Veterinary Ventures
Veterinary Ventures features excerpts from recent editions of ISVMA's
Epitome courtesy of ISVMA's publications office.
Class of 2010 Elects ISVMA Student Representative
The Class of 2010 at the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine recently elected Katie Baker (ILL 2010) as their ISVMA Student Representative.
Katie is a native of Barry, IL in Pike County. Katie grew up surrounded by an abundance of agriculture, livestock, companion animals, and wildlife. According to Katie, "We often joke that the deer in Pike County outnumber its residents...and I’m sure they do!"
Katie's high school activities included 4-H and FFA; she spent her free time raising and showing paint and quarter horses. Over the last four years, she attended college at the University of Illinois and majored in animal sciences with a chemistry minor. During her undergraduate research experiences she became highly interested in large animal theriogenology and the cattle industry. Her intentions are to become a large animal/equine veterinarian.
About the ISVMA Class Representative Position
ISVMA encourages students with an interest in becoming leaders in organized veterinary medicine to run for election as their class representative to ISVMA. Upon election, the ISVMA Class Representatives are expected to fulfill a short list of responsibilities (listed below). Additionally, they receive a scholarship from ISVMA in the amount of $4000 ($1000 for each of your four years as Class Representative).
The ISVMA Class Representatives are:
Class of 2010 - Katie Baker
Class of 2009 - Justin Florey (ISVMA Education Planning Committee Member)
Class of 2008 - Teresa Lehnhardt (ISVMA Board Member)
Class of 2007 - Susan Heatter
Major Responsiblities Shared by All ISVMA Class Representatives:
• Coordinate campus activities with the ISVMA Board representative to the University of Illinois - College of Veterinary Medicine (Dr. Gregory Mauck).
• Encourage classmates to participate in ISVMA sponsored activities • When the opportunity arises, speak to the importance of organized veterinary medicine and the role of ISVMA in preserving professional veterinary medicine in the State of Illinois.
• Communicate with the ISVMA staff whenever there is an opportunity for ISVMA to provide a meaningful service with student members.
• Advocate for full membership in ISVMA within their class.
Each Year's Major REsponsibilities:
First Year ISVMA Class Representative:
• Upon election, shall send a letter of thanks to each student in their class that addresses the importance of your position and your commitment to organized veterinary medicine.
Second Year ISVMA Class Representative:
• Serves on the ISVMA Education Planning Committee to help develop the ISVMA Convention program.
Third Year ISVMA Class Representative:
• Serves as an ex officio member of the ISVMA Board of Directors with full voting privileges.
• Speaks to the first year students at orientation about the ISVMA Class Representative position and the election process.
Fourth Year ISVMA Class Representative:
• Encourages all fourth year students to attend and participate in the ISVMA Annual Convention and Job Fair.
• One year after graduation, writes a letter to their classmates encouraging them to both continue their membership in ISVMA and participate in a meaningful way
CAN THE SHORTAGE OF DVM’S BE STOPPED?
ISVMA Supports Veterinary Public Health Workforce Expansion Act of 2007
It isn’t new news. The United States is facing a critical shortage of veterinarians in public health practice areas such as food safety and security, bioterrorism and emergency preparedness, environmental health, regulatory medicine, diagnostic laboratory medicine, food systems veterinary medicine and biomedical research.
In an effort to address these critical deficits, new legislation has been introduced at the national level. On March 2, 2007, U.S. Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO) and Congresswoman Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) jointly introduced the Veterinary Public Health Workforce Expansion Act of 2007 (S.746/H.R. 1232) in the United States Senate and the U.S. House of Representatives, respectively. The Act will establish a competitive federal grants program to build research, diagnostic and training capacity in the nation's veterinary medical colleges.
What can you, one individual, do to personally help future veterinarians fill the voids in public health practice areas? Make your opinions felt and heard by taking a very small amount of time to visit your computer and send a message to your representatives. They need to know you support the proposed grant program, that you believe the legislation is a realistic solution to the significant shortage of veterinarians in these critical public health areas.
The ISVMA has made contacting your congressmen painless and simple to do. Visit the ISVMA website (www.isvma.org) and open the Legislative Action Center link or skip the steps and just enter http://capwiz.com/isvma/state/main/?state=IL. The Action Alert boxes on the page are your means to immediately communicate with your elected representatives. Follow the prompts: The Legislative Action Center automatically identifies who your legislators are and ISVMA has prepared a sample email for you to send. It takes about 30 seconds to communicate with your legislators for each Action Alert.
What difference will one voice make? If each of the 2000 ISVMA members made their voice heard on this legislation, “one” voice can make a difference. Advance the interest of professional veterinary medicine. Take the time to make your opinion known.
SMILEY COMPLETES LEGISLATIVE INTERNSHIP
Aaron Smiley, V4, University of Illinois, College of Veterinary Medicine
I completed a month internship at the ISVMA as part of my elective credit in my fourth year rotations. Thanks to the creativeness of Dr. Pijinowski, the willingness of Dean Whiteley and Peter Weber, and the financial support from Hill’s, I was able to pursue my interests in policy.
I have been interested in government from a very young age. For me, spending time meeting with General Assembly members is comparable to the thrill my wife experiences when she shops for sales. Dr. Tom Updike, my veterinary mentor, of Paxton still tells me that I should have skipped vet school and run for office. It may be rare for veterinarians, but I love to be involved with the government policy. Thankfully, this odd enthusiasm with parliamentary procedure is not necessary to be an influence.
The last week of my internship I was at the Capital waiting for a meeting and began to take part in one of my favorite pastimes, people watching. My eyes were drawn to the action in the middle of the rotunda where some General Assembly members were waiting in line for their head-shot. As they waited they were in constant conversation. At the most, ten seconds would lapse between the farewell handshake with one person and the greeting of the next conversation. As I watched with great fascination, I realized the content of most of these exchanges were related to legislation. At that moment, I realized there would never be a deficit of people wanting to influence policy toward their own interest. With government being so pervasive in our professional lives, it is essential for veterinarians to be in the line of influence.
As I called each General Assembly member and asked him or her if they had a veterinarian that they could contact with questions regarding animal health/welfare and/or public health issues, only 20% of the legislators I talked to knew a veterinarian. Many legislators are unaware that veterinarians have an expert opinion on animal welfare/public health issues. By simply calling and introducing yourself to a legislator, you can make a big impact on policy.
By introducing and making ourselves more accessible to legislators we will increase our influence on issues that shape our career and profession. I didn’t realize how much legislators want to hear from their constituents. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to forge a relationship with your local representative and state senator so veterinary medicine will have more seats at the table of influence.
Vet Student Summer - What do veterinary students do during the summer? Here is a blog that chronicles two students from the University of Illinois College of Veterinary Medicine during the summer of 2006. Nina conducted research on caribou herds in Alaska, May to mid June. Emi spent 3 weeks on a working cattle and pig farm
in southern Illinois, June to July.
http://uicvmstudentsummer.blogspot.com/