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February 2024

News

Spectrum of Care Initiative

We look forward to seeing you in DC for Catalyze 2024!

 

Click here to learn more and register now.

FFAR Veterinary Student Research Fellowship is open for applications through March 27th


To support the development of future veterinary researchers, the Foundation for Food & Agriculture Research (FFAR) and the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) established the Veterinary Student Research Fellowships (FFAR Vet Fellows) in 2018. The program is accepting applications for the 2024 cohort.


View the official press release here.

AAVMC Student Career Fair Returns


AAVMC is delighted to announce the return of the Pre-Veterinary Career Fair, which is set to be a prominent feature of the AAVMC Annual Meeting scheduled for April 13th from 1 pm -5 pm ET. This in-person fair presents an exceptional opportunity for prospective students to establish meaningful connections with veterinary schools and colleges, explore various career paths, and gain a comprehensive understanding of the veterinary medicine profession.

 

Attendees will begin the event with a keynote session, followed by the opportunity to navigate the exhibit hall and engage with representatives from AAVMC Member institutions. This event is tailored to provide participants with invaluable networking opportunities and a platform to interact actively with veterinary programs.


Stay tuned to aavmc.org for details on how to register.

Spectrum of Care Initiative

The Spectrum of Care Education Model is Now Available!


The Spectrum of Care Initiative (SOCI) is excited to announce the release of the Spectrum of Care (SOC) Education Model. The SOC Education Model provides an outcomes-focused framework for supporting veterinary medical programs and the broader veterinary education community in preparing graduates to practice across the spectrum of care.


The SOCI Task Force developed the SOC Education Model through an evidence-based process and partnership between veterinary educators and practitioners. It is designed to be applicable across curricular models and learning contexts. The Model can be used to guide the development of new veterinary curricula, as well as guide changes in existing curricula. It is intended to help facilitate and bolster collaboration among all clinicians engaged in preparing graduates for practice.


We are grateful to the members of the SOCI Task Force for their tremendous effort in creating this SOC Education Model. We appreciate their dedication to the initiative, the profession, and advancing veterinary education.


Open Comment Period on the SOC Education Model through April 15th, 2024



The SOCI Task Force invites you to participate in an open comment period on the SOC Education Model. Your feedback is invaluable for helping the Task Force to clarify and enhance the Model. The Task Force encourages you to take this opportunity to share any clarifying questions that you may have about the Model, as well as any insights and suggestions.


To access the Model and provide comments, please visit the AAVMC-SOCI website.


Spectrum of Care Team Update


We are pleased to announce that Dr. Heather Fedesco has been appointed to the position of Executive Director of the Spectrum of Care Initiative. Dr. Fedesco previously served as the Assistant Director of the Spectrum of Care Initiative, applying her expertise in change management to identify strategies needed to employ curricular changes within veterinary education programs.


Dr. Jessica Brodsky will continue to serve as the Educational Researcher for the Spectrum of Care Initiative, ensuring that the educational resources and recommendations developed by the initiative are evidence based.


Diversity and Inclusion


In honor of black history month AAVMC would like to highlight the history and impact of one of our member institutions, The Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine (TUCVM). The CVM at Tuskegee was founded in 1945 by Dr. Frederick Douglass Patterson, and was the only institution at the time to explicitly offer veterinary education to African Americans, and one of only 10 veterinary schools in the entire United States. In the almost 60 years prior to the establishment of the TUCVM, there were only 70 African American veterinary graduates total from all the North American veterinary colleges.


In contrast Tuskegee’s first graduating class increased the population of African American veterinary graduates by 7.1% and has since educated approximately 70% of African American/Black identifying veterinarians in the United States. That first graduating class also included Dr. Alfreda Johnson Webb, who was one of the first Black women to graduate with a veterinary degree in the United States. Tuskegee also graduated the first Black board-certified veterinary neurosurgeon in America, Dr. Erika Gibson, and the first Black female, board-certified veterinary radiologist, Dr. Ruby L. Perry.


