Do You Have Ideas on Policy Matters the AVMA Should Address?

Fellow NVMA and AVMA members,

The AVMA House of Delegates will be meeting in San Antonio, Texas on August 4th and 5th prior to the AVMA summer convention. Doctors Keith Schumacher and David Ylander will be representing the NVMA and all AVMA members in Nebraska at this meeting.

This year the House of Delegates (HOD) will be initiating the Veterinary Information Forum (VIF). During this two-hour forum, three pre-selected topics will be given 30 minutes each for discussion. The final 30 minutes will be an open forum that could be used for further discussion of the previous three topics or to introduce a new issue.

The House Advisory Committee (HAC) will be selecting the top three topics from all those submitted, during its teleconference on July 8th. The selected topics will then be submitted back to all members of the HOD to seek further information and comments from all state VMA, AVMA Allied group and AVMA members to be brought before the HOD during the VIF.

At the conclusion of the VIF, the three pre-selected topics and any possible new one from the open session, will be sent to the respective HOD Reference Committee for further discussion and debate. The HOD Reference Committee will have the opportunity to: 1) bring forth a Resolution about the topic; 2) refer the topic to an AVMA entity to gather more information; or 3) take no action on the topic.

The Veterinary Information Forum is a means for the HOD to take a more proactive role in forming AVMA policy. In the past, the HOD has been more reactive to an issue and may be several months to years behind in bringing forth a policy on a particular issue.

The Nebraska delegation is seeking your input on possible topics pertaining to veterinary medicine that can be brought to the HAC for consideration and hopefully inclusion in the VIF discussion. Please send your topic and a short summary concerning the issue to the Nebraska delegation no later than July 5th so that we can forward it to our HOD Reference Committees.

Dr. Keith Schumacher: kschuma@megavision.com
Dr. David Ylander: dmydvm@charter.net

Please email your suggestions to both delegation members.

Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration in furthering our profession and associations.

Provide Your Input on HOD Resolutions, Proposed Bylaws Amendments and Discussion Topics

(Repost from the AVMA@Work blog)

The AVMA House of Delegates (HOD) will hold its Annual Session prior to the AVMA Convention in San Antonio. All resolutions and proposed bylaws amendments that the HOD will consider are posted on the AVMA website, and AVMA members are invited to provide their input on these items to their HOD delegates. 

You can look up and connect with your HOD delegates at  AVMA.org/MyLeaders. (Note: You might see an error message before signing in to view the full content of this page, but once you sign in using your AVMA member ID, the error disappears. We’re working to fix this intermittent error.)

• Resolution 3-2016 proposes revisions to the Free-Roaming, Owned Cats policy. The proposed revisions were developed by the AVMA Animal Welfare Committee with input from members and other groups (such as the American Association of Feline Practitioners and the Association of Avian Veterinarians). The revisions consider the impacts on cat welfare as well as on the environment. The HOD approved revisions to the AVMA policy on Free-Roaming Abandoned and Feral Cats in January 2016.

• Proposed bylaws amendment 1-2016, submitted by the North Carolina Veterinary Medical Association, would remove the bylaws requirement for the AVMA Executive Vice President (EVP) to be a veterinarian. According to the proposed bylaws amendment, the NCVMA believes that “future search committees and Boards of Directors should not be limited in their capacity [by the veterinary requirement] to find the most qualified candidates and elect an AVMA Executive Vice President who is experienced, effective, and exceptional.” The change would not eliminate veterinarians from holding the position. Dr. W. Ron DeHaven, current AVMA EVP, has announced his impending retirement, and the position is currently open for applications through June 8.

If additional resolutions or proposed bylaws amendments are introduced, they will be added to the HOD Resolutions & Bylaws Amendments page on our website. AVMA members, please provide your input to your HOD delegates on these items to allow them to best represent you in the HOD. (Again, please note that you might see an error message on this page before signing in, but it will disappear once you have signed into the website.)

