News from the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges

May 2017

VMCAS Cycle for Class of 2022 Begins May 11

Thousands of excited students accepted into the Class of 2021 at AAVMC member institutions are preparing to begin their educational journeys when fall semester gets underway in just a few months. Carefully selected by admissions committees based upon performance and promise, these students participated in a sophisticated common application process that began more than 25 years ago. And in just a matter of days, the annual cycle begins anew. The Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) application period for the Class of 2022 opens on May 11 and closes on September 15th at midnight EST. Several new features have been added to enhance the process. Learn more.

$1.1 Trillion Omnibus Spending Bill Includes Good News for Academic Veterinary Medicine

The $1.1 trillion 2017 Omnibus spending bill passed in Washington last week to fund the federal government through September 30 contains good news for academic veterinary medicine, according to Governmental Affairs Director Kevin Cain. Key priorities like the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) and the Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP) were funded, with the VMLRP receiving a 30 percent increase. Funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) was increased $2 billion and the Agriculture and Food Research Initiative (AFRI) received $375 million. Learn more.

Fix-the-Debt Website Created

The AAVMC and the AVMA have been working closely together on programs related to the Fix-the-Debt initiative. Now a jointly supported Fix-the-Debt website has been created to help interested parties learn more about the initiative. The site contains links to pages that will help visitors locate a variety of content pertaining to the issue and sign up for advocacy alerts. It also provides a link enabling visitors to read and provide input related to the issue through a feedback function. More content and features will be added to the site as it continues to develop.
Visit the site here.

New Book Takes a Comprehensive Look at Veterinary Medical Education

A recently published book, Veterinary Medical Education: A Practical Guide, takes a comprehensive look at veterinary medical education and features the work of professors at many AAVMC member institutions. Drs. Jennifer L. Hodgson and Jacquelyn M. Pelzer, both working with the Virginia-Maryland College of Veterinary Medicine, edited the book. Dr. Hodgson is the veterinary school's associate dean for professional programs and Dr. Pelzer is director of admissions and student services. The book includes 12 sections, with 38 chapters written by 64 authors from eight countries. Publisher Wiley-Blackwell describes the book as a complete resource for fundamental information on key areas of veterinary education. Learn more.

CTSA One Health Alliance "Walking the Talk"

One of the most promising initiatives underway in the world of One Health is the network of 12 AAVMC member institutions participating in the CTSA One Health Alliance (COHA). This consortium of veterinary colleges and schools are all collaborating with human medical schools on campus through the National Institutes of Health's Clinical and Translational Science (CTSA) Awards Program. Operated as part of the NIH National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), the CTSA program supports a national network of medical research institutions that work together to improve the translational research process.The COHA group has recently produced four "One Health in-a-Minute" videos featuring One Health stories that illustrate the synergy between the veterinary medical and other scientific communities. Learn more.

AAVMC, APLU, FAO and World Bank Convene for AMR Roundtable

Fifteen stakeholders from the AAVMC, the Association of Public and Land-Grant Universities (APLU), the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), and the World Bank met at the FAO Liaison Office for North America in Washington, D.C. in early April to discuss strategies for mitigating the antimicrobial resistance (AMR) problem. Talks focused on educational, research and policy development initiatives with international impact, including methods for educating stakeholders, the potential establishment of a university-based Center of Excellence to coordinate research and educational programs, and Congressional outreach and potential One Health legislation. Learn more.

Senate Confirms Veterinarian Dr. Sonny Perdue as Secretary of Agriculture

Former Georgia Governor Dr. Sonny Perdue has been confirmed as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture. Perdue is the first veterinarian to ever serve as U.S. Secretary of Agriculture, and is the highest placed veterinarian to serve in the United States government since Dr. Lester Crawford served as Commissioner of the Food & Drug Administration in 2005. AAVMC CEO Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe sent a letter of congratulations to Purdue on behalf of the organized academic veterinary medical community. "On behalf of the 49 member institutions of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC), I offer the assistance of our nation's academic veterinary medical community in helping you and your administration promote the prosperity and wellbeing of American agriculture," he wrote. Learn more. Learn more.

Maccabe Discusses Sustainable Production/Global Development in CUGH's Keynote Plenary

AAVMC CEO Andrew T. Maccabe spoke on livestock production, sustainability and poverty reduction during the opening plenary session of the Consortium of Universities for Global Health's 8th Annual Global Health Conference in Washington April 7-9. Attracting more than 1,800 registrants, the meeting was themed "Healthy People, Healthy Ecosystems: Implementation, Leadership and Sustainability in Global Health." Maccabe's One Health oriented presentation emphasized the interconnections between domestic animals, wild animals, human, and environmental health and described the important role healthy animals play in global food production systems and poverty reduction. To view his presentation, please click here. Learn more.

Noted UC Davis Professor Earns CUGH Award

The Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH) recently honored University of California Davis Professor Dr. Jonna Mazet with the CUGH-Hall-Sewankambo Mid-Career Global Health Award for her groundbreaking work in emerging infectious diseases and wildlife epidemiology. The award was presented during the CUGH's 8th Annual Conference in Washington, D.C., April 7-9. Mazet leads PREDICT, a novel viral emergence early warning project that has been developed with the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID). PREDICT is a $175 million multi-institutional, transdisciplinary project in 31 developing countries that is contributing to global surveillance for emerging viral pathogens using geospatial modeling, genomics, molecular virology, epidemiology, and targeted field studies. Learn more.

Save the Date: World Veterinary Conference on Quality Assurance

A conference focused on quality assurance in veterinary medical education will be held on August 30 as part of the World Veterinary Congress meeting in Incheon, Korea in August. The conference is cast as a global working session designed to advance World Veterinary Association efforts to assess existing standards for professional education in different regions of the world and eventually achieve more uniform standards of quality. AAVMC CEO Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe will present remarks during the event. The 33rd World Veterinary Conference will be convened August 27-31 in Incheon, Korea. For more information contact World Veterinary Association Veterinary Policy Officer Dr. Zeev Noga at zeev_noga@worldvet.org or visit worldvet.org. Learn more.

AAVMC's Mashima Inducted into National Academies of Practice

AAVMC Senior Director for Academic and Research Affairs Dr. Ted Mashima has been inducted into the National Academies of Practice as a Distinguished Fellow. Established in 1981, the National Academies of Practice seeks to foster advancements in interprofessional healthcare by fostering collaboration among 14 health professions, including medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, nursing, pharmacy and many others. Each year, a Class of Distinguished Fellows comprised of distinguished practitioners in the 14 component health professions are nominated, considered and inducted based upon professional achievements, contributions and accomplishments and activities in interprofessional education. Learn more.

Spending on Pets, Veterinary Clinical Care in United States Continues to Rise

Americans spent a record $66.75 billion on their pets in 2016, a figure that continues to rise. According to the American Pet Products Association (APPA). Pet food remains the largest business segment, with $28.23 billion spent in the category. The second largest spending category is veterinary care, which was pegged at $15.95 billion in 2016 and is estimated to climb to $16.62 billion during 2017. The 3.4% year-over-year growth in veterinary care is attributed to healthcare advancements and the availability of more sophisticated services. Growing awareness of the human/animal bond and the health benefits of pet ownership is playing a role in the increase. Learn more.