April 2020
AAVMC and the COVID-19 Pandemic: Business Continues in a Radically Different World
The COVID-19 pandemic has fundamentally changed the world in a matter of weeks. Morbidity and mortality figures are staggering; the economic impact is nearly unfathomable. Social distancing measures have profoundly altered the way people live their lives. But business operations continue, and for most – including the AAVMC– that means working from home. Proactive investments on technology and forays into teleworking have made for an essentially seamless transition. The AAVMC is supporting member institutions in a variety of ways during the crisis. It’s also working with agencies like the CDC, the USDA, and the COE and others on behalf of its members. Learn more.
The Impact of the CARES Act on Academic Veterinary Medicine
On March 27, the President signed into law H.R. 748, the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The bill provides more than $2.2 trillion in emergency federal assistance to individuals, businesses, and states, among others. There are several important ways this legislation will impact AAVMC members. Important provisions include loans to small businesses, charitable contributions, scholarships and other impacts on the health workforce, student educational loans, and emergency funding for colleges and universities. Click here to learn more.
AAVMC Annual Conference Presented Just in Time, Overwhelming Success
The AAVMC's 2020 Annual Conference and Iverson Bell Symposium was held March 6-8 in Washington, D.C., just days before the COVID-19 pandemic so profoundly changed everyday life. Biosecurity practices like a “no handshake” policy were implemented and plenty of hand sanitizer was on hand for the more than 300 attendees who gathered to enjoy an array of sessions, workshops, and networking opportunities. On Thursday, March 5, 81 deans and other veterinary medical school representatives from 26 states conducted 156 meetings with Congressional members or staffers to discuss issues of importance to academic veterinary medicine. Learn more.
Board of Directors, New Officers Elected During Assembly Meeting
Photo caption: (From left) Dr. Rustin Moore, dean of the Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine; Dr. Mark D. Stetter (Treasurer), dean of the Colorado State University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences; Dr. Michael Lairmore (Past-President), dean of the UC Davis College of Veterinary Medicine; Dr. Mark Markel (President), dean of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine; Dr. Ruby Perry (Secretary), dean of the Tuskegee University College of Veterinary Medicine; Dr. Paul Lunn (President-Elect), dean of the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine; Dr. Greg Keefe, dean of Atlantic Veterinary College; AAVMC CEO Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe; and Dr. Sean Callanan, dean of the Ross University College of Veterinary Medicine. Not shown: Dr. Nigel Perkins, head of the School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland; Dr. David W. Horohov, Department of Veterinary Science, University of Kentucky; Dr. Roger Fingland, executive associate dean at The Ohio State University College of Veterinary Medicine; Dr. Carolyn Henry, dean, University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine; and Dr. Tiffany Whitcomb, Penn State University College of Medicine, Department of Comparative Medicine.
New officers and board members were formally elected and several presentations were made during the annual Assembly Meeting on March 6. Dr. Mark Markel, dean of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, became AAVMC President and Dr. Paul Lunn, dean of the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine, was elected President-Elect. Dr. Michael Lairmore transitioned into the role of Past-President. During a special presentation, Dr. Erin Sorrell from the Georgetown University Center for Global Health Science and Security spoke about the COVID-19 outbreak and response. Learn more.
AAVMC Hires New Director for Wellbeing
The AAVMC has created a new Director for Wellbeing position and hired Makenzie Peterson to develop and implement programs that promote wellbeing at AAVMC member institutions. Peterson will bring a systems-oriented, community wellbeing perspective to this important new position. Peterson has been serving as Wellbeing Program Director at the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine and as Vice Chair of the AAVMC’s Veterinary Mental Health Professionals (VMHP) group. “Makenzie is a widely respected professional in a rapidly emerging field and we’re delighted to welcome her to the AAVMC,” said CEO Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe. Learn more.
New Strategic Plan Introduced
Following a year-long, highly consultative process that sought input from hundreds of stakeholders, the AAVMC has produced a new Strategic Plan. The plan recasts vision, mission, values and goals in a manner that positions the AAVMC for success and impact in the rapidly changing world of veterinary medicine. It sets direction, organizes workflows and informs resource allocation to ensure organizational performance and accountability. The new vision statement is “Academic veterinary medicine is a trusted leader and valued partner in advancing health” and the new mission statement is “AAVMC inspires innovation and promotes excellence in academic veterinary medicine worldwide.” Learn more.
