August 2017
Nelson Installed as AAVMC President, U.S. Deans Gather During Summer Meeting
Past-President Dr. Douglas Freeman (left) passing the gavel to President Dr. Phillip Nelson.
New AAVMC leadership was installed, issues in academic veterinary medicine were considered and briefings were provided by top veterinary medical officials from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) during the AAVMC's summer meeting in Indianapolis. Dr. Phillip Nelson, dean of the Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine in Pomona, California, assumed the presidency of the AAVMC; Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Dr. Calvin M. Johnson assumed the duties of president-elect; and the Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan Dean Dr. Douglas A. Freeman transitioned to the immediate past-president position. University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine Dean Dr. Mark Markel continues as Treasurer, and North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine Dean Dr. Paul Lunn was named Secretary. Learn more.
AAVMC Institutional Research Examines Scholarship Support
      Click to enlarge.
Creating more financial support for veterinary medical students through scholarships is one approach for reducing the debt-to-income ratio for recent graduates. That currently hovers around 2:1 and various organizations participating in the "Fix-the-Debt" initiative agree that a healthy target is 1.4:1. But recent research suggests there's work to be done. In 2015, AAVMC Senior Director for Institutional Research and Diversity Dr. Lisa Greenhill conducted a survey of scholarship resources and distributions, and that survey was repeated in 2017. Comparative results demonstrate essentially static trend-lines during a time when substantial growth is needed. Learn more.
New Council on Education (COE) Officers Elected
Council on Education (COE) members recently elected new officers for 2017-2018. They are Chair, Dr. Patrick Farrell, a mixed animal private practitioner who owns two hospitals in western Pennsylvania and New York; Vice Chair, Dr. Caroline Zeiss, a professor at the Yale University School of Medicine; Chair of Evaluation Committee, Dr. Spencer Johnston, a professor at the University of Georgia; and Academic Affairs Committee Chair Dr. Heeyoung Han, an assistant professor at the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine. COE terms began during the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Convention this July and will end during the next convention in July 2018. Learn more.
AAVMC Affiliate Status Granted to United Arab Emirates University
The United Arab Emirates University Veterinary Medicine Department is the AAVMC's newest affiliate. Situated within the college of Food and Agriculture on the university's Al Ain campus, the training program which leads to a degree in veterinary medicine was established in 2013. Founded in 1976 by the late Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, UAEU is a comprehensive, research-intensive university which currently enrolls about 14,000 Emirati and international students. Affiliate status is available to colleges and schools of veterinary medicine that are planning to seek Council on Education accreditation, or to departments of veterinary science and comparative medicine. Learn more.
AAVMC Senior Leadership Attends North American Veterinary Leadership Meeting
NAVLM representatives pose for group photo.
AAVMC representatives met July 26 with other leaders from veterinary associations throughout North America at the annual North American Veterinary Leadership Meeting (NAVLM) in French Lick, Indiana. Chief Executive Officer Dr. Andrew Maccabe and President Dr. Phillip Nelson, dean of the Western University of the Health Sciences' College of Veterinary Medicine, presented remarks concerning AAVMC programs and issues in academic veterinary medicine. NAVLM includes the leadership of national veterinary associations in Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. The organization's goal is to consider issues and address challenges and opportunities facing the veterinary profession in North America. Learn more.
CIVME Advancing International Engagement
Little more than a year after being created to foster best practices in international academic veterinary medicine, the AAVMC's Council on International Veterinary Medical Education (CIVME) program is building momentum. CIVME is led by a group of international educators representing eight global regions (please see graphic) linked by monthly calls, digital communication and periodic meetings. So far, the group has worked on developing a strategic plan, published a quarterly newsletter, and awarded micro-grants to support investigations into shelter medicine and aquaculture. A recent survey gathered data on accreditation standards in various regions and perceptions regarding issues and challenges in veterinary medicine. Learn more.
AAVMC Collaborates with AAMC on Student Internship Program
From left: Kemoni Moore, Dr. Lisa Greenhill, Demoni Knight
Opportunities for interprofessional education and collaboration made possible by the AAVMC's move to 655 K Street keep on surfacing. The most recent example: two Washington D.C. high school students participating in an Association of American Medical Colleges' (AAMC) internship experience got a taste of veterinary medicine as part of the process. The AAVMC was invited to collaborate with the AAMC on the internship, which is offered through the District of Columbia's Mayor Marion S. Barry Summer Youth Employment Program. The AAVMC's Senior Director for Institutional Research and Diversity Dr. Lisa Greenhill worked with the AAMC to host the students, who are both rising juniors from D.C.'s Friendship Collegiate Academy. Learn more.
APLU Launches Video for AgAction.org Campaign
The APLU's Board on Agriculture Assembly's budget and advocacy committee has launched the "Redefining American Agriculture for the 21st Century" video as part of efforts to market the nation's Land-Grant university system and increase federal support. Helping policymakers and the public understand the complexion of modern agriculture and the key role it plays in nourishing and protecting a healthy society is key to the AgAction campaign. The video highlights the role of science, technology and innovation in agriculture. The AAVMC works closely with the APLU on several issues and programs. Learn more.
Academic Veterinary Medicine in the News
Veterinarians Call for FMD Vaccine Bank
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Salaries, Debt Increase Slightly for New Graduates
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Penn Vet State Funding Still Has a Chance
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Thinking of Vet School? It's Competitive, Costly
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This Veterinary College Student Lives with 36 Pets
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OSU, Blue Buffalo Mark First Clinical Trials Office Anniversary
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Roanoke Researchers Pursue Treatments for the Type of Deadly Brain Cancer Affecting McCain
Roanoke Times
Research Links Cholesterol to Canine Cancer Survival Times
Vet Times
Oregon Vet School Students Head to Nicaragua
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UNCP to Offer Pathway to Tuskegee University's Veterinary School
News13
Auburn University Researchers Working on Gene Therapy to Cure Two Genetic Diseases Fatal to Children
WLTZ First News
Antibiotics: Fuzzy Connections between Humans and Animals
Beef
UF's College of Veterinary Medicine Associate Professor Recognized for Synthetic Canine Cadavers
The Alligator
Penn Vet Makes a 3-D Leg for Pete the Parrot
philly.com
The Painstaking Process of Preserving a 400-Pound Blue Whale Heart
Smithsonian Magazine
From our Members
People in Motion

Dr. William Dernell has been named associate dean for student and academic affairs at the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine, succeeding Dr. Douglas Jasmer.

Dr. Elizabeth Johnson has replaced Dr. Casey Bassett as assistant dean of student success at the Lincoln Memorial University College of Veterinary Medicine.


Association of American Veterinary
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