The 2017 AVMA and AAVMC Report on " The Market for Veterinary Education" describes a profession and its academic foundation that continue to rebound from the throes of the Great Recession. The number of applicants rose to 6,667 in 2016 and 7,071 in 2017, which was the highest since 1981. The applicant-to-seat ratio continues to hover at about 1.6:1, and in 2016, more than 2,900 graduates were produced. 93.1% of 2016 graduates found full-time work or pursued additional or graduate education. However, educational debt continues to loom. The report describes the current debt-to-income ratio (DIR) as about 2:1 and experts believe a 1.4:1 DIR is a healthy ratio for the profession. Learn more.

A Council on Education (COE) selection committee of the AAVMC has chosen two veterinarians to serve on the COE. The COE accredits colleges of veterinary medicine in the United States and Canada, as well as international schools that seek COE accreditation. The AAVMC is responsible for appointing eight of 20 COE members. Dr. Luke Heider of the Atlantic Veterinary College (AVC) on Prince Edward Island in Canada will represent veterinary preventive medicine, and Dr. Fern Tablin from the University of California Davis School of Veterinary Medicine will represent the basic sciences. "The AAVMC selection committee and the AAVMC Board of Directors are confident these new COE members will provide thoughtful, valuable input to the COE," said the AAVMC's Senior Accreditation Advisor Dr. Sheila Allen.  Learn more.

The AAVMC's Cost Comparison Tool (CCT), a powerful web-based tool introduced last year to help applicants and students estimate the cost of earning a DVM degree, has been updated and enhanced. The CCT's interactive dashboards allow users to compare data for resident, non-resident and international tuition as well as the cost of attendance. In addition, users can see the average size of the freshman scholarship award and the percentage of first-year students receiving an award. The CCT enables prospective veterinary students to research schools based upon a variety of financial criteria. Interactive filters allow students to select and compare schools on different criteria. Learn more.

International students seeking to enroll in residency programs in American veterinary medical and medical institutions often participate through the U.S. government's H1b visa program. Yet many of the schools and colleges in the different health professions face challenges in obtaining the specific salary data required to obtain the Department of Labor's Prevailing Wage Determination (PWD). To assist AAVMC member institutions with providing the necessary data, the AAVMC has produced the 2017 Report on Resident Salaries.  Learn more.

Interested in sharing your work, ideas and insights with your colleagues? Help shape the future of veterinary medicine by presenting at the 2018 AAVMC Annual Conference, February 28-March 4, 2018 in Washington, D.C. Proposals for educational sessions and posters are now being sought and should be submitted no later than August 15, 2017. The theme adopted by the conference planning committee for the 2018 conference is "New Horizons in Veterinary Medical Education:  Addressing Opportunities with Innovative Approaches." Proposals are due August 15, 2017, and should be submitted to this website. Learn more.

Exceptional leadership can be transformational within an organization. But sharing a vision and inspiring diverse groups to perform at the peak of their potential isn't easy. It's essential, though, if organizations are going to survive and thrive in the complex systems that characterize today's operating environments. More than 150 emerging leaders in academic veterinary medicine are now equipped to excel in that area, thanks to their completion of the AAVMC's Leadership Academy over the past five years. Launched in 2012, the academy is now preparing to enroll its 2017-18 cohort. The program is sponsored by Elanco. Enrollment information can be found here. The deadline to enroll in the 2017-2018 program is July 14, 2017. Learn more.

The AAVMC has joined the International One Health Coalition, a group of 16 international organizations organized by the One Health Platform to help build a global community of stakeholders working to advance One Health initiatives. The One Health Platform is seeking to build understanding and preparedness for zoonotic infectious disease outbreaks that might arise from activities at the intersection of humans, animals and the environment. They are also focused on the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance, translational science and fostering sound public policy structured on science-based evidence. Learn more.

AAVMC's Director of Admissions & Recruitment Affairs Tony Wynne is the new chair of the Advisory Council of the National Association of Advisors for the Health Professions (NAAHP). The NAAHP is an organization of over 1,850 health professions advisors at colleges and universities throughout the United States and abroad. The organization's Advisory Council is composed of 18 associations of the health professions. Wynne's appointment brings veterinary medicine into a leadership role among pre-veterinary and pre-health advisors who guide prospective students into becoming qualified for health profession careers, including veterinary medicine. Learn more.

Formal representation on boards and committees helps promote effective collaboration between organizations. For example, the AAVMC Board of Directors includes formal representation from the Association of Public and Land Grant Universities (APLU) and the Association of American Veterinary Clinicians (AAVC). The AAVMC Executive Committee recently approved the appointment of Drs. Margi Gilmour, Joe Kornegay and Misty Edmondson to serve as AAVMC liaisons to various organizations. Learn more.

	655 K Street

Five executives who help lead the largest health education associations in the nation recently took the stage in the Association of American Medical College's main auditorium at 655 K Street to publicly consider some opportunities at hand. The goal was to focus on common ground and the virtues of inter-professional education. For about an hour, the panelists discussed their associations and the professions they anchor, with topics ranging from inter-professional education to workforce capacity and demand issues to health and wellness. The meeting symbolized the culmination of the AAMC's goal of building a major office building in downtown Washington D.C. that could provide a nucleus for allied health care education associations. Learn more.

Researchers Repair Nonunion Fractions With Bone Regrowth Tech

From our Members

Dr. Lisa K. Nolan, former Dr. Stephen G. Juelsgaard Dean of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, to dean at the University of Georgia College of Veterinary Medicine effective July 1. She replaces Dr. Sheila Allen, who retired.

Dr. Neil Olson, former dean of the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine to Dean of St. George's University School of Veterinary Medicine (SGUSVM), effective August 15. He replaces Dr. Timothy H. Ogilvie, who was named Vice Provost for the SGUSVM Advancement.

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