The HOD will also convene its first Veterinary Issues Forum during the Annual Session. The Forum provides HOD members with opportunity to discuss veterinary-related issues and topics beyond those of resolutions and bylaws amendments, including those that bubble up through environmental scanning. The House Advisory Committee (HAC) has put out a call for potential discussion issues, and will select three topics of those submitted for discussion in the forum. If you’d like to suggest an issue, contact your delegates  and your state veterinary medical association or allied group. Once the HAC has determined the three issues, we’ll post them on the HOD Resolutions & Bylaws Amendments page and you’ll have an opportunity to provide your input on the issues to your delegates.

October Dates Set for 2016 AVMA Economic Summit

(Excerpted from the AVMA@Work blog)

If you’re interested in the economic future of the veterinary profession—and in gathering information and tools to help you operate your business more successfully—set aside the dates October 24-25 to attend this year’s AVMA Economic Summit.

Our economics team convenes the summit every year to help practice owners and other business-focused veterinarians understand the veterinary economic markets and get tools to operate in business successfully. This year’s meeting will be held Oct. 24-25 outside Chicago, in Schaumburg, Illinois. Learn more.

Preventing Dog Bites: Educational Tools to Help Veterinarians

(Reposted from the AVMA@Work blog)

Did you know that nearly 4.5 million Americans are bitten by dogs each year, and that 20 percent of the victims require medical attention?

Veterinarians realize that while even the gentlest dog can bite, most bites can be prevented.  This is National Dog Bite Prevention Week®, and the AVMA has resources to help you educate your clients and make your community a safer place to live.

As the founding sponsor of National Dog Bite Prevention Week®, the AVMA is committed to reducing the number of dog bites and helping dog owners maintain the loving bonds they have with their dogs. The AVMA offers resources to help you teach clients about socialization, responsible dog ownership, why dogs bite, and recognizing risky situations, among other topics. A client-ready brochure on dog bite prevention is available in the AVMA's online store in both English and Spanish. And the AVMA YouTube channel has a complete playlist of fun, kid-friendly videos about dog bite prevention; play them on a loop in your clinic or embed the playlist on your website.

The AVMA also can help you celebrate National Dog Bite Prevention Week® on social media. Download any of three National Dog Bite Prevention Week® cover photos, and use them as your own to customize your profile. (Yes, it’s really OK!) For AVMA members, there are pre-written social media posts that you can copy and paste, plus ideas for writing your own if you prefer. Follow the AVMA’s social media accounts – especially Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter – where the AVMA will share dog bite prevention materials throughout the week.

While you educate clients locally about dog bite prevention, the AVMA represents veterinarians nationally as sponsor of the National Dog Bite Prevention Week® Coalition. AVMA Board of Directors member Dr. Lori Teller spoke at a news conference to kick off the week-long event, emphasizing the important role veterinarians can play in assessing, monitoring and improving dogs’ behavior.

“Pet owners should talk to their veterinarian regarding any behavioral concerns they may have,” said Dr. Teller, a veterinarian at the Meyerland Animal Clinic in Houston. “Their family veterinarian can assist in determining if there is a medical component; which medication, if any, would be most appropriate as part of an integrated treatment program; and whether or not a referral to a behavior specialist is warranted.”

For a more complete account of the news conference, read the press release.

Webinar: Transitioning From Vet School to Practice

(Reposted from the AVMA@Work blog)

Want to ensure a smooth transition from veterinary school to practice?

If so, you won’t want to miss the AVMA Veterinary Career Center’s upcoming webinar, “From Classroom to Exam Room: Surviving the Transition from Vet School to Practice.”

Dr. James Park, an associate at Care Animal Hospital in the Chicago suburbs, will discuss issues related to job search, contract considerations, and how to impress your new boss and clients during the webinar, which will take place Monday, June 27, from noon to 1 p.m. Central Time. Dr. Park is a graduate of the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine whose professional interests include surgery, cardiology and ultrasonography.

Be sure to register for the webinar in advance. Attendees of the June 27 live webinar will receive one hour of CE credit.

