EXTERNS ON THE HILL

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

Multi-talented People

As we walked to an Irish pub a couple of blocks away from the U.S. Capital, Dr. Lindsey Hornickel (a veterinarian and an assistant director with the AVMA’s Government Relations Division [GRD]) talked to me about the purpose of our evening event. At least three members of Congress were likely to be present, and it was our mission to build a relationship with those members and their staff as representatives of the veterinary community. There are several bills immensely important to the veterinary field currently pending before Congress, and it is imperative for members of Congress to meet with veterinarians and veterinary students, like me, to understand our position on those issues; otherwise, our voices are lost in the cacophony of other interested parties whose positions may be detrimental to our profession.  

As we were directed to where the event was happening, I was picturing a large hall full of people speaking to each other in a strict, formal manner. I was wrong. We entered a small room bedecked in dark brown mahogany with less than 30 people present. After just a few minutes of mingling, a member of Congress thanked us all for being there, grabbed his guitar, and proceeded to sing two of his own original songs. Other representatives followed suit on the piano and bongo drums. 

After they played a few more songs, we were able to complete our mission and have positive conversations about veterinary medicine with the members of Congress and their staff. This experience provides a great example of what it is like to be a veterinary student extern with AVMA’s GRD. Veterinarians and veterinary students, like the members of Congress, are multi-talented, and they can use their skillsets to have a positive influence in so many ways. 

In only two weeks, I have met with veterinarians across the U.S. government who work on international wildlife conservation, wildlife disease health, livestock health, and on international development at the USAID. Some work for members of Congress and many have direct influence on public health policy and practice. Some veterinarians practiced for several years prior to transitioning to their government roles, others came straight through from veterinary school, and many have other degrees and skillsets that are perfect complements to the DVM and the work they do. All of these veterinarians, like the members of Congress, use skillsets unrelated to veterinary medicine to do important work. 

I’ve personally had a windy path into veterinary medicine from wildlife biologist to trial attorney to working on zoonotic parasites, and finally to veterinary school. It’s refreshing and encouraging to hear about the myriad ways you can use all of your skillsets to do crucial work, including even running for and being a member of Congress. This externship is a daily reminder to bring all of myself into veterinary medicine because sometimes playing the guitar, or the piano, or the drums, helps you to do the essential work you do in the world. So, let’s remember to bring our whole selves to this wonderful profession of veterinary medicine because we are all, multi-talented people.

EXTERNS ON THE HILL

Submitted by Meg Knox, Washington State University

"Not just dogs and cats

When I began my externship at the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Government Relations Division (GRD), I had a major goal in mind: to branch out. Like many small animal oriented veterinary students, I spent the better part of my life grasping for experiences and opportunities in clinical settings. My laser-like focus on gaining hours, technical skills, and connections led me to pigeon-hole myself in the small animal general practice world. This is the last summer before my third year and clinical rotations, and it came as a wake-up call. I wanted to do something different for a change! I wanted to feed my passion for animal advocacy, public policy, and leadership - passions I had been unintentionally neglecting. I wanted to dive headfirst into non-traditional pathways in veterinary medicine, to see what else I could do with my DVM - and dive headfirst I did. 

In the past month, I have met many outstanding and interesting individuals in the veterinary community. I’ve talked to veterinarians who work in the federal government, from USDA to FDA to NIH to NABR (National Association for Biomedical Research). Basically, every acronym organization you can think of. Each story has been unique and inspiring. Some veterinarians went directly into inspection work or laboratory medicine; some had years of experience in more veterinary areas than I could count on my hand.

I’ve met with veterinarians from organizations that advocate for animal health and veterinary-related legislation on Capitol Hill, including my colleagues at the AVMA GRD. During these interactions, I’ve learned about the importance of veterinary medicine representation in both state and national politics. The unique perspective of a veterinarian when lawmakers are discussing agricultural, pharmacological, and appropriations issues is essential. The compassion, intelligence, and strength we have throughout our field is impressive, and now I realize how important it is to use those attributes.

As an extern, I also met with veterinarians who work for Zoos, at sea on humpback whale research investigations, and on East Coast shores doing necropsies on dolphins. Every single person has outlined a wild and unique journey, and everyone was excited to tell me about it. 

