Men are not applying for admission to veterinary colleges to the same extent as women. In the United States, men constituted 44% of the applicant pool in 1985, but only 28% of the applicant pool in 1999 (2). Canada has experienced a similar gender shift in its veterinary student applicant pool. The reasons for the relative decline in the attractiveness of the veterinary profession for male applicants, and the increased attractiveness of the profession for women, are speculative.
Explanations that have been put forward for the feminization of the veterinary profession include the following: (1) elimination of discrimination at admission based on gender; (2) improvement in chemical restraint for large animals; (3) an increase in the number of female role models, especially in physically challenging aspects of the profession; and (4) the caring image of veterinarians portrayed in books and on television (2,3).
The decreased interest of men in veterinary medicine has been attributed to: (1) the reluctance of men to enter careers with low or stagnant incomes (the case in veterinary medicine for some time); (2) loss of autonomy in the profession (associated with the proliferation of corporate practices in the United States and a general decrease in the number of practice owners relative to employed veterinarians); and (3) a “trend effect” (as more women enter the veterinary profession, it decreases the profession prestige as a male occupation) (2,3).
In an Australian study of veterinary students and recent graduates, the factors that influenced selection of veterinary medicine as a career were generally the same for both genders, but some differences did come to light (4). Factors that were of more importance in influencing males to study veterinary medicine were a desire to be independent of supervision and the financial attractiveness of veterinary practice. Factors that were of more importance to females in choosing a career in veterinary medicine included a love of animals, the image of veterinarians portrayed on television, an interest as a child in living things, and the scientific study of disease.
Read more here: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC340187/
