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.

State Veterinarian Releases Quarantine at Fonner Park in Grand Island

LINCOLN – State Veterinarian Dr. Dennis Hughes has released the quarantine issued for Fonner Park in Grand Island after three confirmed cases of Equine Herpes Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) were detected there last month.
 
“The horses at Fonner Park were quarantined for 21 days where they were monitored closely.  During that time, no further cases were confirmed so the quarantine has been lifted,” said Dr. Hughes.  “We continue to ask horse owners and facility managers to take precautions to prevent the spread of the disease by remaining vigilant and following strict biosecurity measures.”
 
EHM is the neurological form of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) and cases of the disease have been confirmed in several locations around the country this year. 
 
The disease is spread through direct or indirect contact with infected horses, so Dr. Hughes encourages operators of horse shows and exhibitions to review their biosecurity plans and minimize the opportunity for horses to have direct or indirect contact with each other. Indirect contact includes the use of shared water and feed sources, as well as the use of shared equipment. In addition, Dr. Hughes said he recommends horse owners planning to travel to shows and exhibitions contact the venue prior to transporting their horses to inquire about entrance requirements for the event.
 
Biosecurity measures horse owners should take at their own operations include requiring individuals to wash their hands before and after contact with each horse, disinfecting boots and changing clothes that come into contact with horses other than their own.
 
“If possible, horse owners should avoid contact with other people’s horses, and isolate horses returning from shows or exhibitions for 3 to 4 weeks,” said Dr. Hughes. “Owners who will be co-mingling their horses also should consider contacting their veterinarian to discuss their horses’ current vaccination status and weigh the benefits of vaccination.”
 
EHM symptoms include: fever, decreased coordination, nasal discharge, urine dribbling, loss of tail tone, hind limb weakness, leaning against a wall or fence to maintain balance, lethargy and the inability to rise. While there is no cure, the symptoms of the disease may be treatable. Additional information can be viewed here.

Practice Management: Four Critical Factors in Managing Inventory Turnover

Inventory costs consume more than 20 percent of the typical veterinary practice's revenue, according to the Inside Practice blog at Patterson Veterinary.

A recent Inside Practice blog post points out that inventory management should result in a practice having a financially sound revenue center in its pharmacy, one that should boost cash flow rather than hinder it.

A key to achieving this goal is proper management of inventory turnover. The blog post covers four critical factors:

• how to calculate turnover, 
• how to evaluate it, 
• how to leverage it and 
• the financial effects of unhealthy vs. healthy turnover.

Learn more.

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.

Register Now for the Summer Meeting in North Platte

Register now to attend the Nebraska Veterinary Medical Association (NVMA) Summer Meeting in spectacular North Platte, Nebraska. All of the information you need may be found at the links below.

Program
Registration Form
Golf Registration
Team Roping Info
5 Stand Shoot Info

HuffPost Looks at Pets-at-Work Trend

As a followup on a recent report about the health benefits of pet ownership, the Huffington Post is taking a look at a trend among employers -- employees are being allowed to bring their pets to work.

The HuffPost piece points out that the pet-friendly policy is popular with startups as a way to demonstrate to employees that they are valued.

Here's an excerpt:

It’s no surprise that Atlas Wearables, the developer of a digital trainer and heart rate band, praises the wellness benefits of pets at work. Based in Austin, Texas, CEO Peter Li notes one benefit of having a dog around is its need to be walked. Having Bluto the dog around created an opportunity to have walking meetings. “Standup meetings emphasize knowledge sharing. It helps keep the whole team on the same page running towards the same goal.”

Read the full story.

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.