The AVMA Veterinary Career Center is the online career resource for veterinarians and veterinary professionals. The AVMA also provides a variety of other resources for recent veterinary graduates.

New Salary Calculator Tool Helps Students and Recent Graduates

(Reposted from the AVMA@work blog)

Remember what it felt like when you were looking for your first job and had no idea what kind of salary was reasonable to expect?

The AVMA has released a new tool to help veterinary students and new graduates develop a starting point for salary negotiations as they enter the profession.

The New Graduate Salary Calculator worksheet allows users to calculate average starting salaries for different segments of the profession in various locations. It takes into consideration variables such as practice type (private/industry/government/etc.), specialty, plans for continued education, expected work hours, geographic location, debt load, and gender to provide a realistic snapshot of what the average salary would be for each specific situation.

The calculator uses the factors that have been shown to be statistically significant predictors of starting salaries for new veterinarians over the past 15 years. The information can help both new graduates and those approaching graduation to better understand the market for new veterinarians and how to prepare for salary negotiations. Those who are unsure about their early career path can create multiple scenarios and compare the results.

The calculator is currently offered as a PDF, but the AVMA plans to develop a digital version in the future. It is available exclusively to AVMA and SAVMA members, and can be found among the student financial resources at AVMA.org/SAVMA and the recent graduate resources offered on AVMA.org. The new calculator is one of numerous financial tools under development by the AVMA to help guide veterinarians through all stages of their careers.

Already available to both AVMA and SAVMA members is the personal financial planning tool at AVMA.org/MyBudget, which allows veterinarians to plan and track income and expenses in order to save for the future while also paying off debt.

Pet Medication Hearing: AVMA Testimony Strives to Protect, Advance Veterinary Interests

Dr. de Jong

(Reposted from the AVMA@Work blog)

Dr. John de Jong, chair of the AVMA Board of Directors, addressed members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee’s Commerce, Manufacturing and Trade Subcommittee Friday during a hearing about the pet medication industry. The hearing was live-streamed, and a recorded session is available. You can also read Dr. de Jong’s full testimony that was submitted to the subcommittee, as well as the AVMA’s press release.

Although the hearing was focused on the pet medication industry, the driving forces behind it are two federal bills (H.R.3174 and S.1200) that mandate prescription writing for pet medications. Although we agree with the bills’ stated intent to help consumers save money and provide freedom of choice, we oppose the legislation because veterinarians already do these things. The majority of veterinarians already provide prescriptions upon request – it’s included in our Principles of Veterinary Medical Ethics, and 36 states have laws, regulations, or policies that require veterinarians to provide their clients with a written prescription upon request. This federal legislation is simply not necessary and would take time away from the veterinarian’s real task – providing the best care for their patients – to spend on burdensome paperwork. If you agree, please take a moment to contact your senators and representatives to tell them how you feel. To learn more about why we oppose this legislation, visit our “Just Ask” page.

This is but one example of the AVMA’s advocacy efforts to protect veterinarians and advance veterinary medicine. We’ve also advocated, and will continue to advocate, for continued access to medications such as ketamine and compounded drugs; legislation to reduce the student loan burden; animal health and welfare issues; and small business issues affecting veterinary practices. Our advocacy work also resulted in introduction and passage of the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act, which allows veterinarians to legally transport controlled substances across state lines in the course of practicing veterinary medicine.

As the collective voice of the veterinary profession, we will continue to advocate on our members’ behalf to protect, promote and advance the veterinary profession.

Volunteer Opportunities with the AVMA

Are you or a colleague interested in volunteering for an AVMA committee? If so, there are a number of opportunities still available for appointment this summer! The full list of committee positions available for appointment in August 2016 is available here at the AVMA website and includes positions on the following entities:

• Animal Welfare Committee 
• Aquatic Veterinary Medicine Committee 
• Clinical Practitioners Advisory Committee 
• Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates 
• Food Safety Advisory Committee 
• Legislative Advisory Committee 
• Political Action Committee Board

The deadline for receipt of nominations for these committee positions is June 19, 2016. All nominations should be submitted via email to OfficeEVP@avma.org, via fax to 847-925-0944, or via mail to AVMA Office of the Executive Vice President, 1931 N. Meacham Rd, Suite 100, Schaumburg, IL, 60173. All nominations should include the nomination form and a 1-2 page resume.

