July 2020
2021 AAVMC Set for March 4-6, 2021 at Washington’s Watergate Hotel
Planning is underway to present the AAVMC’s 2021 Conference, March 4-6, 2021 in Washington, D.C. The theme of our 2021 conference is “Catalyze 2021: Connect & Innovate in the Face of Global Challenges.” Following extensive work with a respected meeting and conference management consulting firm, the AAVMC is introducing some exciting changes this year- all designed to make the experience more meaningful for registrants. The AAVMC is soliciting presentation proposals for faculty and students at member institutions to share their work and ideas during the conference. Proposals for educational sessions should be submitted no later than September 11, 2020. Find detailed information regarding proposal submissions here .
Civil Rights, Social Justice and Antiracism in Academic Veterinary Medicine
During these troubling times when people find themselves divided by politics, race, culture and identity, it’s a good time to focus on common values like fairness, equality, liberty and justice that bind people together, according to AAVMC CEO Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe. “We recognize racism as a public health issue,” said Maccabe. “And as an organization that works to advance health, we are going to do more than just work to create diverse and inclusive environments within the ecosystem of academic veterinary medicine. We want to eradicate racism.” The AAVMC has solicited ideas from Assembly representatives about how academic veterinary medicine can best promote civil rights, social justice and antiracism. Learn more .
AAVMC Webpage Consolidates Diversity & Inclusion Resources
The AAVMC has been working hard to promote equality, justice and opportunity for Black and other underrepresented minorities since the earliest days of its founding.
Under the guidance of Senior Director for Institutional Research and Diversity Dr. Lisa Greenhill, the AAVMC has created and introduced a series of innovative programs designed to create truly diverse and inclusive environments throughout academic veterinary medicine. The AAVMC has developed a webpage which consolidates information about some of the many ways we are working to accomplish that, and we invite you to learn more about these programs. Learn more .
Integrating Racial & Multicultural Inclusion into Academic Wellbeing Initiatives
Wellbeing and diversity & inclusion are intricately connected. Organizations cannot achieve the former without a sincere and pervasive commitment to the latter. AAVMC has constructed a monograph titled “ Integrating Racial and Multicultural Inclusion into Academic Wellbeing Initiatives." The monograph describes a number of useful strategies that member institutions can use to enhance and shape institutional perspectives and climate. AAVMC Director for Wellbeing Makenzie Peterson has also developed an “ Intentional Organizational Wellbeing Efforts Assessment Tool” for AAVMC members to use. Learn more.
PCVE Conference Cancelled as a Result of Pandemic
The AAVMC’s 2020 Primary Care Veterinary Educators (PCVE) Conference has been cancelled as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The meeting was originally scheduled to be presented October 1-4, 2020 at Oklahoma State University. After fully considering the situation, PCVE leaders unanimously determined that the in-person would be cancelled in the interests of public safety and decided against attempting to organize a virtual meeting. Planning is now focused on producing a live conference in 2021 at Oklahoma State University. Learn more .
Strong Demand for Veterinary Education Despite Uncertain Times
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed just about everything in the world we live in. But it apparently hasn’t diminished the number of people seeking to become a veterinarian, according to preliminary data released by the Office of Admissions and Recruitment. As of the begini, the VMCAS system had 13,320 prospective applicants registered in the system and engaged in the process of submitting an application. That compares favorably with the total applicant pool of 11,911 logged at the end of the 2019 application cycle. Learn more .
AAVMC Faculty Development Needs Assessment - 2019
Fostering and sustaining a robust pipeline of future scholars and academic leaders for academic veterinary medicine is one of five major goals established in the AAVMC’s new strategic plan . Providing professional development opportunities has been a priority for the AAVMC since its inception. But the new plan envisions a complement of programs that are more sophisticated and useful than ever before, one that ensures a diversity of opportunity and eliminates redundancies. As part of that effort, the AAVMC commissioned a study designed to assess the current operating environment for faculty, academic staff and administrators. Learn more .
Digital Version of VMSAR Almost Ready for Debut
For years, the AAVMC has published a printed version of the Veterinary Medical School Admissions Requirements (VMSAR). This information-packed publication provides prospective veterinary medical students and pre-health/pre-vet advisors with information about requirements for entry into veterinary school as well as AAVMC member institutions. AAVMC is moving the VMSAR to an online directory that will enable prospective students to browse, search, sort, and compare information about U.S., Canadian, and international veterinary medical schools. Learn more .
Maccabe, Callanan, Congressional Leaders Participate in Adtalem Global Education sponsored One Health Webinar
AAVMC CEO Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe recently joined Congressional Veterinary Medicine Caucus Co-leaders Ted Yoho (R-Florida) and Kurt Schrader (D-Oregon) on a video conference focused on the importance of passing HR3771, the Advancing Emergency Preparedness Through One Health Act. Organized by Adtalem Global Education and moderated by Adtalem CEO Lisa Wardell, the event also featured Dr. Sean Callanan, dean of the Ross University College of Veterinary Medicine. Discussions focused on the wisdom of taking a One Health approach to protecting public health in a complex world where zoonotic infectious diseases present an ever-greater threat to human-kind. Guests also discussed the importance of passing the bill, which will forge efficiency in the federal government by mandating channels of collaboration between different secretariats engaged in health, national security and agriculture. Learn more .
VTH’s Urged to Participate in Minnesota AMR Study
The AAVMC is playing a major role in the effort to mitigate the growing antimicrobial resistance (AMR) problem and is encouraging member institution Veterinary Teaching Hospitals to participate in a research project at the University of Minnesota designed to gather data on antimicrobial use in small animal practice. By understanding how antibiotics are selected and used in dogs and cats, the study seeks to better understand how the prescriptive use of antibiotics are influencing the antibiotic resistance problem and improve protocols for their proper stewardship. For more information, contact Emma Leof, Program Manager and Epidemiologist, University of Minnesota, at cavsnet@umn.edu or 612-301-3274. Learn more .
Nominations for 2020–2021 AAVMC Leadership Academy Close August 2
Nominations are being accepted for enrollment in the AAVMC’s 2020-21 Leadership Academy through August 2 and several slots remain available, according to AAVMC Director for Professional Development Dr. Caroline Cantner. Because of the global pandemic, the AAVMC is transitioning the Leadership Academy from a series of three in-person sessions to online programming followed by an in-person capstone experience in March 2021. For more information on details of the program, click here or email Dr. Cantner at ccantner@aavmc.org
Academic Veterinary Medicine in the News

dvm360
Joplin Globe
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Animal Science
Wall Street Journal (paywall)
The Times UK (paywall)
Drovers
Lewiston Tribune
Yellowhammer News
The Canine Chronicle
MedicalXpress
CBS2 Iowa
Medical Design
Syncni
News4JAX
dvm360
Technology.org
Medical News
Feedstuffs
JAVMA News
Farms.com
dvm360
People in Motion

 Dr. Doug Freeman has stepped down as Dean at Western College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Saskatchewan. Dr. Gillian Muir is now Acting Dean.
Dr. Dan Givens, formerly of Auburn University, became Dean of the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine effective June 1, replacing Interim Dean Gregory Daniels.
Dr. Holly Bender is now the Interim Associate Dean of Academic Programs at the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine.
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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