In the present day, TUCVM remains a leader in diversifying the academic veterinary space. In 2023 approximately 70% of TUCVM’s enrollment were African American/Black students. That is a stark contrast to the 3.6% of students that identify as African American/Black across the total enrollment of our US member institutions. The CVM at Tuskegee is also one of the most diverse institutions of veterinary medicine when all underrepresented racial and ethnic groups in veterinary medicine are considered, with a total enrollment that consists of 83% URVM students. In comparison the US average URVM representation at CVMs is about 25%. Since its inception, the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine has significantly impacted the field of veterinary medicine for the better. Their leadership in advancing veterinary medicine and highlighting the importance of representation within the field are essential to the membership of AAVMC, the veterinary community, and the world.


The impact of this historic institution can in no way be summarized in two paragraphs, AAVMC encourages everyone to utilize the resources below to learn more about Tuskegee University and Black History in Veterinary Medicine.


Resources:

Sources:

Diversity & Inclusion On Air


Tune in for a replay of past episodes on YouTube here.

 

Don't forget to subscribe to the Podcast to connect with the latest conversation around VetMed.



The Podcast is available to enjoy on Spotify, Soundcloud, Apple Podcasts and YouTube


Reminders

Veterinary Scholars Symposium - August 8-10, 2024, St. Paul, MN


PCVE -October 16-10, 2024 - The Ohio State University



Staff Announcements


Homam Adam joined our team as Accounting Manager in November 2023.


Elisabeth Cavallaro recently joined the team in January 2024 as Manager for Wellbeing and Professional Competencies.


Dr. Heather Fedesco has been appointed to the position of Director for Academic Affairs, in addition to serving as the Executive Director of the Spectrum of Care Initiative.


Dr. Jessica Brodsky has been appointed to the position of Associate Director for Academic Affairs, in addition to serving as the Educational Researcher for the Spectrum of Care Initiative.


Veterinary Medicine in the News

University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine Scientists Unravel Mystery of How Fish Develop Immunity to Disease

USDA/NIFA

 

Addressing rural veterinary shortages is essential to maintaining animal and public health

The Hill

 

Curing Pets With Cannabis as Veterinarians Try CBD and THC

The New York Times

 

Cannabis and your pet: The dangers, the benefits, the unknown

WCVB

 

How AI Can Help Treat (and Cure) Your Dog’s Cancer

The Daily Beast

 

Celebrating Black History Month: Inspiring our young people

AVMA

 

Progress in tackling mental health issues evident among veterinary teams, study shows

Veterinary Practice News

 

Five Emerging Trends In Pet Health Care For 2024 And Beyond

Forbes

 

International Swine Viral Disease Conference Celebrates Milestone

Pork Business

 

Veterinarian shortages making it harder to keep up with pet medical needs

NBC Right Now 


  

From Our Members


New K-State scholarship supports rural and underrepresented veterinary medicine students

Kansas State University

 

Facilitating Accessible Pet Care

Tufts University

 

Mastiff saved thanks to WSU Good Samaritan Fund, generosity of strangers

Washington State University

 

$35M gift to advance science-based solutions for wildlife health

Cornell University

 

IVMA Recognizes Dean Willie Reed for Lifetime Achievement

Purdue University

 

A conversation with Dr. Steven Marks, dean of Clemson’s College of Veterinary Medicine

Clemson University

 

Chicken whisperers: humans crack the clucking code

The University of Queensland

 

Professor Siobhan Mullan Awarded €3m Horizon Europe Thematic Network Grant for TransformDairyNet Project

University College Dublin

 

CVM researchers awarded grants for turkey disease studies

University of Minnesota

 

Knowing what dogs like to watch could help veterinarians assess their vision

University of Wisconsin-Madison

 

 To see a news feed featuring breaking news from our member institutions, please click here

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AAVMC Newsletters

The AAVMC is working hard to create a culture of diversity and inclusion in every dimension of academic veterinary medicine. To foster this goal, the photographs and illustrations which are used in our communications programs are aspirational, and do not necessarily reflect the levels of diversity and inclusion that currently exist.



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