The refinements in veterinary medicine, stimulated by both external and internal forces, are expected to continue. Group practices will increase in popularity as will emergency medical clinics. Because of a direct relationship between patient load, hospital income and teaching budgets, the faculty of the future will be under greater pressure to generate clinical income and at the same time develop their own professional careers and teach students. Nevertheless, Florida is and will remain a leading animal agriculture state in the Southeastern United States. Computerization and the exciting field of biotechnology will markedly improve the practice of veterinary medicine.
Computerization permits effective and highly efficient management of large amounts of information.
Computers also are expected to markedly influence the role of the food animal practitioner. These powerful tools will permit the veterinarian to be the major contributing partner in the food animal production team. The opportunities offered by recent and future developments in veterinary biotechnology stagger the imagination. Advances include molecular cloning, DNA and RNA hybridization, gene splicing and monoclonal antibody production. Use of these techniques will result in a safer and more effective subunit vaccines, improved reproductive biology and breeding practices, and improved reliability of diagnostic procedures.