July 2020
President's Message
Happy July! I am taking this opportunity to circle back to a topic raised earlier in the spring. There is a growing discussion on how artificial intelligence and deep learning will shape veterinary radiology and radiation oncology in years to come. The topic elicits concern that AI threatens the future of our specialty, particularly if our unique expertise is not harnessed to develop high quality diagnostic algorithms. On the other hand, AI has the potential to improve our practice, both through greater efficiency (i.e. responsive reading stations, better speech recognition and aid in report generation) and improved diagnostic ability (i.e. real-time positioning feedback, computed assisted diagnosis and treatment planning).

The ACVR recognizes the importance of positioning ourselves as a College in order to meaningfully contribute to the development of AI in veterinary radiology and radiation oncology. With this objective in mind and in collaboration with the ECVDI, we are planning a series of panel discussions in August/September, looking to draw from experts and stakeholders in the field of AI. If you are an ACVR member with particular experience and expertise in artificial intelligence applications in veterinary radiology or radiation oncology, your input and participation are invaluable to help guide our profession forward. Your participation in these discussions will be most welcome. Please contact me directly: kalexander@centredmv.com .

Dr. Jason Arble (Program Chair) and Dr. Tony Pease (ACVR Education Director) are hard at work on our upcoming virtual ACVR Annual Scientific Meeting , which will be held October 19-23rd. The abstract submission site is up and running. This year, abstract presentations will be grouped into series of 15-minute videos and there will be a panel of virtual judges for the various research awards. Please stay tuned for many more announcements on our exciting new meeting format!

July signals a turnover of residents, with final year residents finishing up and first year residents entering their programs. In 2019, the ACVR DI residency essentials were updated to reflect our changing specialty, with the objective of expanding the number of programs. Great news! This process seems to be bearing fruit: DI-RSEC and ACVR Executive Council have just approved 5 brand new traditional and alternative private practice residency programs ! Residents are scheduled to start this summer. Congratulations and thanks to Massachusetts Vet Referral, Inland Empire Veterinary Imaging, Southland Vets, Vet Specialty Services and Vet Specialty Center for creating innovative new programs that will continue to grow the future of our profession.

In other residency related-news, DI-RSEC will be maintaining the COVID-19 modified residency essentials for at least the next 3 months (until October 1 st , 2020), in order to offer continued flexibility to programs whose caseloads have not stabilized. The exact details are being communicated by DI-RSEC to residency directors and residents via the Discourse discussion threads. If you have any questions, you may contact Dr. Kemba Clapp, RSEC Chair or myself.

DI-RSEC also reminds Residency Directors that semi-annual resident evaluations are due July 31st. You can access these via the following links:


The CSOC Subcommittee on Teleradiology is now complete and ready to get to work on developing the consensus statement. Subcommittee members include: Meg Thompson, DVM, DACVR; Sam Silverman, DVM, DACVR, PhD; Rob McLear, VMD, DACVR; Giliola Spattini, DVM, ECVDI, PhD; Jen Gambino, DVM, DACVR; and Amy Cardwell, CVT, VTS-DI, lead by co-chairs Lisa Ziemer, DVM, DACVR and Connie de Haan, DVM, DACVR. We can look forward to the work of this diverse group, representing a cross-section of university, small and large teleradiology practices, both in North America and Europe, in addition to representation from AVTDI. 

The CSOC Radiation Oncology Subcommittee on Patient Safety Practices for Radiation Therapy has been temporarily put on hold until the next statement cycle, for a variety of reasons. Please look forward to this subcommittee resuming their work in spring 2021.

The Radiation Protection Committee has a new Chair, Dr. Monica Jensen, and will be working on compiling data on the radiation safety survey from last winter and updating the ACVR Radiation Safety Statement . Thank you to Dr. Jensen for taking up the reins of this important committee!

Finally, we learned in June of the passing of Peter Brunelli , owner of Universal Imaging and well known and loved by many ACVR members. The full announcement can be found here .


Dr. Kate Alexander
Submit an Abstract for the 2020 Annual Meeting
Abstracts are now being accepted for the 2020 Annual Meeting. The deadline for submissions of abstracts is August 1, 2020, 11:59 p.m. PDT. Acceptance notifications will be made in early-August. A how-to guide is available now on the Abstract Submission page of the ACVR website.
Nominating Committee Update
There are several open positions for 2021. Please contact Dr. Nathan Nelson if you are interested or if you know of someone who might be.

