The AAVMC has announced the recipients of four awards that recognize various dimensions of excellence and professional achievement in academic veterinary medicine. The awards will officially be presented at the AAVMC's 2016 Annual Conference, March 4-6, 2016, at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. This year's conference, themed "Fifty and Forward," is a special conference commemorating the AAVMC's 50th anniversary. Learn more.

The AAVMC published and distributed the 50th Anniversary special edition of the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education in December. Almost two years in development, the special edition was conceived by the AAVMC 50th Anniversary Planning Committee to serve as a scholarly examination of the AAVMC's first 50 years of history and service. JVME Editor Dr. Daryl Buss, who led the project, recruited some of the leading thinkers in academic veterinary medicine to provide an insightful look at the history, trends and advancements in academic veterinary medicine during the AAVMC's first 50 years of public service. Learn more.

The AAVMC's 2016 Annual Conference in Washington, D.C. is shaping up to be a "once in a lifetime" event! As always, the conference will provide the ultimate forum for veterinary medical educators to share ideas and best practices and develop new and creative approaches in academic veterinary medicine. But this year's conference, themed "Fifty and Forward" will feature a variety of special events keyed to the AAVMC's 50th anniversary, including the introduction of a book on the history of the AAVMC and a Gala Spectacular on Saturday night. Learn more.

The federal government's Omnibus spending bill for fiscal year 2016 contains some good news for academic veterinary medicine. Key programs were funded, and others received significant increases. The NIH received its largest funding increase since 2003, including funding to combat the growing antibiotic resistance problem, and the Veterinary Services Grant Program was funded. AAVMC government relations personnel collaborated with counterparts at the AVMA and other organizations to advocate for these initiatives. Learn more.

Cong. Ted Yoho (R-FL)

Congressman Ted Yoho (R-Florida), who co-chairs the Veterinary Caucus in the House of Representatives with Congressman Kurt Schrader (D-Oregon), has introduced a Concurrent Resolution in the first session of the 114th Congress honoring the AAVMC on its 50th anniversary and celebrating the value of academic veterinary medicine. Introduced on December 11, 2015, H. CON. RES. 101 describes the many contributions the profession of veterinary medicine and the academic institutions that support it provide for human and animal health and wellbeing and provides ceremonial recognition in Congress for the AAVMC. Learn more.

The AAVMC's 2015-2016 Comparative Data Report was published and shared with member institutions on December 18, 2015. The voluminous report contains a broad range of detailed statistical information about AAVMC member institutions, including demographic information about faculty, staff and student bodies, economic information regarding budgets and operating costs, research expenditures, clinical caseloads, educational debt and other areas. Learn more. 

The fact that owning a pet is good for you has been generally understood for decades. But a recent economic study commissioned by the Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI) Foundation has put a more empirical and somewhat astonishing point on that piece of conventional wisdom: pet ownership saves almost $12 billion a year in healthcare costs! HABRI works to explore and advance the benefits of the human/animal bond. The AAVMC joined HABRI in 2015.  Learn more.

The AAVMC/AVMA Joint Committee held their semi-annual meeting in Washington on Friday, December 18, 2015. AAVMC President Dr. Eleanor Green and AVMA President Dr. Joseph Kinnarney provided detailed program updates for each organization. General discussions focused on a number of topics and issues in the profession, including One Health, international veterinary education, applicant demand, educational debt, workforce capacity, the APLU/AAVMC Task Force on Antibiotic Resistance in Production Agriculture, student health and wellbeing, the Council on Education, legislative initiatives and other areas. Learn more.

Various AAVMC member institutions have conducted economic impact studies over the years that demonstrate the value they bring to the regions they serve. A recent economic impact study conducted on behalf of the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine serves as a reminder of how useful they can be. That study demonstrated that their college produces an economic impact of $476.9 million on the state of Indiana. The study, conducted by Purdue Extension's Community Development Program, considered the direct and indirect economic impact of the college and its alumni. Learn more.

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