industry that you are going to have late at night, you will work more hours,” Elalem said. “You are going to do these things that will be taxing you, but at the same time you must make sure you are taking a little time for you too.
As the ownership of pet increases, so has the will of the owners to spend on the care of pets. That has made investments in veterinary medicine very popular among corporations and private capital companies, according to an Atlantic report. Corporate property clinics consider pet care as a viable source of income, which makes visits prices to increase. Mars Inc., manufacturers of Skittles and Snickers Candies, is the largest owner of Independent Veterinary Clinics in the country, which operate more than 2,000 facilities under the names of Banfield, VCA and Bluepearl, according to the Atlantic Report.
When his Chihuahua, Shrek, 5, became ill, Alejandra Cervantes, associate of operations at the Western University, said it was difficult to find attention to be affordable and comply with her standards.
“Trying to navigate the search [an affordable veterinarian] He took time, ”said Cervantes, cradling Shrek in his arms in a cafeteria in Pomona.
As a student, Ponkey has not yet felt so much stress that he said he will probably face when he becomes a professional veterinarian. For now, he loves being close to animals, even when he relaxes out of class. It also ensures surrounding a group of mentors who can help her maneuver through the many obstacles of animal medicine and human interaction.
“I think students who fight much less when they are put into practice are those who live in advance,” said Ponkey. “I find that sciences and knowledge base are not necessarily with which people fight so much.”
Boyajian, a veterinary student from the third year Western University, verifies Olivia's breathing on May 9, 2025, while preparing it for a laparoscopic sterilization that fourth -year students will make fourth year.
(Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times)
Ponkey plans to specialize in surgery after the end of the veterinarians' school, which will require that you work as a hospital. The salary of a hospital intern is much less than that of a complete veterinarian, but points out that he has already paid his undergraduate registration with money that he earned as a professional equestrian.
“I think that when your money is for your education, I think you have a little more willingness to have a perspective of how happy I will be in this race.”
