Animal Welfare Judging & Assessment Competition

The 10th Animal Welfare Judging & Assessment Competition (AWJAC) is quickly approaching!

Michigan State University (MSU) will once again host this fun and educational event on November 21^st and 22^nd in East Lansing, MI.  The competition is split into three divisions: undergraduate, graduate and veterinary students. Students may compete as individuals or on teams comprised of 3-5 students.  This year competitors will be assessing giraffes (as the exotic species), working dogs (as the companion animal species), broiler chickens (as 1 of the agricultural animal species) and the on-farm assessment will pertain to beef cattle.

The following Web site will help provide you with information on the competition:http://animalwelfare.msu.edu/animalwelfare/contest 

Entries are due on October 15^th.  Entry forms and the rules/guidelines for the competition can be found on the MSU Web site.  For more information or questions about the competition please contact Cami Heleski heleski@msu.edu . 

AVMA is pleased to offer assistance with travel expenses (transportation, lodging, meals) for veterinary students of AVMA Council on Education-accredited colleges/schools of veterinary medicine who choose to participate in the competition.  Travel assistance is made possible by an animal welfare activities grant to our Animal Welfare Division from GSK.  Up to $500 per veterinary student for up to 20 students will be provided, and advance application must be made using the form found at http://www.avma.org/issues/animal_welfare/intercollegiate.asp. Travel grant applications should be directed to:     

Dr. Gail C. Golab
Director, Animal Welfare Division
American Veterinary Medical Association
1931 North Meacham Rd, Suite 100
Schaumburg, Illinois 60173
ggolab@avma.org 

Best Advice Essay Contest

Here's a shot at some free money and a chance to put your thoughts into words. SAVMA's Education and Professional Development Committee presents the Best Advice Essay Contest 2010.

The question is: "What is the best piece of advice you have gathered from a mentor/teacher for getting through veterinary school, the profession, or clinics and why?"

These essays should be no longer than 500 words and we are looking for:
- a brief synopsis of when and how the advice was given
- who gave you the advice
- how it has affected you in your veterinary career

In addition, please provide us with a title that either summarizes the advice or is the advice itself.

The winner will receive $100 and the runner-up will receive $50. Your submission will also be published here on The Vet Gazette. 

Best Advice Essays should be submitted electronically to joannemh@vt.edu by Monday, October 25^th, 2010.  Submissions will be reviewed by the EPDC and announced before the end of the fall semester.

Please be sure to include you name, email address, and school on your submission, and have “EPDC Best Advice” in the subject heading.

Any questions can be directed to joannemh@vt.edu.

Thanks for participating!

Governmental Affairs Committee Update

Howdy!  My name is Joe Pluhar, your Government Affairs Committee Chairperson for the next year.  GAC is excited about the upcoming year.  We seek to inform SAVMA members on a variety of topics and opportunities concerning government and policy and to provide information on a plethora of sources to further independent investigation. Our goal for the year is simple: we want to engage more students in the legislative and policy making process.

As a majority, we embarked on our journey into veterinary medicine because our innate interests did not lie in politics or business.   We chose veterinary medicine so we could follow our passions for animal health, scientific research, and public health.  However, in today’s climate that is simply not enough.  Veterinary medicine is at the forefront of an abundance of policy issues both locally and nationally.  The public is begging for answers and if veterinarians don’t speak up for themselves and animals, someone else will.  There are plenty of organizations and movements who are willing to fill the void left if veterinarians choose not to stand up.  Some of these organizations values and ideals are in line with mainstream veterinary medicine, but some are not.  We need to become more educated and engaged as a profession because it is up to us to tell our story.

Click to read more ...

South Africa and Wildlife

If you are interested in wildlife, natural science or just travelling this is a great opportunity. The application deadline is Oct 20. 

The International Symposium on Wildlife Utilization in South Africa (ISWU) is a biennial symposium dealing with veterinary involvement in wildlife management. It serves as a platform for leading speakers, both local and international, in the fields of Veterinary and Natural Sciences, to address veterinary students on a host of wildlife management topics and the role of the veterinarian in wildlife utilization.

http://www.symco.co.za/

Veterinary students worldwide are invited to attend this exhilarating symposium which will run from July 1-17, 2011. If you have any questions please check out the website or email dmurdy@westernu.edu.

AVMA Student Externship in Washington D.C.!

The AVMA is excited to offer the AVMA Student Externship Program to all students who will have completed their second year of study by May 2011.  That's right students, you don't have to be a fourth year to take advantage of this externship.  Students will get an opportunity to actively participate in the legislative process, meet veterinarians working on Capitol Hill, and get to experience our nation's capital.

Deadline:  October 8, 2010

What:  AVMA provides a $1,200 stipend for a 4 week externship

Where:  AVMA Government Relations Division, Washington, D.C.

When:  There are several blocks available for next year, check out the link below

http://www.avma.org/advocacy/get_involved/externships.asp

All information is available on the website.  This is a great opportunity to positively impact animal health, veterinary medicine, and veterinary students while gaining an insiders prospective to the legislative process.