AVMA HQ Externship

By: Trina Schey

Iowa State University, Class of 2013

The summer of 2010, I participated in the AVMA headquarters externship at the Schaumburg, Illinois location.  I was assigned to the Education and Research division and quickly became familiar with the role of the AVMA in college accreditation within the states and abroad.  The first day at the office was filled with excitement as well as a bit of apprehension.  I was introduced to all the key players in the division starting with Dr. David Granstrom and Dr. Elizabeth Sabin, both in which were very influential in the role that I was to play as an AVMA extern.  Dr. Granstrom gave me a tour of the building introducing me to everyone at the facility, many names and faces that I would try to keep together, and then had me settle down in my office and begin the research for my project. 

Participation in the AVMA headquarters externship was not only just beneficial for me, but my project will be a useful asset for the AVMA.  Prior to my scheduled start date, I sent Dr. David Granstrom an email asking if there was anything I needed to prepare for the externship.  He returned the email with an elaborate description of my tentative project.  I was thrilled and excited, but even more intimidated for lack of better words.  His email went a bit like this, “due to your interest in public health, we have considered your project to involve the public health standards within the accreditation process for COE and foreign accreditation of veterinary education.  With the recent surge in emerging infectious disease as well as the heightened food safety and consumer awareness, veterinarians are at the front line.”  Ok, so what is COE and accreditation has to be a bit complicated, I pondered.  I then let those negative thoughts go and was ready jump into the project.

I sat down with Dr. Sabin and Dr. Granstrom to discuss my project and where they had hoped it may go.  My notes included so many abbreviations, schools I had never heard of as well as the new USDA national veterinary accreditation.  And I thought, “I’m still just trying to get through school, boards isn’t all you need?”  My first week was a major learning curve and not only did I begin to grasp what all the abbreviations stood for, I actually was learning the accreditation processes from COE, RCVS, and ABVS. 

I titled my project as  “Quantitative and Qualitative review of Veterinary Public Health Education:  Comparing the standards and requirements of Veterinary Public Health Curriculum and Education.” I began with a review of the accreditation standards for public health within veterinary education; moved to a comparison of six COE accredited schools, three US and three foreign; moved onto the NAVMEC initiatives; briefly reviewed the new USDA national accreditation measures and ended with my own personal thoughts.  In all, I developed a 49 page PDF file that I have been told will be used at OIE conference, COE committee meetings and much more as Dr. Granstrom boasts.  I have to say I am proud of myself.  Learning to pat myself on the shoulder when I accomplish something grand is a goal of mine and this is a perfect opportunity to start with.

In the end, I returned back to school and gave a rather nerve-wracking presentation to the student body at our first SCAVMA meeting of the Fall 2010 semester on September 16^th.   The AVMA externship gave me a glimpse of what goes on at the Headquarters and the important role the association plays during our school years and way after.   My interest in an alternate career path as well as organized veterinary medicine remains high and a career at the AVMA a true future possibility.