At times, I’ve walked away from these conversations overwhelmed, but in a good way! There are so many more opportunities for a veterinarian outside of the exam room. Though I still want to start in small animal practice when I graduate, I now know veterinary medicine is not just dogs and cats. It’s reading 30 pages of confusing legal jargon to understand a bill amendment. It’s petting an Aotus research monkey as it comes out of anesthesia from a dental extraction. It’s talking to a lawmaker’s chief of staff about their puppy. It’s feeding a pig a Starburst candy. It’s talking about learning retention in higher education. It’s discussing withdrawal times in dairy cattle. It’s whatever you want to make of it, really. 

Through all these meetings, I am happy to know that people in our community are comforting and willing resources for one another. I’ve been met with kindness and enthusiasm at every visit. I’m also happy to say that I’ve met my goal of branching out during my time in Washington, D.C. I’m excited for what’s next, whether that be with dogs and cats, or otherwise."

EXTERNS ON THE HILL

Submitted by Meg Knox, Washington State University

"The unsaid changing etiquette in congressional hearings

My name is Meg, and I am the June 2023 American Veterinary Medicine Association (AVMA) Government Relations Division (GRD) Extern in Washington, D.C. Coming from Washington State University (the OTHER Washington…), the East Coast has been a big and exciting change. This externship offers me the special opportunity to meet a multitude of veterinarians that work for governmental agencies in the D.C. area and experience the legislative work the AVMA does to aid the veterinary community. Some of this legislative work takes form in congressional hearings on Capitol Hill. Here’s the story of my clumsy attempt to blend in at some of those hearings.

Before I came to D.C., I had no idea what a hearing was aside from court hearings I’d seen on television and in movies - think Elle Woods or Judge Judy. Let me tell you, that is NOT what a congressional hearing is like. To prepare for my first hearing visit, I did a bit of research in hopes of not looking like a newbie. I knew that hearings are open to the public and that there is no dress code; however, blogs I found and coworkers at the AVMA GRD advised me to dress professionally and show up early to secure a seat. 

The first hearing I attended was a subcommittee Senate meeting about a provision in the latest Farm Bill (a huge piece of legislation passed every five years that pertains to many facets of American agriculture). I showed up an hour and 15 minutes early and was afraid to open the door. It’s daunting in the buildings of Congress! People walk around like they belong there; I barely found my way to the right room. When I did muster up the courage to walk in, I told them I was there for the hearing and eventually explained I was a public member. They gave me a number (#1) and told me I could sit down. Clearly, I was aggressively early. So, I sat down for over an hour, keeping myself busy with emails and my book. The hearing itself was more intimate than I was expecting, and very interesting to be a part of. The room was grand, but the senators were seated at a large table near the witnesses, reporters, staff members, and the public. There was no grand theater or throne. The senators moved in and out of the room, leaving for other meetings and returning later, all while bumping into other chairs and people in the crowded space. It brought these leaders down to Earth for me, and I was glad that I went. 

I attended a Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee hearing as my round two on Capitol Hill. I felt confident I wouldn’t make the same fledgling mistakes (except showing up an hour and 15 minutes early, which I could not help but do again). I planned how I would introduce myself when I walked into the room: “I’m a public member hoping for a seat at the 10 am hearing.” It was vague and concise: introductory gold. But of course, this hearing was entirely different. I walked into the room and instead of a holding area or lobby, the doors lead to the hearing room itself. There was only one other woman in there who didn’t give any guidance past pleasantries. With no clue as to where I belonged, I sat in an unmarked seat for the next 15 minutes. Eventually, a different staff member told me the public was supposed to wait outside until 9:45 – at this point it was 9 am. So, I bashfully walked out of the room, knocking down a sign at the door as I left (which did NOT say I wasn’t supposed to come in). I waited with some other confused interns and externs, explained to newcomers the state of the union, and eventually was seated in the hearing. This hearing was much more high-profile, with an overflow room and individuals waiting in line even once the hearing had begun. I was embarrassed, and honestly frustrated, that I hadn’t learned anything from my first hearing.

Looking back at it now, I’m proud of myself! I put myself out there and made some friends in the line along the way. Additionally, I got to sit in person with many senators and distinguished witnesses as they talked about some of the important issues impacting our community on a national scale. 

