December 2017
AAVMC Reports Applicant Pool for Veterinary College Up 6% Over Last Year
Final analysis of data compiled at the end of the 2017-18 VMCAS cycle verifies a significant increase in the number of applicants applying for admission to member institutions. A total of 7,507 individuals applied through the AAVMC's Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) for admission to the class that begins their studies in fall 2018. That compares to 7,077 applicants who applied during the prior year admissions cycle and represents an increase of about six percent. Each applicant applied to an average of 4.88 institutions, which also slightly increased. This marks the second straight year that the number of applicants has increased about six percent year-over-year. Learn more.
Veterinary Mental Health Practitioners Group Forms as Part of the AAVMC
Research demonstrates that veterinarians and veterinary students, as well as other health practitioners, experience problems related to mental health and wellness at a higher rate than the general population. In response, the AAVMC has focused on the issue, with initiatives underway that examine ways to improve the health and wellness of veterinary students as they conduct their studies and prepare for professional practice. Recently, the AAVMC established a Veterinary Mental Health Practitioners (VMHP) group as part of the Academic Affairs Committee, which includes all licensed mental health practitioners working within member institution schools and colleges of veterinary medicine. Learn more.

AAVMC's Career Center Connects Jobs and Job Seekers
Job seekers who are interested in veterinary medical related employment have a valuable resource in the AAVMC's Career Center. Through the Veterinary Career Network, an alliance of professional associations and colleges of veterinary medicine, the jobs board provides instant access to hundreds of employment opportunities and job seekers' resumes. Currently, the site is advertising more than 2,600 listings from more than 1,300 employers, with listings that are searchable by job title, keyword and location. Career Center jobs encompass both full-time and part-time positions in clinical, academic and association settings, as well as jobs for veterinary specialists, administrators and veterinary technicians. Learn more.
AAVMC, Penn to Present One Health Program at CUGH Meeting in New York City March 16-18
The AAVMC will again help sponsor the presentation of the 2018 Consortium of Universities for Global Health's (CUGH) 2018 annual conference March 16-18 at the Hilton Hotel Midtown in New York City. The meeting theme is "Health Disparities: A Time for Action." The AAVMC will also co-sponsor a special pre-conference satellite session on "One Health" being organized by the University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine on March 15. CUGH is a Washington, D.C. based organization of almost 150 academic institutions and other organizations focused on addressing global health challenges. CUGH was established in 2008 with funding from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and The Rockefeller Foundation. Learn more.
Soulsby Fellowships Honor "One Health Giant"; Application Deadline December 31
The Royal Society of Medicine is seeking applicants for the first Soulsby Foundation Travelling Fellowships, which were created to promote One Health in honor of the late Lord Soulsby of Swaffham Prior in Great Britain. Soulsby, who passed away in 2017, was former veterinary surgeon to the Queen, Dean of the Department of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Cambridge and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Society of Medicine. Up to two Soulsby Fellowships, funded at a level between £10,000 and £20,000 will be presented to a veterinarian or a physician who proposes to accomplish a meaningful project in the international field of One Health. The deadline for applying for a Soulsby Fellowship is December 31, 2017. Learn more.
USDA Awards Funding to Support Rural Veterinary Services
Several AAVMC member institutions have been awarded about $1.2 million of the $2.35 million in grants recently funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture's (NIFA) Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP). Thirteen programs were funded during this second year of NIFA's program awards, and five of them were AAVMC member institutions. Those included Auburn University, the University of Florida, Iowa State University, North Carolina State University and the University of Tennessee. Authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill, the VSGP is designed to support veterinary services and relieve veterinarian shortages in rural parts of the nation. Learn more.
Extra! Extra! Read all About It!
