Where veterinarians spend their professional formative years may exert less influence on workplace location in recent veterinary cohorts than in earlier cohorts.

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: To determine in-state retention of Indiana-based Purdue University veterinary graduates and contextualize their out-migration within population-based movements of Indiana veterinarians. METHODS: Indiana veterinary license (IVL) information was accessed from April 18 to July 7, 2025, to determine the number of recent graduates with an IVL, map the location of all veterinarians with an IVL, and compare the longevity of IVLs with in-state and out-of-state addresses. RESULTS: Among 483 graduates from DVM classes of 2019 to 2024, 191 (39.5%) registered for an IVL; 173 (35.8%) had an Indiana address, while 48.7% of students admitted to the DVM program 4 years earlier represented Indiana residents. In 2025, 177 of 483 graduates (36.7%) had an active IVL; 161 (33.3%) were active and had an Indiana address. Of 6,825 veterinarians with an IVL, 3,707 (54.3%) had an Indiana address, 2,928 (42.9%) were active, and 2,161 (31.7%) were active with an Indiana address. Other top states with active IVL holders were Kentucky (n = 129), Illinois (128), Ohio (115), and Michigan (102). In a subset analysis, Indiana counties with active IVL holders were fewer in number than counties with veterinarians who had ever held an IVL. More recent veterinarian cohorts than earlier cohorts were registered from locations with larger populations. The median (maximum) years of licensure was higher in IVLs with an Indiana address (17.0 [62.0]) than IVLs with an out-of-state address (9.0 [54.0]). CONCLUSIONS: In-state retention of Indiana veterinary graduates was low. Most veterinarians with an active IVL were in Indiana, neighboring states, and, more recently, locations with larger populations and in fewer Indiana counties. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Understanding migrations within US census divisions and regions than across may aid veterinary workforce stability.