SAVMA's Gov't Affairs Committee speaks on loss of subsidized loans

Dear Veterinary Medical Students,

As some of you may know, in response to the current economic challenges, there have been some adjustments to Federal budgets. A significant change that has taken place is the loss of subsidized loans to graduate and professional students. The Budget Control Act (BCA) of 2011 was signed into law on August 2nd, 2011. The signing of this act into law made two very important changes to the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program, which affects the majority of veterinary medical students utilizing loans to pay tuition and living expenses.
We would like to make you aware of the effort that the AVMA and your SAVMA representatives have put forth urging Congress to maintain the subsidized Federal Stafford loan for graduate and professional students.

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Meet your new SAVMA International Exchange Officer-elect

Steen Smith
Oregon State University

Description of duties: Support the IEO in the effort to facilitate exchanges, study abroad opportunities, and/or other international opportunities for members of SAVMA, as well as represent SAVMA at the two yearly International Veterinary Students' Assocation (IVSA) meetings.

In the next year my goals are to:

1. Create a comprehensive database of the policies of our member institutions in regards to international students participating in educational  opportunities.  

2. To better inform SAVMA members of the opportunities IVSA membership provides.  

3. To work closely with the IEO in support of her efforts to further develop international opportunities for our members.

 
Fun fact:
I am from Corvallis, Oregon and have worked in the veterinary field for the last 10 years, including the last 3 years as a Certified Veterinary Technician.  I enjoy fishing, hunting, camping, and other outdoor pursuits.  I worked as a construction site foreman for 7 years before pursuing my undergraduate education.

contact Steen at: SAVMAIEO [at] gmail [dot] com

Creative Corner

Shannon Orth
Iowa State University, '12

This is an oil painting Shannon made for her parents' anniversary gift in 2011, depicting their 11 parrots!

Meet your new SAVMA Treasurer

Erich Roush
University of Wisconsin

Description of duties: Making sure that SAVMA stays financially healthy, knows where its money goes, and that awards and grants are received in a timely manner.  


Goals for this term:

SAVMA invests in its members, more so now than ever before, making it a necessary challenge to ensure that those investments are made in an efficient and financially healthy manner.  

Incredible advances have been made in the way SAVMA keeps its books.  I plan to keep the momentum going.  


Fun Facts from the SAVMA Treasurer:

“The first practical typewriter was designed in Milwaukee in 1867” www.fun-facts.com (Not that anyone knows what a typewriter is anymore)

“Green Bay has long been known as the "toilet paper capital of the world" because the first splinter-free toilet paper was produced here” www.greenbay.com/media/trivia  (You’re welcome!)

Precision, Variability, and Accuracy of Femoral Varus Measurement

Alexander C. Robb

Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University

Precision, Variability, and Accuracy of Femoral Varus Measurement Using Radiographic and Computed Tomographic Imaging in Clinically Abnormal Femora

INTRODUCTION:  Many skeletal abnormalities have been associated with medial patellar luxation (MPL), and recent focus has centered on femoral malalignment, specifically excessive femoral varus, quantified by measurement of the anatomic lateral distal femoral angle (aLDFA).1,2  In cases with excessive varus, a distal femoral osteotomy can be performed; however, this invasive procedure requires accurate measurement of aLDFA.  Recent studies have reported conflicting evidence regarding the ability to measure distal femoral varus in clinically normal bones using both radiographic and computed tomographic (CT) methods.1,3  The purpose of this study was to establish the precision, variability, and accuracy of aLDFA measurement using radiographic and CT imaging, compared to the reference standard of digital photographs of anatomic specimens, in clinically abnormal femora.  Our hypothesis was that CT would be more precise, less variable, and more accurate than radiographs for aLDFA measurement.

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