Summer 2012 Issue 8 |
News from the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges
Greetings!
On May 30, the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies released the findings of its report on "Workforce Needs in Veterinary Medicine."
The report concludes that there are sectors of unmet need for veterinarians, but the researchers found little evidence of widespread workforce shortages at the current time. The study did find an imbalance in the distribution of veterinarians, and expressed concern about the state of the veterinary workforce in critical areas of veterinary medicine, such as the public sector.
Learn more about the report, as well as the upcoming Veterinary Educator Collaborative Symposium, ways that the AAVMC supports student research through the Merial Veterinary Scholars Program Symposium, and more, in this edition of News from the AAVMC.
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Study Affirms the Changing Role of Veterinary Medicine, Need for the Profession to Evolve
Schools and Colleges of Veterinary Medicine Already Responding
What does the future hold for veterinary medicine? Are colleges of veterinary medicine (CVMs) preparing students to meet society's changing needs? And if needs are changing, how can academic veterinary medicine respond? To answer those questions, the Association of American Veterinary Medicine Colleges (AAVMC) requested the help of the National Academy of Sciences in conducting a study on "Workforce Needs in Veterinary Medicine." The study sought to assess not only current workforce estimates, but also the unmet needs that the profession must address in order to remain relevant to society. On May 30, the National Research Council (NRC) of the National Academies released its findings. The report concludes that there are sectors of unmet need for veterinarians, but the researchers found little evidence of widespread workforce shortages at the current time. The study did find an imbalance in the distribution of veterinarians, and expressed concern about the state of the veterinary workforce in critical areas of veterinary medicine, such as the public sector. For example, the report identified a tremendous need for veterinarians to become involved in food and water security and safety. "The veterinary workforce of today may bear little resemblance to the one 10-15 years from now," said Dr. Andrew Maccabe, the AAVMC's executive director. "As the population increases and veterinary medicine evolves, we expect that veterinarians will fill more roles in a broad range of careers not typically linked in the public's mind with veterinary medicine ..." Learn more.
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From Novices to Experts: Supporting Students' Development of Professional Skills at the Veterinary Educator Collaborative Symposium
The 2012 Veterinary Educator Collaborative Symposium, to be held July 27-28 at Colorado State University, is uniquely tailored to the needs of veterinary educators. Whether you are an experienced faculty member or new to the field, there will be something to support your professional development at this symposium, which is sponsored by the AAVMC. Each day's theme tracks will feature nationally and internationally renowned veterinary educators describing their work in the classroom and clinics. Keynote speaker Dr. Sarah Baillie will pose the question "Simulation: The answer to all our problems?" On Friday, choose between sessions on "How People Learn - Designing Effective Instruction" and "Spotlight on Professional Skills." Saturday's tracks are "Focus on Large Groups" and "Teaching in the Clinical Curriculum." Check out the pre- and post-conference workshops where you'll have the opportunity to test drive Dr. Ray Whalen's Virtual Canine Anatomy program as well as get a preview of cutting-edge surgical simulators being developed at CSU's College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Register by June 24 to qualify for the early registration cost of $100. Learn more. |
| Congressional Staffers Learn About Food Safety
Veterinarian H. Scott Hurd, associate professor at Iowa State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, recently spoke on "the direct relationship between animal health and food safety outcomes" to approximately 60 congressional staffers on Capital Hill. Hurd stressed the need to dedicate greater resources to directed food safety research in order to better understand the connection between animal health and foodborne risk.
Dr. Hurd took the group through a brief overview of the food production process and areas where public health could benefit from more research, including greater research on the relationship of internal scarring in pigs from previous illnesses to increased risk of Salmonella infection and the potentially greater risk of pathogens from using dried distiller grain as livestock feed.
Hurd, a former Deputy Undersecretary for Food Safety at the United States Department of Agriculture, spoke about the importance of investigating more than just obvious signs of disease in animals, as well as the danger of diseases that may or may not present a threat, such as arthritis. Dedicating greater resources to more systems-based food safety research is vital if we are to maintain and improve the safety of food supply animals and public health, he said, adding that the "health of the animal within the food animal production system impacts many aspects of the system far removed from the animal themselves."
The seminar series is sponsored by The National Coalition for Food & Agricultural Research, which presents leading-edge researchers to address pressing issues confronting the public and Congress.
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| To sign up for this ebulletin, please email Jeanne Johnson at: jjohnson@aavmc.org |
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New AAVMC Executive Director Looks Forward The new executive director of the AAVMC, Dr. Andrew Maccabe, is a familiar face at the AAVMC, having previously worked for the organization as an associate executive director. "It's encouraging to see how the AAVMC has progressed," said Dr. Maccabe. "My goal is to continue to improve the service and benefits that we provide to members, from participating in the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) to providing educational resources and advocating for greater resources on Capitol Hill and elsewhere. Academic veterinary medicine has a great story to tell about how we benefit society and it's my privilege to be involved in getting the word out." Dr. Maccabe comes to the AAVMC from the National Center for Emerging, Zoonotic, and Infectious Diseases, U.S Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where he served as the CDC's liaison to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. He began his tenure May 15. Learn more. |
Students Delve into Research, Present Findings
The Merial Veterinary Scholars Program exposes veterinary medical students in their first or second year of veterinary school to biomedical research and career opportunities in research. The program culminates in the Merial NIH National Veterinary Scholars Symposium, where veterinary students participating in the program gather from all over the U.S. and Canada to present their research findings and share experiences from their various programs.
This year's symposium features former NIH Director Elias Zerhouni and other prominent experts, who will examine such topics as:
- Medical science successes arising from veterinary/human medical collaborations
- The importance of veterinary participation in the biomedical research
- Stem cells and regenerative medicine
The AAVMC is a co-sponsor of the program and symposium.
Learn more.
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JVME Announces "Advance Online" - Providing Early Access to the Latest Research
To meet the challenges of the increasingly fast-paced academic publishing world where articles are frequently published online before they appear in print, the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education (JVME) is excited to announce that articles accepted for publication are now copy-edited, typeset, and posted online immediately through JVME Advance Online. With this new initiative, advance versions of articles will be available online within weeks rather than months of final manuscript submission. JVME, the journal of the AAVMC, is excited to offer this service to our contributors and readers. |
AAVMC Accepting Session and Poster Proposals for 2013 Conference
The AAVMC is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity for faculty and students to publicize and share their work and ideas during the 2013 AAVMC Annual Conference and Iverson Bell Symposium, March 8 -10, 2013, at the Westin Alexandria in Alexandria, VA.
The topic of this year's Annual Conference and Iverson Bell
Symposium is Diversity and Inclusion: Excellence in Institutional Planning, Teaching and Assessment in Veterinary Medical Education.
You are invited to submit abstracts in the following categories:
* Organizational development and strategic planning
* Exploring pedagogy in veterinary medical education
* Assessing institutional activities and student learning outcomes
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Visit us online!
Let Prospective Applicants Know!
The Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) Launches Today, June 7.
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