Factors associated with veterinarians' career path choices in the early postgraduate period.

Veterinarians who graduated between 2000 and 2004, inclusive, were surveyed to determine the factors associated with career path (job) switching in the early postgraduate period. The sampling frame consisted of 348 veterinarians, 285 of whom were contacted and of these, 192 (67.4%) responded to the survey. Only 28.4% of respondents had remained with their initial employer. Three main factors were associated with employee retention: the type of practice/caseload, the workload (hours worked and number of nights on-call), and the level of mentorship and support provided by the practice. Workload and mentorship were also cited as the main reasons for leaving a place of employment. More than a third (38.0%) of respondents reported leaving a position solely because of inadequate mentorship and support. A third (33.7%) of respondents who began their careers in mixed or food animal practice were no longer in these types of practice; the main reasons for leaving were related to workload and mentorship.