Spring 2013

Welcome to the Educator, the AAVMC's revamped and renamed e-bulletin. In this issue, we'll take a closer look at the AAVMC's recent 2013 Annual Conference and Iverson Bell Symposium, where attendees gathered to promote the AAVMC's legislative agenda, assess how to enhance diversity, and develop strategies for how to prepare for the future. The meeting came on the heels of a controversial article in the New York Times about academic veterinary medicine -- and the AAVMC's response -- that brought a heightened sense of urgency to the meeting and highlighted the need to effectively communicate the enduring value of veterinary medical education. We hope that you enjoy learning more about the conference and other recent developments in academic veterinary medicine in this inaugural issue of the Vet-Med Educator -- content that matters from the AAVMC.
Dr. Andrew Maccabe

Executive Director, AAVMC

This year, anticipated snow storms, jokingly referred to as "the Snowquester," threatened to cancel or, at the very least, waylay the plans of many to attend the AAVMC's 2013 Annual Conference. In the end, however, the Snowquester blew over the Washington, D.C, area, ushering in one of the AAVMC's most well-attended and successful conferences to date.  Nearly 250 veterinary medical educators, policymakers, and students gathered for the conference and the biennial Iverson Bell Symposium, named for the first African-American veterinarian to hold the position of vice president in the American Veterinary Medical Association. Learn more.

Shock waves from the New York Times Feb. 24 article on the fragile economic state of the profession continue to ripple throughout the veterinary medical community. That the Times chose to do an article of such breadth and scope on the profession makes a lot of sense. After all, there's not a lot more important than the health and well being of people and animals. But it was unfortunate that they parsed and applied the facts of the matter in a way that exaggerated their case. The resulting drama was a bit more than the profession needs as it continues to sort out its challenges. Learn more.

Legislators Form First-Ever Veterinary Medicine Caucus

At their January 2013 meeting, the AAVMC Board of Directors approved the formation of a task force to explore the feasibility of creating and implementing a Financial Literacy Curriculum for veterinary medical students. The task force will be headed by Dr. Jim Lloyd, associate dean for Budget, Planning and Institutional Research at Michigan State University. Learn more.

The Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) recently introduced some changes, including transcript verification, that will make the application process more efficient, effective, and media friendly. The changes begin with this year's cycle. Learn more.

Preparing the next generation of leaders for the profession is an AAVMC priority. In keeping with that goal, during the conference, the AAVMC brought together 23 future leaders of academic veterinary medicine for sessions on leadership development and government advocacy. The goal is to inspire and mentor young leaders and equip them with leadership training and skills designed to help them help the profession. Learn more.

As veterinary medicine works to resolve its economic issues, it's useful to look at how other professions have worked with their respective colleges to deal with the capacity and demand issues that have risen and fallen over the decades. This interesting glimpse from more than a century ago was unearthed by staff working with the largest campaign ever mounted to inform pet owners about the importance of preventive care  -- Partners for Healthy Pets. More than a century ago, the American Dental Association was working to build consumer understanding of the need for preventive dental care. They were dismayed to learn that dental school faculty members could not find the time to help them.  Learn more. 

The New York Times' Feb. 24 article on the profession's current operating environment cast a bit of a pall over all who are passionate about veterinary medicine, and just about everyone at the meeting was talking about it. But AAVMC President Dr. Debbie Kochevar is not one to be deterred. In an extemporaneous move taken toward the end of the General Membership meeting, she swept away the negative vibes by asking deans in attendance to share a few positive thoughts about all that is good about academic veterinary medicine. Click here to hear some of the good news that was shared.

From livestock production and food safety to public health, veterinarians working for the federal government play a crucial role in modern society.  Responding to a 2009 GAO directive, the Federal Veterinary Workforce Talent Management Advisory Council (TIMAC) recently concluded a detailed examination of the federal veterinary workforce and its ability to respond to an unexpected animal health emergency such as an FMD outbreak on American farms.  The program included a workforce study and an assessment of emergency preparedness. Learn more.

The Iverson Bell Symposium featured the public launch of the first textbook devoted to teaching veterinary students about diversity and multicultural awareness. Increasing diversity in the veterinary profession is one of the AAVMC's strategic goals, and teaching diversity and cultural competency is one of the recommendations outlined in the report from the North American Veterinary Medical Education Commission (NAVMEC). The editors of "Navigating Diversity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine" are Kauline Cipriani Davis and Sandra F. Amass of Purdue University, Patricia Lowrie (formerly from Michigan State University), and the AAVMC's own Lisa Greenhill. Learn more.

The American Veterinary Medical History Society believes that veterinarians are often not aware of the historical significance of their profession -- a  profession that has boosted static economies, assured war victories, provided safe meat and dairy products, helped build thriving livestock industries, and played an enormous role in advancing human health. To get students thinking and writing about the historical significance of the veterinary profession, the American Veterinary Medical History Society has boosted both the number and prize amounts for the Smithcors Student Veterinary History Essay Contest. The 2013 contest is underway with a deadline of April 14, 2013. Learn more.

We live in a one-health world, as AAVMC Executive Director Dr. Andy Maccabe pointed out during invited remarks at the dedication ceremony for the University of Arizona's new School of Biomedical Sciences and Comparative Health in Tucson, Arizona.  Riffing on Jeopardy Champ Ken Jennings' "Kennections" Parade Magazine column, Maccabe demonstrated how seemingly disparate events and processes in one health sector are fundamentally linked to another.  Learn more.

The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) Board of Directors considered and acted on initiatives ranging from e-instruction and the scope of its annual Comparative Data Report to the Veterinary Medical Centralized Application Service (VMCAS) and economic issues facing the profession during its March 2013 meeting in Washington, D.C.  Learn more.

Former AAVMC Executive Director Marguerite Pappaioanou is the new U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) Liaison for Food Safety to the Food and Drug Administration. See what Dale L. Morse, associate director for food safety for the CDC's division of Foodborne, Waterborne and Environmental Diseases, had to say about her appointment here.