Vet2011: Ring in the New Year by Celebrating your Profession!

By: Stephanie Silberstang

Cornell University, Class of 2013

The 250^th anniversary of the veterinary education, profession, and comparative pathobiology will benext year in 2011. To celebrate World Veterinary Year, which is the purpose of Vet2011, veterinary institutions around the world will be holding events to promote the veterinary profession. The Vet2011 National Committee has proposed that all participating nations promote awareness of the profession and its many facets at the institutions’ annual event.

The concept of Vet2011 is closely related to the SAVMA One Health Challenge 2011, which holds the goal of promoting collaboration between veterinarians, physicians and other scientific health professionals in order to improve the lives and health of all species. These two concepts are related in their promotion of cooperation between professionals, whether it be the United States or throughout the world. In addition, these two important concepts will enhance and promote favorable views of veterinarians through their cooperation with other professionals and education of the public about the purpose, range and necessity of veterinary medicine.

These two ideas are extremely pertinent to veterinary students as they are closely correlated to our success as veterinarians in the future. Students can raise public awareness of the roles that veterinarians have in society and the history that stands behind these roles, as Vet2011 asks us to do, by holding events in the community, such as, Cornell University’s Annual Open House. At the open house, over 3,000 members of the Ithaca community are welcomed into the veterinary school to participate in numerous activities including “Teddy Bear Surgery” that simulates aseptic technique and basic surgical techniques, the “pocket pets” room where people can handle, observe and interact with small pet mammals, and many lectures including topics such as pet toxicology, animal behavior, and animal rehabilitation. This open house greatly supports the concepts encouraged by Vet2011 including educating the public about the many roles of veterinarians. In addition to current events such as Cornell University’s Annual Open House, veterinary students can promote the SAVMA One Health Challenge 2011 as well as Vet2011 by going to local schools and educating students about the history of veterinary medicine, the roles that veterinarians can play in the community and nationally as public health officials, and the relationship that veterinary medicine plays to human medicine.

I encourage all veterinary students to get involved in the SAVMA One Health Challenge 2011 and Vet2011 by holding an event to bring together communities, professionals and our history in a meaningful way.