Entries in IVSA (20)

Friday
Oct162020

IVSA October EO Bulletin

Please take a look at this month's International Veterinary Student Association EO Bulletin!  There is a wealth of valuable information and opportunities in this one - there is something for everyone!  Follow this link for the full newsletter.


Message from the MOD, 

Dear IVSA members,

I really do hope that everyone is doing well.
Can you believe that we already one month in to this new term?!

I would like to remind ALL MOs to please make every effort to support us by reading the EO bulletins. It contains valuable information and we go through great effort to make sure that we do our best to keep you informed of what is happening on a global level.

Click to read more ...

Thursday
May092019

IVSA Congress - Poland

Submitted by Leanne Jankelunas from Cornell University

From July 16th to July 27th, 2018, myself and 24 other veterinary students from the United States attended the International Veterinary Student Association (IVSA) Congress in Kraków, Poland. The International Veterinary Student Association is an organization that represents over 30,000 veterinary students from more than 50 veterinary schools in over 60 countries. All members of SAVMA automatically gain IVSA membership. The IVSA serves to facilitate international student exchanges between different veterinary schools while, also, working to improve veterinary education, promote student wellness, and work to advance veterinary medicine on a global scale.

 

The two-week event involved many activities including lectures, wet labs, electing the organization’s officials for the 2018-2019 academic year, updating the organization's bylaws, wellness activities, and exploration of Kraków, Poland and the surrounding area. The opening day involved exploring the city of Kraków and ‘International Stands’ where students shared information about their respective schools with the intent to enable international student exchanges between different schools. Later that day there was the ‘cultural evening’; an event where students had the chance to experience food and beverages from 33 countries with representatives at the event.

 

There were several interesting lectures throughout the week on various topics in veterinary medicine including nutrition for dogs and cats, biosecurity on the dairy farms, surgical techniques, autogenous vaccines for preventing poultry and swine diseases, and aquatic veterinary medicine. Furthermore, the Congress theme was Wellness. To promote this, the congress organizing committee held lectures on “Mind-Body balance” and organized activities to promote wellness such as yoga, music, kickboxing, self-defense classes, meditation, drawing and many evening parties.

 

Many labs were also held on equine, bovine, swine, companion animal, exotic, and bee medicine. I attended the bee lab where we learned honeybees husbandry techniques, common diseases and treatment options for bees, how ihoney is harvested, and, also, had a chance to perform a bee dissection. The main bee diseases that were discussed were American Foulbrood and European Foulbrood. The “bee group” also had a chance to visit an apiary and learn how to properly interact with a beehive.

 

Moreover, the delegates had a chance to explore and learn about the history of Poland through visits to the many locations in the city of Kraków, Wieliczka Salt Mine, Auschwitz-Birkenau, and Zakopane. Moreover, the attendees had a chance to learn about the legend of Kraków’s dragon, explore Wawel Castle, and learn of the many pivotal events that the people of Kraków were a part of throughout history. The Wieliczka Salt Mine, a UNESCO heritage site, was spectacular. Inside the mine, there were beautiful statues and fixtures made completely out of salt including a ‘salt chapel’ and many ‘salt chandeliers.’ The tour guides explained that during the mine's heyday, the salt was considered Polish gold because of its equivalence of value to gold in old times. The most somber part of the experience was the groups visit to Auschwitz-Birkenau. There is no adequate way to describe the sadness experienced when visiting Auschwitz-Birkenau; however, the organizing committee did an excellent job providing space for the delegates to process the experience. One of the most amazing experiences in Poland was the visit to the Tatra Mountains, a mountain range that spans the border between Poland and Slovakia. The views were breathtaking and this was a great break from the General Assembly meetings that occurred throughout the two-week event.

 

The general assembly meetings involved minor updates to policies, the decision to recognize the Standing Committee on Wellness, and the election of all IVSA global officials besides the IVSA president. The IVSA President is annually elected at the winter symposium held in South Korea in January 2019. The general assembly also involved a presentation informing students of the next Congress to be held in Croatia in 2019. Elections also occurred for the 68th symposium which was chosen to be held in Morocco. There were no proposals for the location of the 69th Congress. Additionally, one member from SAVMA, Jackie St. Croix, was elected to the IVSA Global board as Secretary-General. Jackie, a third-year veterinary student at Louisiana State University, was previously the Chair of the Standing Committee of Wellness.