ACVR Treasurer
Dr. Siobhan Haney will be stepping down in fall 2020. The ACVR is looking for a new Treasurer to begin December 2020. This is a 3-year mandate with a stipend (5000$/year). The treasurer sits on ACVR Executive Council and duties include: working with the ACVR controller to oversee all financial arms of the ACVR, creating bi-annual financial reports, summarizing financial activity and standing at annual business meetings, overseeing dues and other financial arrangements, and creating an annual budget.

Online Continuing Education Committee: 1 member
This is a relatively new committee that was formed in conjunction with the new website and that has a mandate of further developing the CE that ACVR offers to members, beyond the annual scientific meeting.


ACVR Executive Council
This is the time of year the ACVR seeks nominees for Executive Council elections . You may nominate yourself or someone else (with their approval). Nominees will be eligible for election with results announced at the Annual Scientific Meeting in October.

Council member positions are 3-year, followed by eligibility for ACVR Presidency, an additional 3-year cycle.

Council members attend bi-annual ACVR Council Meetings, weigh in on ACVR council discussions and decisions throughout the year and serve as liaisons with different ACVR committees.
DI Preliminary Exam Update
As you are hopefully aware the DI Preliminary examination will be offered remotely this year due to travel restrictions. This will be done securely with a combination of remote (video) and in person proctoring. We are asking that you or your designate agree to provide a suitable environment for your residents and provide in person proctoring so they can complete this stage of their program.

Attached is a document outlining the directions for the exam along with a form to return with your contact information so we can provide you with the exam password on the day of actual exam. Please return this to Dr. Nykamp as soon as possible and no later than July 25th.

We want to thank you for your help in administering the preliminary exam this year. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Dr.Nelson or Dr. Nykamp .
How to Access Discourse
Discount of Wiley Books for ACVR Members
ACVR Members can save 35% on titles from Wiley.com using our special promo code. To view the promo code, or for more information on this discount, click here
Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound Journal

Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound is a bimonthly, international, peer-reviewed, research journal devoted to the fields of veterinary diagnostic imaging and radiation oncology. Established in 1958, it is owned by the American College of Veterinary Radiology and is also the official journal for six affiliate veterinary organizations. Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound is represented on the International Committee of Medical Journal Editors , World Association of Medical Editors , and Committee on Publication Ethics .

A printed copy of Veterinary Radiology & Ultrasound is available for $120 under the Physical Goods tab on the ACVR Shop. Electronic access is included in your membership dues.
IRVA/EVDI 2021 Meeting in Dublin, Ireland
Dear Colleagues,
 
In these extraordinary times, we are pleased to provide some information which might give you all something to look forward to and plan for next year.
 
We are delighted to be hosting the 19th IVRA conference, in conjunction with the annual EVDI meeting, in Dublin, Ireland, from September 26-October 1, 2021.
 
We are hoping that by the time of the conference, traveling to Ireland to attend the meeting will provide a great opportunity to catch up with colleagues, meet the sponsors and make new friends.
 
Click here for the program outline and a list of planned events as well as contact details. The conference website will be updated regularly with further details.

Please put the dates in your calendar and start thinking about planning your trip. There has never been a better time to consider extending your conference trip to include a well-earned and long overdue vacation, so why not take this opportunity to visit Ireland and relax as well.
 
Hopefully by 2021, travel restrictions and the current pandemic will be under control and we look forward to welcoming you to Dublin.
 
In the meantime, stay safe and stay healthy,
 
Hester McAllister
Seamus Hoey
Antonella Puggioni
Cliona Skelly
Emma Tobin
 
Local organizing committee
ACVR Job Board Notifications

ACVR will no longer be sending out weekly job board updates. Instead, ACVR members can opt-in to receive automatic job posting notifications to provide them with instant access to new jobs.
Click here to view the current jobs posted on ACVR's Job Board.
Renew Your Society Memberships
Society Dues: Diplomate - $30; Resident - Complimentary

Societies:
  • Ultrasound
  • LADIS
  • CT/MRI
  • Nuclear Medicine

New to 2020: ZEWDIS Society!
The ZEWDIS society membership is currently FREE to all ACVR members. Dues will go into effect in 2021. Support ZEWDIS by checking out the Cases of the Month.
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