Generating accurate, reliable data about academic veterinary medicine is one of the oldest and most valued AAVMC services. That's even more important in today's fast-paced world where successful institutions must stay informed and agile in order to adapt to change. The AAVMC's new 2014-15 Public Data Report (PDR) helps member institutions do that. Published and available on the website, the PDR contains 18 charts, graphs and tables that present a variety of information on faculty, students and applicants. Learn more.

A newly redesigned Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) begins accepting applications to veterinary medical school on Wednesday, May 13 for matriculation in 2016. The new VMCAS debuts with a restructured platform called CAS3.0 that is designed to make the application more user-friendly and intuitive. The new application underwent careful review by the AAVMC's Admissions and Recruitment Committee as well as testing by about 600 volunteers who gave the system high marks. The redesign represents the first major VMCAS overhaul in almost 10 years. Learn more.

The AAVMC is currently seeking volunteers to serve on several committees and liaison positions that will be appointed by incoming AAVMC President Dr. Eleanor Green, dean of the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, in June 2015. Committee vacancies exist on the Admissions and Recruitment Committee (three), the Advocacy Committee (one), the COE Selection Committee (two), the Data Committee (one), the Ethics Committee (one), the Leadership Committee (three), and the Executive Director's Survey Committee (one). Learn more.

As a follow-up to the AAVMC's successful national 50th Anniversary Celebration launch, it's time for member institutions to fully embrace the celebration at the local level. Grassroots engagement kits containing digital copies of selected anniversary communication products and other materials were mailed to members in April. Each kit contains copies of two special videos produced in support of the AAVMC's anniversary year. Learn more.

A new report from the American Veterinary Medical Association's Department of Economics has determined that the current employment market for veterinarians is "robust." The AVMA 2015 Report on Veterinary Unemployment calculates unemployment at 3.19 percent, which is substantially below the 2013 national average of 7.4 percent. An analysis of underemployment demonstrated the opportunity to employ an additional 951 full-time veterinarians. Data was generated on the basis of a survey sent to 8,278 (1,881 responses) veterinarians who had graduated at intervals of one, five, 10 and 25 years ago. Learn more.

AAVMC President-elect and Dean of the Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences Dr. Eleanor Green was recently honored during the 60th annual presentation of the Texas A&M University Association of Former Students Distinguished Achievement Awards.Considered one of the highest honors at Texas A&M, the awards annually recognize 24 distinguished teachers, researchers and administrators at the 59,000-student university.  Learn more.

The AAVMC recently released the 2015-2016 edition of Veterinary Medical School Requirements (VMSAR), the ultimate guide for getting into veterinary medical schools for prospective students, counselors and advisors. The AAVMC began producing VMSAR about 25 years ago. In 2011, it became available as an e-publication and, in 2013, the AAVMC redesigned the publication, going to a larger page format with full-page spreads on each school and more profiles and features. New features include a timeline for aspiring veterinarians and firsthand accounts from current students and practitioners about what it's like to train as a veterinarian. The VMSAR hard copy list price is $35 with a 10 percent discount for ordering online here. Learn more.
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The AAVMC will deploy new cloud-based, state-of-the-art accounting software commencing in FY2016, thanks to a grant from Netsuite.org. Netsuite describes itself as "the world's leading provider of cloud-based business management software" with a product that "helps companies manage core business processes with a single, fully integrated system." The software license is valued at $40K per year. Learn more.