If you or a colleague are not sure if you are ready to get involved with the AVMA, please take the opportunity to view the following AVMA video, where AVMA members describe the benefits of volunteering with the association, such as influencing key issues affecting veterinary medicine today, meeting new colleagues, and forging valuable and lasting relationships.

Please feel free to email OfficeEVP@avma.org or call 1-800-248-2862, ext. 6605 with any questions you may have. Thanks for your continued support and we look forward to receiving your nominations!

Economics of Education: Summit Attendees Gather to Identify Ways to Alleviate Student Debt

Student debt is an increasingly critical issue for the entire veterinary profession, and how to reduce that debt and improve the overall economic picture for young veterinarians was the focus of a summit held at Michigan State University last week. Summit attendees put forth a number of recommendations, including streamlining curricula, increasing scholarship opportunities, boosting starting salaries, lobbying federal lawmakers for legislation to lower interest rates on student loans and creating a national plan for reducing the debt-to-income ratio.

The summit, organized jointly by the AVMA, the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges and the Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine, brought together approximately 180 individuals from across the veterinary spectrum. The collective goal over the three-day summit was to agree on specific strategies to address the many facets of this complex challenge, with the goal of reducing the debt-to-income ratio. The debt-to-income ratio is an indicator of the financial health of the veterinarian entering the profession, and it currently stands at about 2:1, representing a level of educational debt approximately twice the level of starting income.

For more information on the summit and the next steps that will be taken to help reduce student debt, please read the press release posted in the AVMA online Press Room.

Veterinary Clinic Owners See Extension of Small Business Tax Breaks

Important tax legislation was recently passed by Congress and signed by President Obama to help small business owners, including those who own veterinary practices. Read more about the extension of small business tax breaks.

AVMA / AAVMC Report Looks at Market for Veterinary Education

The American Veterinary Medical Association and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges have released the 2016 Report on the Market for Veterinary Education, making it available for free download by all AVMA members as part of the AVMA’s 2016 economic reports series.

Some key findings from the report:

• Starting salaries for new veterinary graduates and the number of new graduates obtaining full-time employment prior to graduation are increasing. These changes are due to an increase in disposable income that occurs in an economic expansion. 

• However, the debt load of new veterinarians also has continued to increase, offsetting the income gains. As a result, the debt-to-income ratio for new veterinarians has held steady at nearly 2 to 1. A more sustainable debt-to-income ratio would be 1.4 to 1. 

• For at least the last three decades, the public has been defunding public education, while the real costs of operating schools has risen. For the veterinary profession, this has shifted the burden of providing animal health from the taxpayer to the animal owner. 

• 2015 applicants to U.S. veterinary schools had a relatively accurate idea of the debt load of new veterinarians.

Click here for more information.

Wellness Roundtable Moving Forward

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Wellness Roundtable is moving forward with an initiative to address four general topic areas:

major causes of wellness issues among veterinarians

strategies to promote wellness among veterinarians

determining the biggest barriers to implementing wellness programs

what solutions might be effective in overcoming these barriers

The group's next steps include formation of a coalition and steering group that will, among other things, provide leadership, define coalition members, a strategy and action plan, and assess resourcing among coalition members. Click here to learn more.

AVMA Releases First 2016 Report on Veterinary Markets

The AVMA has released the 2016 Report on Veterinary Markets. The report is available for free download by all AVMA members and is the first of four in the AVMA's 2016 economic reports series.

All of the reports are being made available without charge to AVMA members; nonmembers may purchase the report series in either PDF or printed format through the AVMA online store.

Click here for more information.