If you ever get the chance to visit D.C., I advise you to embarrass yourself at a congressional hearing. For all the grief it gave me to find the correct door, wear the right shoes, and not sit in the wrong seat, I learned so much about lawmaking in our nation by attending these hearings. I got to see the emotions of lawmakers, as I sat in the room with them and listened to compelling witness testimonies. I got to observe a sliver of the decisions Congress makes for us every day. And you know what? I would sit and wait for an hour and 15 minutes all over again."

AVMA Government Relations Externship

This is an incredible opportunity for 4th year students! Application information can be found here.

PSA: The AVMA Externship Program & What I Didn’t Know That I Probably Should’ve Known

Hello, my name is Collin Kramer and I had the incredible opportunity to serve as the government relations extern for the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Government Relations Division (GRD) in Washington, D.C. this past July. I am currently a third-year veterinary student at Colorado State University and have no clue what I want to do when I grow up. My interests are vast and to see if policy was the right fit for me, I applied to the AVMA’s GRD externship program. To say that I thoroughly enjoyed my time as an extern would be a massive understatement and let me tell you why.

What is the AVMA Externship Program? 

The AVMA Government Relations Division externship program is a four-week program that allows veterinary students to experience public policy issues within the veterinary profession at the federal level. The externship takes place in Washington, D.C. and provides externs the opportunity to advocate for veterinary medicine on the challenges our profession faces today such as the need to expand the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program. During my externship, much of my time was spent lobbying on Capitol Hill, but I was also able to experience veterinary medicine at work in other government agencies. 

Where Did the AVMA Externship Take Me?

One of the unique aspects about this externship, was that it allowed me to make my own schedule. I was able to visit different government agencies around the D.C. area in which veterinarians work and hold key roles. I met with Hill staffers, attended hearings, receptions, PAC events, and met with one of the three veterinarians in Congress, Ted Yoho. Getting to see the many different ways veterinarians work within the United States government helped me to see that there are many different paths I can take with a veterinary degree. 

It’s Not All About Puppies and Kittens.

Many people think of veterinarians as “puppy and kitty doctors” but after my experience with this AVMA externship, I now realize that could not be farther from the truth. I met with veterinarians who are integral to the country’s medical research programs, agricultural economy, food safety systems, health defense programs, One Health initiative, and so much more. These veterinarians were only a small percentage of those that play a key role in our country’s various agencies and there is a continuous need for more veterinarians to move into this non-traditional field. Some of the government entities in which veterinarians serve include:

• National Institutes of Health (NIH)
• Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS)
• Smithsonian National Zoo
• U.S. Public Health Service
• Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
• Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS)
• Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
• Defense Health Agency

    

Not Your Everyday Clinical Experience

As stated before, I was able to make the externship experience as specific to my interests as I wanted. In doing so, I was able to meet veterinarians from multiple different backgrounds and inquire about their roles within the veterinary profession. I personally like public policy and One Health-related issues, so I tried to focus my schedule to meet vets involved with those specific titles. I also met veterinarians who were Colonels and Generals in the United States Army, and met zoo, policy, and public health veterinarians as well. Each individual I met provided incredible information that helped me to see just how involved veterinarians are in the United States. It also showed me the importance of involvement of veterinary students to be active in our government and to speak up and support the profession if they feel something needs to be changed. 

The Perfect Balance of Work and Play

While the externship kept me busy moving about the city to different meetings and appointments, I was able to take time for myself and see some beautiful sites around D.C. 

To name a few, I visited the the Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, The Library of Congress, and The Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. The AVMA GRD staff stressed the importance of mental health and a strong work-life balance. This support meant so much to me and I really felt like I was at home in the GRD office. They helped give me the tools I needed to succeed with my externship experience and because of this, all of my expectations were exceeded. 

Communication is Key

I think the most important lesson I learned from my externship is that you have to be able to communicate if you want to be efficient in your career. Through the various meetings and events I attended, I noticed that a topic or issue’s success was vastly determined by how well the presenter could communicate their point. The congressional staff I spoke with had high regards for veterinarians as they believe and trust in our profession and want to know more about what we do. Veterinarians have so much to offer through their various skillsets and change for our profession is as simple as an email, letter, or phone call to your local representative. This externship taught me information I would not receive in my veterinary curriculum and helped to reiterate how important it is to be involved in our legislative system. I recommend this externship to every veterinary student as public policy and learning how the legislative process works is the only way to receive the change we want to see in the veterinary profession.