 

Reflecting on my time at the Congress this past summer, I can say it was a great experience where I made lasting global friendships and became inspired to become involved in global-organized veterinary medicine. I can say without a doubt I think every student in SAVMA should attempt to take advantage of this great opportunity as it will broaden your network and revise your perceptions about veterinary medicine. I sincerely thank the IVEC Scholarship Committee for giving me this amazing opportunity.

The 2018 SAVMA 67th IVSA Congress Delegates

Friday
Oct192018

Bare Bones Feature - SAVMA's International Exchange Officer

 Introducing our new mini newsletter, The Bare Bones. It is a feature highlighting what your national SAVMA team, executive board and delegates, are doing for you. Each edition will showcase a SAVMA officer and what their job entails. Our first featured officer is our SAVMA Executive Board, International Exchange Officer (IEO), Kayla Caturay, from Ross University.  


Anthony Pizzelanti from the University of Pennsylvania was the designer behind the Bare Bones logo. 


Kayla first began her SAVMA involvement as a Delegate for Ross University SVM and now represents SAVMA as the Exchange Officer within the International Veterinary Students’ Association (IVSA). On the global scale, SAVMA encompasses all of the AVMA-accredited schools to embody IVSA SAVMA – (the member organization (MO) recognized by IVSA). As IEO, Kayla travels to four events annually representing SAVMA; both the national conferences, SAVMA Symposium and AVMA Convention, and both the IVSA global events, IVSA Symposium and IVSA Congress. 

Just to name a few of Kayla's duties as IEO:
  • When stateside, Kayla serves as one of the SAVMA Executive Board members, working hard to voice and address student concerns, such as representation of island schools in the House of Delegates;
  • implementing constructive solutions and student initiatives, such as “Reasons to Go G10bal with IVSA” and the cultural sensitivity project (coming soon);
  • overseeing and aiding the local IVSA SAVMA chapters at each university;
  • acting as an advisor to the SAVMA International Veterinary Experience Committee (IVEC), and;
  • facilitating exchanges between international students seeking veterinary experiences within SAVMA and SAVMA students pursuing international excursions.
  • similar duties when representing SAVMA abroad
There are many parallels between SAVMA and IVSA, and the IEO ensures continuity within her member organization (MO) as well as between the MO and IVSA global. So early on as students, the unique opportunity to build international relations and shape the profession presents itself.

*As a friendly reminder, all SAVMA members are automatically members of IVSA
Saturday
Sep082018

IVSA Symposium and Congress

IVSA Symposium and Congress Travel Grants
SAVMA's International Veterinary Experience Committee

IVEC is offering one travel grant valued at $2500 USD per event (a total of $5000) for a student to attend the 67th IVSASymposium in Seoul, South Korea on January 14-22, 2019 and the IVSA Congress in Croatia on July 21 - August 2, 2019

*IVSA - International Veterinary Students' Association

The position is open to all SAVMA members. In order to apply for this scholarship, you must have already applied to and have been accepted as a delegate to attend the 67th IVSA Symposium in South Korea*.

*Applications for the 67th IVSA Symposium Seoul, South Korea are OPEN until September 14th! Join us in Seoul January 14-22, 2019 with 150 veterinary student delegates from around the entire world for cultural immersion, discussion of hot topics within our field, and lots and lots of dancing. Applications are due (mind the time difference!), so apply now as an IVSA SAVMA delegate! Click here.

This is a fantastic opportunity to represent SAVMA and your veterinary school at an international event.  You will receive the opportunity to explore an international vet school, learn about international medicine, an experience some unique cultural events associated with the hosting country.  
Deadline for the travel grant application is September 20, 2018 and click HERE to apply! Remember you must have been accepted as an IVSA delegate first. The link is in the above section.

If you have any questions, please email SAVMAIEO@gmail.com or ivecscholarships@gmail.com

Wednesday
Sep052018

IVSA OIE Ambassadors

IVSA OIE Ambassadors
International Veterinary Students' Association 

The International Veterinary Students’ Association is launching a new collaboration with the World Organisation for Animal Health (OIE). Student Ambassadors will be selected from every veterinary university to serve as a liaison between their students and the OIE.

Ambassadors will be required to host projects and campaigns at their university surrounding the work of the OIE - in particular their Rinderpest Awareness Campaign and their Antimicrobial Resistance Awareness Week Campaign. Student Ambassadors will be awarded points for their events, and at the 68th IVSA Congress in Croatia in July 2019, the winning ambassador will be announced and given a reward from both IVSA and the OIE. 

More information and the application can be found on Facebook: IVSA OIE Ambassadors Applications will be open until September 15th, 2018. 

Apply to be your school’s ambassador, today!