DEA Acknowledges Veterinarians’ Ability to Practice Across State Lines

With President Barack Obama’s signing of the Veterinary Medicine Mobility Act in 2014, it became legal for veterinarians to carry controlled substances across state lines to provide complete medical care to patients outside their clinics.

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration dotted the final “i” on the legislation recently, formally acknowledging its provisions in a letter to practitioners who are registered with the DEA to dispense controlled substances.

The 2014 legislation resulted from a concerted effort by the AVMA, our members and allied organizations. The Feb. 25 letter quotes the new law’s provision that a veterinarian “shall not be required to have a separate registration in order to transport and dispense controlled substances in the usual course of a veterinary practice at a site other than the registrant’s registered principal place of business or professional practice, so long as the site of transporting and dispensing is located in a state where the veterinarian is licensed to practice veterinary medicine and is not a principal place of business or professional practice.”

“A prime example is that a veterinarian may dispense controlled substances while making ‘house calls’ (e.g., at a stable) without being registered at that location,” according to the letter. “And, in such a scenario, the veterinarian does not need to be registered with the DEA in the state where the dispensing occurs, as long as the veterinarian is registered in some other state and is licensed to practice veterinary medicine in the state where the dispensing occurs.”

The letter was sent to all DEA registrants, as well as DEA field offices and diversion investigators, following discussions between DEA officials and AVMA staff.

Click here to view a related video.

AVMA Continues Working to Protect Veterinary Access to Ketamine

The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (UN CND) has heard directly from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) regarding the need to protect veterinary access to ketamine.

Ketamine hydrochloride is commonly used by veterinarians for immobilization, anesthesia, sedation and pain management of their animal patients.

The UN CND meets later this week and will consider a proposal for international scheduling of ketamine hydrochloride. Read AVMA post on this topic.

Reaching Up Program Reaches Out for Volunteers

The AVMA Reaching Up Program is taking applications until March 17 from veterinarians who wish to volunteer time for two or four days at upcoming clinics in New Mexico. The Reaching Up Program engages veterinarians to improve access to veterinary care among traditionally underserved Native American populations.

For more information about how to apply, click here.

Addressing AVMA Member Concerns About Private Information Shared Publicly

Addressing member concerns about private information shared publicly: If you’re like other members who’ve contacted the AVMA in the last 24 hours, you’re concerned that veterinarians’ home addresses are being shared on a veterinary search and review site. More from the AVMA.

Interested in serving on the AVMA Council on Education?

Do you have an interest in helping maintain the high standards of veterinary education? Ever considered volunteering for your national veterinary association? In August 2016, terms are ending for two positions on the Council.  Click here if you are interested in serving on the AVMA Council on Education.

AVMA Revises Policy on Feral Cats

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has revised its policy on “Free-roaming Abandoned and Feral Cats” to encourage collaboration among veterinarians, humane groups, and wildlife conservation entities “to reduce the number of free-roaming abandoned and feral cats in a humane and ethical manner."

The revised policy “encourages collaborative efforts to identify humane and effective alternatives to the destruction of healthy cats for animal control purposes, while minimizing their negative impact on native wildlife and public health."

The AVMA House of Delegates adopted revisions to the policy during its regular winter session, Jan. 9 in Chicago, after debating two contentious points regarding managed colonies of free-roaming cats. The first is the addition of a statement that the AVMA does not oppose euthanasia for colonies not achieving attrition and posing active threats to the area. The second is the absence of mention of enclosures for management of colonies.

Delegates voted 94.2 percent to 5.8 percent to adopt the new policy. (Read more).

Applications Now Being Taken for AVMA Headquarters Externship Program

Do you know of a veterinary student interested in exploring opportunities in organized veterinary medicine? Perhaps you are such a student.

The AVMA's Headquarters Externship Program might be just what you're looking for. The externship is open to all students who are current members of the Student American Veterinary Medical Association. Applications for the 2016-17 program are being taken until March 31. Click here to learn more.