Iowa is facing a shortage of veterinarians serving rural areas of the state. That’s a major concern for the Iowa Veterinary Medicine Association. Executive Director Dr. Randy Wheeler says that problem has been growing for some time.

He says the Association worked with several ag groups to lobby state legislators to approve companion bills to provide loan repayment funding for rural veterinarians to help address the shortage.

Wheeler says the loan repayments could go to as many as five veterinarians looking to practice in rural areas of the state.

Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine graduates have an average debt load of $142,000 with average starting salaries for vets at around $70,000.