News from the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges

January 2018

AAVMC Announces 2018 Professional Excellence Award Honorees

The AAVMC has announced the recipients of four awards that recognize professional excellence, achievement and service in academic veterinary medicine. The awards will be officially presented during the AAVMC's 2018 Annual Conference and Assembly, which will be held March 2-4, 2018 at the Grand Hyatt Washington in Washington, D.C. "These individuals represent the very best of what thousands of outstanding educators and researchers bring to their work every day in our member institutions," said AAVMC Chief Executive Officer Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe. "We're pleased to be able to recognize them for their outstanding achievements and contributions and look forward to honoring them publicly during our 2018 annual conference." Click here to read about the honorees.

Outcomes Assessment: Getting Everyone on the Same Page

An important requirement for all veterinary colleges and schools is that they assess the readiness of their students to provide entry-level healthcare independently at the time of graduation. But a general lack of consistency in how institutions do this has caused some uncertainty and a lot of variability with the process. For the past two years, a group of respected educators from AAVMC member institutions has been working to create a "competency" framework for veterinary medicine that is aligned with approaches used by other health professions. The framework will be introduced during a plenary session at the 2018 AAVMC annual meeting in March 2018. Printed communications and a website detailing the framework will also be unveiled at the same time. Learn more.

Combined VEC and PCVE Joint Symposium to be Presented at Cornell in June

Proposals are currently being accepted for the first ever joint symposium presented by the AAVMC's Primary Care Veterinary Educators (PCVE) and the Veterinary Educator Collaborative (VEC). Themed "Laying the Building Blocks for a Lifetime of Clinical Excellence," the meeting will be held June 22-24, 2018 at Cornell University. For this combined symposium - the first of its kind to bring the two groups together - organizers have worked to create a program centered on how to help students develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes that will allow a smooth transition from their role as pre-clinical and clinical students to that of practitioner. Learn more.

AVMA-AAVMC Joint Committee Meets in December

The AVMA-AAVMC Joint Committee convened for its semi-annual meeting on December 5, 2017 at the AAVMC's international headquarters in Washington, D.C. Following updates from AAVMC President Dr. Phillip Nelson and AVMA President Dr. Michael Topper on their respective organizations, the group worked through a seven-point agenda that explored major issues of mutual interest. The Joint Committee consists of the senior leadership of each organization and is designed to foster collaboration, mutual understanding and progress. Learn more.

CIVME Meets in Mexico City

The Council on International Veterinary Medical Education (CIVME) held its second regional meeting in Mexico City, Mexico in mid-December. The meeting was hosted by the Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (UNAM). Several regional representatives, as well as AAVMC CEO Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe and CIVME program director Tony Wynne, met to discuss the global needs of veterinary medical education. Formed by AAVMC in 2015, CIVME's charge is to advance high quality academic veterinary medicine throughout the world. Learn more.

Fifth Annual One Health Congress in Saskatoon June 22-25, 2018

One Health leaders and advocates from around the world will gather in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for the 5th International One Health Congress June 22-25, 2018. Experts will make presentations in 28 different sessions. A major program track on antimicrobial resistance will be presented, as will a track on the Science Policy Interface (SPI) that seeks to encourage interaction between the scientific and policy-making communities. The meeting will also include a University Lounge where academic institutions will showcase their One Health programs. To examine a comprehensive program document, please click here.

Nominations Sought for 2018 AAVMC Communications Excellence Award

Nominations are being accepted for the 2018 AAVMC Communications Excellence Award, which recognizes a member college or school for overall excellence in their institutional communications program. The award includes a $1,000 honorarium, a commemorative and public recognition. The AAVMC Board of Directors established the Communications Excellence Award in 2013 to recognize the important role of communications in advancing academic veterinary medicine and the profession, inspire higher level of performance and foster collaboration among member institutions. Past winners have included colleges and schools of veterinary medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, the University of California - Davis, Texas A&M University and the University of Florida. Learn more.

AVMA Enhances Legislative Relations Tool

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recently launched a new and improved, online tool -- the Congressional Advocacy Network, with 30,000-plus members -- that makes it easier for the nation's veterinarians, veterinary students and other stakeholders to keep abreast of legislative issues affecting veterinary medicine and respond proactively. The AVMA and AAVMC work together on many advocacy issues, often co-hosting legislative briefings and working together on the Veterinary Medicine Caucus, co-chaired by Rep. Kurt Schrader, (OR-05) and Rep. Ted Yoho, DVM (FL-03). This improved tool makes it easy to identify key issues, look up legislators' contact information and quickly personalize and send letters to members of Congress. A sign-up link is available on the site.