EXTERNS ON THE HILL

Submitted by Jacey Cerda, Colorado State University (AVMA Government Relations Division extern)

Where it Happens

Amid fire hose style didactic learning in the classroom that transitions to long days in the hospital, where even remembering to eat can be a challenge, few of us have time to think about policy and politics. However, as my month in Washington D.C. working with the AVMA’s government relations division (GRD) draws to a close, I reflect on how important it is for more of us veterinary students and veterinarians to be, as Hamilton told us, “in the room where it happens.” 

I recently attended a congressional committee “markup” wherein members of Congress debate the precise wording and amendments of proposed legislation. The specific bill under scrutiny pertained to the regulation of xylazine due to rising public health concerns over its illicit use as an additive agent in illegally trafficked fentanyl. The AVMA’s advocacy team has worked tirelessly over the last 18 months to make sure that any regulation of xylazine will still protect its use in veterinary medicine. They have done this by meeting with members of Congress and their staffs to educate them on the importance of xylazine across the veterinary field, creating documents on the topic for congressional offices to reference, and engaging veterinarians to speak with their representatives and during the annual AVMA Legislative Fly-In.

There are currently no veterinarians elected to Congress; therefore, the advocacy efforts of the AVMA and other veterinarians who have thus far participated in the legislative process are essential to amplifying the voice of the profession in Washington. For the first time ever, a bipartisan Veterinary Medicine Caucus was formed in the Senate to raise awareness of veterinarians’ contributions to society and help advance legislation that is critical to veterinary medicine. This represents another advocacy opportunity for the veterinary community and emphasizes to Congress that we need to be involved in the policy-making process. 

It may seem scary or outside our normal veterinary school training to be an advocate and speak with policymakers at the local, state, or federal level. This simply is not true, in fact, I would argue the opposite. To be a successful advocate you need to be able to break down a complex issue into easily understandable parts. We are already trained in and practice this skill set in veterinary school. We break down highly technical medical processes into easily understandable bits of information that our clients can use to make important decisions for their pets. We also need to be able to think about complex systems and how they interact in the minds of our policymakers and develop arguments that help policymakers navigate those complexities and yet help the veterinary field. Again, we are trained to think in complexity; we work with multiple species and understand how biological, social, and environmental factors affect our patients’ lives and health. Finally, we need to be well-respected experts in our field so that policymakers will find us credible. Luckily, we have that going for us too, we are experts in veterinary medicine and recent research suggests that society considers the veterinary field as one of the most respected professions out there. 

We have all the training and ability to be good advocates for the veterinary field; however, if we want the people in power to seek us out as resources when important legislation is before them, then they need to meet and hear from us. Thus, I encourage all veterinary students and veterinarians to take more time to understand policy and politics and get involved with the veterinary issues they care about. In that way, we can all make sure that veterinary medicine is represented in the room where policy happens. 

CUTEST PET

Submitted by Hannah Burrows, Iowa State University

STUDENT EXPERIENCE: ACVO CONVENTION

Submitted by Nicki Doan, Ross University

The ACVO (American College of Veterinary Ophthalmology) is a national convention held annually for all veterinary ophthalmologists and those interested in veterinary ophthalmology to attend. To be quite honest, I was very intimidated by the thought of being surrounded by very intelligent hardworking diplomats who earned their spot in this field. But there were also people like me, who had a strong passion for ophthalmology, and were interested in paving our own paths in this field as well. My goal for this conference was to learn about the new scientific research, observe what a national scientific conference is like, and build connections with those who have the same goals as I do. 

The first day consisted of scientific presentations about the tear film, cornea, uvea, and glaucoma. Presenters were at various stages of the ophthalmology totem pole - there were some presenting research as a veterinary student, all the way up to those in a tenured faculty position. I was very impressed with how much work went into these projects, and how much knowledge came out of it.

In between the general presentation sessions, we had a room full of posters that veterinary students, interns, and residents worked on during that year. These posters covered everything one could literally imagine possible in veterinary ophthalmology, such as infectious diseases, to immunology, to predisposed ocular pathologies. 

In the afternoon I attended the Career Fair, which was divided up into specialty internships, residencies, and employment. I had so much fun getting to know more about these programs and having light discussions with those clinicians. I think the most fun was meeting other rotating interns sharing the same experience as me. There’s just something empowering about sharing a similar goal, and having that support system along the way. 

Meeting other Rossies at the conference was also a highlight of the experience. We island kids share a very unique veterinary school experience, and it’s so comforting to meet others with shared memories of St. Kitts landmarks such as Port Zante, Brimstone Fortress, and Romney Manor. In addition, Rossie ophthalmologists make great role models; seeing someone with a similar background become successful showed me that I can be successful too. 

The next 2 days were quite similar to the first, with the theme of presentations and posters being a different aspect of the eye. Overall, my first scientific conference experience was phenomenal and I am empowered by all the drive and passion for veterinary ophthalmology. I left the conference feeling very inspired by my peers, and I hope to be able to make the same contributions to this field just as they had.

CREATIVE CORNER

Submitted by Amelia Collins, University of Georgia

PHOTOGRAPHY

Submitted by Elizabeth G. Evans, Washington State University