| This dissertation focuses on three main components of veterinary economics. The first study examines the differences in starting salaries for the 2009-2014 graduates of the 28 American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited schools. Findings show relatively small (less than $4,000) but statistically significant differences in starting salaries related to school choice. A larger differential effect is present among the different practice types of veterinary medicine, with equine practitioners and private industry veterinarians (e.g. pharmaceutical researchers) representing the least and greatest average starting salaries.;The second study presents a novel, theoretical approach that incorporates local and nonlocalized spatial competition of firms into one approach -- the Concentric Circle Model. This theory is applied to the market for veterinarians using a spatial weight matrix approach. It is found that this flexible approach to spatial competition identifies impacts of localized and nonlocalized competition and assists in defining relevant market areas for veterinarians, respectively.;The third study analyzes the demand, supply, and equilibrium of companion animal services in the veterinary medicine profession. By using a labor/ work hour approach that allows a proper matching of the data for demand and supply, one is better able to estimate changes in equilibrium. Specifically, this study estimates pet specific demand functions and veterinarian, practice type specific supply functions in order to obtain elasticity measures. The elasticities are then used to simulate changes in supply and demand growth. It is found that demand shifts demonstrate larger increases in overall welfare as compared to supply shifts. |