Important research breakthroughs, academic achievements and extraordinary events of many different kinds occur every day at schools and colleges of veterinary medicine in the U.S. and around the world. And our colleges and schools are doing a better job than ever before of keeping key stakeholders informed about what's happening on campus.
Those wishing to learn more about what's going on in the world of academic veterinary medicine are reminded they can simply check in on the AAVMC's news aggregator, which compiles news releases as they are distributed by participating member institutions. Using RSS technology, news releases from participating members are automatically fed to the site, where they are published chronologically. About 20 schools and colleges are currently participating in the program. Check it out!
AAVMC /APTR One Health Case Studies
One Health initiatives of various kinds continue to proliferate in the health professions. One Health provides a holistic mechanism by which various health professions can work together toward common goals in health and wellness. The One Health Interprofessional Education Initiative was developed last year to help integrate One Health concepts into the degree programs of health professions students through the case study method of instruction. To accomplish this goal the AAVMC, the Association for Prevention Teaching and Research (APTR) and the Healthy People Curriculum Task Force (HPCTF) solicited and collected 15 case studies for use as resource material for various health professions educators. They are available for download on the AAVMC website. Learn more.
Major Expansion for Melbourne Veterinary School
A $63 million redevelopment project will enhance clinical and educational facilities at the University of Melbourne's U-Vet Werribee Animal Hospital and Werribee campus. The project is part of broader university redevelopment effort, according to Melbourne Veterinary School Head Professor Ted Whittem, which also encompasses a new $100 million building project on the university's Parkville campus. "New facilities will include world-class laboratories for clinical and surgical skills training, plus extra consultation space to train our veterinarians of tomorrow," said Dr. Whittem. Both projects are scheduled to be completed before the end of 2018. Learn more.
New Report Promotes Regulatory Efficiency in Animal Research
Recommendations from a coalition of several prestigious scientific and educational organizations propose important changes to federal regulations, policies, and guidelines governing the use of animals in research. Developed to inform federal agencies involved in the oversight of federally funded animal research - primarily the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) - the recommendations address the numerous conflicting, outdated, or ineffective regulations that impede progress yet do not necessarily improve animal welfare. Learn more.
Deadline January 1, 2018 for 2017 MSD Animal Health/World Veterinary Association Veterinary Student Scholarship Program
International students residing in one of four specific regions of the world are invited to apply for one of 41 2017 MSD Animal Health and World Veterinary Association (WVA) Student Scholarships. The awards are valued at $5,000 and interested students must apply by January 1, 2018. This year, students from countries in the regions of Latin America (16 grants), Africa (10 grants), North Africa/Middle East (10 grants) and Asia/Oceania (5 grants) are invited to apply for a total of $205,000 in scholarships. Learn more.
Academic Veterinary Medicine in the News
UC Davis Uses First-of-its-Kind 3D Printed Mask to Help Puppy Heal
NBC-KCRA
The Year Ahead: Things are Looking Bright for the Veterinary Profession
DVM360
SeaWorld Helps Rescue 10 Manatees in South Carolina
Orlando Sentinel
Vet-School Applications Continue Upward Trend
Bovine Veterinarian
Diet Not Working? May be Your Genes
MSN
Bad News for Vet Students: Loan Interest Rates Increase
Veterinary Practice News 
Translational Research Boosted by Multidisciplinary Study Grants
Veterinary Practice News 
Veterinarians for Large Animals Lacking in Oklahoma
FOX25 News
AVMA, AAVMC and AAVSB Agree on Telehealth Statement
Minnesota Ag Connection
UW-Madison Study Reveals Biomarkers for Ebola
Wisconsin Business
Auburn to Strengthen Vet Medicine in Rural Kentucky
Veterinary Practice News
From our Members     

Purdue College of Veterinary Medicine Expands Afterschool Science Program Nationwide 
Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine 
Dr. Sonya Gordon: Getting to the Heart of the Matter
Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Taking Blood Using "Push-Pull" Method Gets Accurate Results With Fewer Pokes
University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine

People in Motion      

 

Dr. Paul Sheehy has been named acting dean at the University of Sydney, replacing Dr. Rosanne Taylor.

AAVMC Newsletters

 

Association of American Veterinary
Medical Colleges
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