A Policy & Advocacy Brief from drcookevet.com — Healers Have to Heal! 💜
💜 Our Mission
We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit supporting veterinarians, technicians, and students through mentorship, education, scholarships, and mental-wellness initiatives. Our goal is simple: to help healers heal — personally, professionally, and financially.
⚖️ The Problem
Veterinary and other healing professionals are shouldering unsustainable debt.
– The average veterinary graduate leaves school with over $200,000 in student loans.
– The average starting salary for new DVMs is only about $120,000.
– The debt-to-income ratio (D/I) for new veterinarians ranges from 1.4 to 2.0 ×, meaning many owe far more than they earn.
– Interest rates on federal graduate loans can reach 8–9%, with 4% origination fees — higher than mortgage or auto loans.
For a profession that safeguards public health, food safety, and animal welfare, this imbalance is deeply unfair.
Why It Matters
High debt and compounding interest:
– Drive graduates away from rural and nonprofit areas where they are most needed.
– Delay home and practice ownership.
– Contribute to burnout and mental-health crises in the profession.
– Reduce access to care for underserved communities and rescue organizations.
Every time a passionate student decides not to pursue a healing career because of debt, our communities lose a future caregiver.
📉 How We Got Here
Federal policy ties graduate loan rates to the 10-year Treasury yield plus a fixed margin — not to public-service goals.
Professional students can borrow unlimited amounts (Grad PLUS loans) with no cap and few subsidies, creating a compounding system where the government profits from essential education.
🌱 The Solution
We call on policymakers to:
1. Cap federal graduate-loan interest rates at 5% or lower for healthcare and veterinary professionals.
2. Eliminate origination fees on federal education loans.
3. Expand service-based forgiveness programs, including the USDA Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program, to cover integrative and community practitioners.
4. End interest capitalization during deferment and income-driven repayment.
5. Invest in scholarships and mentorships that make healing professions accessible to all backgrounds.
Our Commitment
At drcookevet.com and The Cooke Veterinary Medical Center — The Place for Healing®,
we believe financial wellness is part of healing.
Through mentorship, education, and community support, we help emerging veterinary professionals make sustainable, purpose-driven career choices.
Join Us
- Advocate for interest reform.
- Support our mentorship scholarships.
- Help healers heal. 💜
Donate: drcookevet.com/donate
Email: info@drcookevet.com
Your support helps fund scholarships and advocacy for the next generation of healers.