New Director Named for the AAVMC’s 2020-21 Leadership Academy
Dr. Rod Bagley from Iowa State University is the new director of the AAVMC’s 2020-21 Leadership Academy. The Leadership Academy, sponsored by Elanco, offers a unique growth opportunity for emerging leaders in academic veterinary medicine. Dr. Bagley is a professor and chair of the Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences at Iowa State’s College of Veterinary Medicine, where he also directs the university’s Emerging Leaders Academy. “You are not a leader by position—you are a leader when others want to follow,” he said. “Do the right thing with the right intent and people will want to follow you.” Learn more.
2020 Cost Comparison Tool Introduced
The AAVMC’s Cost Comparison Tool has been recently updated for 2020. Created in 2017 to help applicants make more informed decisions about pursuing their professional education, the online, interactive tool contains comprehensive datasets concerning tuition, cost of living, scholarship resources and other valuable information. The 2020 version includes detailed information about 30 U.S. and 11 international colleges and schools of veterinary medicine. The 2020 version also includes the total percentage that tuition increased for the Class of 2020 for each institution. Learn more.
CIVME Funds 2020 Series of Educational Grants
The AAVMC’s Council on International Veterinary Medical Education (CIVME) has funded four program grants designed to foster the enrichment and advancement of international academic veterinary medicine. This year’s program included funding the first MSD Animal Health CIVME Antimicrobial Stewardship Grant. This newly established program is the result of a recent collaboration with MSD Animal Health that seeks to improve instructional programs related to antimicrobial resistance in educational institutions around the world. This year, 22 proposals representing collaborative efforts from around the world were reviewed during the traditional educational microgrant funding process that began when CIVME was established in 2016. Learn more.
AAVMC Cancels 2020 Veterinary Educator Collaborative
The AAVMC has cancelled the 2020 AAVMC Veterinary Educator Collaborative Symposium originally scheduled for June 21-23 at Kansas State University as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic emergency. “We recognize the tremendous amount of work that our colleagues at Kansas State University have already put into the planning and hosting of the symposium and we are very grateful for everything they have done,” said AAVMC CEO Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe. “But we have made this decision to protect the health and safety of our members.” Learn more.
Brand Refresh Complements New Strategic Plan
The AAVMC has “refreshed” it’s brand to complement the development and introduction of a new strategic plan. The changes are iterative and structured upon existing graphic design conventions, but embrace the new “Trusted Leader, Valued Partner, Advancing Health” tagline and project a crisp, more dynamic identity, according to Chief Communications Officer Jeff Douglas. Most visible among the series of changes is a new organizational logo that is clearly reminiscent of the former AAVMC logo but casts a bolder, stronger identity. “We believe the new logo better projects the sense of leadership, strength and achievement our stakeholders have come to expect from the AAVMC,” said Douglas. Learn more.
AAVMC Virtual Admissions Fair Draws More Than 1,100 Attendees
A Virtual Veterinary Medical Admissions Fair on March 31 featured more than 1,100 attendees and representatives from 28 national and international AAVMC member institutions. “These virtual events are an important way for member schools to reach out to students, answer their questions, and guide them through the application process during an otherwise confusing and unsettling time,” said AAVMC Director for Admissions & Recruitment Affairs Diana Dabdub. Of the 1,122 attendees, about 66 percent were current college students, seven percent were graduate students and 64.4 percent have started their VMCAS 2021 application. Learn more.
IPEC Creates COVID-19 Resource Page for Members
The Interprofessional Educational Collaborative has created a COVID-19 resource page to assist members in accessing up-to-date information about the historic pandemic.The site contains links to a number of archived webinars, links to information resources provided by the CDC, the WHO and the NIH, and other useful information. IPEC created the site to support the information needs of health professions educators, students, and other stakeholders. Interested readers are invited to check the page regularly, as it is being updated as new information becomes available. Established in 2009, IPEC includes 21 different associations of schools in the health professions, including the AAVMC. Learn more.
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