AAVMC President Dr. Douglas Freeman

Members of the Assembly of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) elected new officers and considered several topics and initiatives in academic veterinary medicine during the 2016 AAVMC Assembly on Monday, August 8 in San Antonio, Texas. Dr. Douglas Freeman, dean of the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan in Canada, became the first non-U.S. college dean ever elected president of the AAVMC. Learn more.

	Dr. Sheila Allen

Dr. Sheila Allen has been appointed Senior Accreditation Advisor for the AAVMC, a position that highlights her international reputation as a leader in veterinary medical education. In her new role, Dr. Allen will work in collaboration with the Director of Education and Research of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) to support the Council on Education, which monitors the compliance with accreditation standards for 49 colleges of veterinary medicine worldwide. Learn more.

	655 K Street

Construction and preparations are going well and all is on schedule for the AAVMC move to its new international headquarters at 655 K Street in Washington, D.C., according to Chief Operating Officer (COO) Dotty Gray. The move will be completed on September 1, 2016, and all member institutions are reminded to mail and ship documents and packages to the new physical address. Digital addresses and telephone numbers will remain intact. The AAVMC will occupy about 4,000 square feet on the seventh floor of the Association of American Medical Colleges' new 290,000 square foot building. Learn more.

	Drs. Maccabe and DeHaven address FTD Implementation Forum.

About 75 people representing more than a dozen organizations gathered during the AVMA meeting in San Antonio to grapple with one of the most vexing issues in veterinary economics: student debt. The meeting was an outgrowth of the "Fix the Debt" meeting hosted by the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine in April, which was sponsored by the AVMA and the AAVMC. While moving the debt-to-income ratio from 2:1 to 1.4:1 will take time and coordinated effort, Maccabe said, it's a critical goal that must be addressed in order to avoid an eventual decline in the number and quality of applicants seeking careers in veterinary medicine. Learn more.

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Results of the new AAVMC Post-Admissions Cycle survey indicate the majority of students are being accepted at and choosing to attend their first-choice college. However, responses also indicate that scholarship aid may be being channeled to students who have access to the widest array of financial resources and is not, in practice, promoting economic or racial diversity. Analysis of this year's survey has enhanced our understanding of how well applicants tend to perform in the admissions cycle as well as what factors they consider in their matriculation decisions. Learn more.

	Welcome to Veterinary Medicine video.

Spillover - Zika, Ebola & Beyond -- is a one-hour documentary that looks at what's behind the rise in spillover viruses and what we can do to stop them. The documentary, which recently aired on PBS and is currently available for streaming, is a great example of a One Health approach to veterinary medicine. It features insight from scientists representing notable institutions such as the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including  Dr. Jonna Mazet from the UC-Davis College of Veterinary Medicine. Learn more.

Keeping AAVMC stakeholders informed about advocacy programs is a big part of building critical mass and sustained momentum for key initiatives. This October, the AAVMC will introduce a quarterly newsletter called "AAVMC Advocate." The goal is to build awareness and support for legislative priorities, processes and achievements. In advance of that, this special section of the August Vet-Med Educator focuses on several elements of the program.

	Kevin Cain

On a typical day, you might find the AAVMC's Director of Governmental Affairs Kevin Cain on "The Hill" meeting with Congressional representatives or staff, or meeting with representatives of like-minded organizations to strategize ways to promote common ground. Part of Cain's mission is to advise lawmakers and staff on legislative and regulatory changes affecting academic veterinary medicine. He also organizes the AAVMC's annual Advocacy Day, where AAVMC members meet face-to-face with Congressional representatives or staff to make the case for issues of importance to academic veterinary medicine. Learn more.

	Visiting Capitol Hill on Advocacy Day

Advocating for academic veterinary medicine has been a core priority of the AAVMC since its inception 50 years ago. In fact, gaining access to lawmakers and federal government officials was a primary reason the organization moved to Washington, D.C. in the mid 1980's. For decades, that proximity has helped the AAVMC shape public policy and cultivate funding that advances academic veterinary medicine. But it doesn't just "happen." The AAVMC government relations program is strategically managed by the Advocacy Committee and executed by the government relations director and other staff. Learn more.

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