| April 2015 |
| Zoetis Veterinary Scholarship Program Benefits Almost 500 Students |
 Zoetis™ and the AAVMC have announced the names of 487 second-and third-year veterinary students who will each receive a $2,000 scholarship toward their education. Now in its sixth year, the program aims to support leadership and diversity among future veterinarians, and to offset the significant costs associated with a veterinary education. In total, $974,000 was awarded to this year’s recipients. Nearly 1,200 applicants from universities throughout the United States and the Caribbean were evaluated based on several criteria, including academic excellence, financial need, diversity, sustainability, leadership, and career path. Learn more. |
| 2015 AAVMC Annual Conference Highlights Recruitment and Admissions |
| The action-packed week included legislative visits, the 50th anniversary launch, the Career Fair and more. Click above for a photo gallery.More than 250 leaders and other stakeholders in academic veterinary medicine attended the AAVMC’s 2015 Annual Conference and Iverson Bell Symposium, March 13-15 in Washington, DC.The conference, “Recruiting and Selecting for the Future of Veterinary Medicine,” focused on the need for schools and colleges of veterinary medicine to recruit bright, talented students–including students from underrepresented populations–to meet the challenges of an ever-changing world. Learn more. View the photo gallery. |
| One Health Case Studies Project Announced |
| A new AAVMC project will develop a series of case studies in One Health, recognize “One Health Scholars,” and build momentum for a promising initiative throughout the health professions. The One Health Interprofessional Education Initiative, convened by the AAVMC in collaboration with the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR) and the Healthy People Curriculum Task Force (HPCTF), seeks to integrate One Health concepts into the degree programs of health professions students through the case study method of instruction. The working group seeks proposals for new, previously unpublished case studies. Proposals are due by Friday, June 12, 2015. Learn more. |
| AAVMC Expresses Concern about Controversial Indiana Law |
| AAVMC officials joined a chorus of organizations, corporations and state governments that have expressed concern about the state of Indiana’s Religious Freedom Restoration Act and are reconsidering the annual presentation of an important AAVMC event in Indianapolis. Many believe that controversial measure allows discrimination against LGBT people, which is a violation of the AAVMC’s Principles of Inclusion policies. For the past three years, one of three annual sessions of the AAVMC Leadership Academy has been located in Indianapolis, which is home to the program’s lead sponsor, Elanco. The appropriateness of continuing to hold that event in Indiana is now under scrutiny. Learn more. |
| AAVMC Hosts One Health Luncheon at Global Health Meeting |
| It was standing room only when almost 50 guests showed up for the Global Environmental Health/One Health Interest Group luncheon sponsored by the AAVMC at the 2015 conference of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) in Boston. “That’s a good problem to have,” quipped AAVMC Associate Executive Director for Academic Affairs and Research Dr. Ted Mashima. “We were delighted to see so many academic colleagues interested in the interdisciplinary approach to promoting global health.” Learn more . |
| Record Number of Students Attend 2015 AAVMC Career Fair |
 About 500 prospective veterinarians and guests–the highest number in five years–attended the AAVMC’s 2015 Career Fair at the Omni Shoreham Hotel in Washington, D.C. this March. Students thronged around display tables staffed by 17 veterinary medical college representatives, including admissions officers and deans, as well as additional tables staffed by representatives of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS), and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS). Learn more. |
| AAVMC, Professional Issues Presented at National SAVMA Meeting |
 In an effort to help veterinary students learn more about the AAVMC, Executive Director Dr. Andy Maccabe made two major presentations at the 2015 SAVMA annual meeting in Minneapolis. Maccabe screened the AAVMC’s new “Fifty and Forward” anniversary video during a meeting with the SAVMA House of Delegates and engaged in an hour-long dialogue with student leaders on issues that included accreditation, student debt and workforce issues. Maccabe also greeted and shared the video with 1200 student registrants gathered during one of the meeting’s plenary sessions. Learn more. |
| AAVMC Joins New Human/Animal Bond Coalition |
| The AAVMC has joined an emerging coalition of organizations seeking to elevate awareness and support of the tangible health benefits of the human/animal bond. The Human Animal Bond Research Initiative (HABRI) is leading efforts to organize the group, which will support Congressional initiatives that align pet ownership with federally recognized wellness practices. It will also seek to build public awareness and develop resources to advance the health and wellness benefits of the human/animal bond. Learn more. |
| AAVMC’s “50 and Forward” Anniversary Celebration Underway |
| The AAVMC debuted two new videos and announced a year-long 50th Anniversary Celebration during their annual conference in Washington, D.C., March 13-14. The observation seeks to commemorate 50 years of public service and foster future success. The theme of the celebration is “Fifty and Forward.” During the conference’s opening ceremony, officials shared a six-minute anniversary video that highlights the impact of academic veterinary medicine and outlined a series of special events and communication programs developed as part of the celebration. Learn more. |
| National Action Plan for AMR Announced |
| The Obama administration announced their comprehensive “National Action Plan for Combatting Antibiotic-Resistant Bacteria” on March 27. Dr. Lonnie King, chair of the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU) /American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) Task Force on Antibiotic Resistance in Production Agriculture praised the scope and timing of the plan, pointing out that antibiotic resistance is a serious public health issue that warrants a comprehensive response from scientific researchers and educators. Learn more. |
| Ebola Whole Virus Vaccine Safe, Effective in Primates |
 An Ebola whole virus vaccine has been shown to effectively protect monkeys exposed to the virus. A group led by Dr. Yoshihiro Kawaoka, an expert on avian flu and other viruses from the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Veterinary Medicine, developed the vaccine, which differs from many other viruses in that it uses an inactivated, whole virus that primes the host immune system with the full complement of Ebola viral proteins and genes. The research group published their results in the March 26 edition of the journal Science. Learn more. Note: The above story is part of a series of stories that the AAVMC highlights in the Vet-Med Educator on a regular basis from member institutions that demonstrate the many benefits of federal investment in schools and colleges of veterinary medicine. |
| Academic Veterinary Medicine in the News |
SHARE