The AAVMC has completed an analysis of the process and outcomes of the 2015-2016 VMCAS cycle. The application cycle for admission in fall 2016 opened on May 13, 2015 and closed on September 15, 2015. A total of 6,675 unique applicants submitted applications to participating institutions, which compares with 6,681 during the 2014-2015 year. The number of unique applicants has remained essentially constant for the past five years. The total number of applications rose slightly from 29,789 in 2014-15 to 31,004 in 2015-16. On average, each applicant applied to 4.6 different institutions. Learn more.

Squaring up the ratio between educational debt and average practitioner salaries in veterinary medicine could help bring about greater economic stability in the profession. A major conference on the subject of veterinary student debt planned for April 2016 at Michigan State University will hopefully generate some strategies for achieving that goal. Recently, about 30-40 leaders representing different sectors of the profession gathered in Schaumburg, Illinois to help plan that event. Promoting an economically viable educational system for both colleges and schools of veterinary medicine and students was one of the five goals that emerged from the North American Veterinary Medical Consortium (NAVMEC). Learn more.

Faculty fellows Dr. Jeffrey Musser (left) and Dr. Marcy Souza.

The AAVMC has selected two professors from member institutions to serve as 2016 Public Policy Faculty Fellows. Dr. Marcy Souza from the University of Tennessee and Dr. Jeffrey MB Musser from Texas A&M University (TAMU) were chosen based on their demonstrated and potential leadership in advocacy and government. The AAVMC launched the faculty fellows program in 2015 to bring faculty representatives from member institutions to Washington D.C. to develop leadership skills in the advocacy arena, explore the implications of public policy decisions on the profession, and gain overall knowledge of the legislative and regulatory process at the federal level.  Learn more.

A growing body of evidence indicates that veterinary students are experiencing excessive levels of stress, anxiety, and depression and that these factors negatively impact productivity, longevity, and professional enjoyment. In response, two years ago, the AAVMC convened the Health and Wellness Summit, which The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine hosted since its inception. This year, the meeting was combined with the 4th International Veterinary Social Work Summit in Knoxville, Tennessee.  Learn more.

Faculty members interested in creating new dimensions of excellence and quality in veterinary medical education are invited to attend the 2016 AAVMC Veterinary Educator Collaborative Symposium. This year's symposium, which is currently accepting abstracts, will be held June 19-22 on the campus of the University of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. The Veterinary Educator Collaborative (VEC) is a working group that operates within the context of the AAVMC's Academic Affairs Committee. Learn more.

The USDA recently awarded more than $4.5 million to 49 American veterinarians to help repay a portion of their veterinary school loans in return for serving in areas lacking sufficient veterinary medical resources. The awards, made through the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) and administered by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), will help fill shortages in 26 states. Supporting the USDA's VMLRP is one of the AAVMC's highest legislative priorities and government relations personnel have worked closely with their counterparts at the AVMA to make sure the program is successful and well-funded. Learn more.

Andrew Zoeller and daughter Evelyn.

Organizing the AAVMC's annual conference is a yearlong, multifaceted project, but it's all in a day's work for Project Manager Andrew Zoeller. Andrew's organizational skills and unflappable nature have made him the "go to" person for solving many problems around the office, whether it's a question about a deadline, a technical issue or a board of directors' decision. He keeps staff members on track, ensuring that we all meet deadlines. He coordinates meetings and events, including those of the board of directors, executive committee and leadership academy. Or, his work could involve "a host of other things," says Andrew. "There really is no typical day." Learn more.

To a large degree, viruses and bacteria are particular. With only rare and dangerous exceptions, the H5N1 influenza virus, also known as bird flu, almost exclusively affects avifauna. Likewise, many strains of Salmonella bacteria only affect certain types of animals. Using funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other sources, scientists at the University of Pennsylvania College of Veterinary Medicine have joined with other scientists to investigate what makes a particular strain of Salmonella prefer a particular kind of host.  Using genomic analyses and subsequent experimentation, they discovered that the proteins that bind Samonella to host cells play a key role-even slight variations in the coding sequence determine what type of animal a particular strain infects.  Learn more.

Sign up to receive the Vet-Med Educator in your inbox here.