AAVMC releases updated cost comparison tool for future veterinary studentsMay 14, 2019The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) is now making it easier for prospective veterinary students to see how much it really costs to fund a veterinary education. To do that, the association has released an updated version of its Cost Comparison Tool (CCT). The interactive online database offers tuition costs, scholarship resources, and financing options on all 30 accredited U.S. schools, as well as 12 Canadian and international colleges. "Higher education is an expensive proposition in today's world, and educational debt has become a major national problem," says AAVMC chief executive officer, Andrew T. Maccabe, DVM, MPH, JD. "We're committed to providing our applicants and students with the data they need to make informed and intelligent decisions about financing their professional education. Our CCT program is a powerful tool for helping them do that." The CCT was updated to include the total costs of earning a DVM degree for 2019 graduates and median debt levels for 2018 graduates. A tab for a single-year view of tuition costs was also added. Students can now filter the data by tuition costs, total costs, and percentage of students receiving scholarship aid from the colleges. To view the updated CCT, click …
SPONSORED CONTENTProtect your patients from the start.Simparica Trio (sarolaner, moxidectin, and pyrantel chewable tablets) is the first monthly preventative of its kind. Combining three ingredients for month-long protection. + Learn more
Three international programs awarded CIVME research grantsApril 23, 2019The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges' (AAVMC's) Council on International Veterinary Medical Education (CIVME) has awarded its 2019 research grants to three international programs. The grants are aimed at fostering the enrichment and advancement of international academic veterinary medicine. CIVME's goal is to advance AAVMC initiatives by promoting inter-regional collaboration. This year, 27 proposals representing collaborative efforts from more than 40 institutions around the world were received. The three funded programs and principle investigators are: • Optimizing work-based learning in veterinary undergraduate studies by identifying factors and issues contributing to the experiences of students, placement providers, and faculty by Ahasanul Hoque, DVM, MS, PhD, Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Bangladesh; • Establishing evidence-based wellness practices for veterinary medical students to decrease burnout, depression, anxiety, and improve quality of life: A response to increasing rates of veterinarian suicide by Munashe Chigerwe, BVSc, MPH, PhD, University of California, Davis; and • Art and Identity: Using creative methods to support professional identity formation: The students' perspective by Elizabeth Armitage-Chan Vet MB, PhD, Dip ACVAA, FHEA, Royal Veterinary College, London, U.K.
Veterinary groups support protecting, strengthening licensure requirementsAugust 30, 2018The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB), the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) and the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) have released a joint statement in support of standardizing and improving licensure requirements and standards for veterinarians and veterinary technicians. Licensure ensures veterinary professionals meet a necessary level of competence through recognized educational programs and successful completion of an examination, said the organizations in a statement. Additionally, licensure ensures that veterinarians are properly trained to comply with state regulations on controlled substances such as opioids. "Veterinarians take care of our pets, protect our food supply, defend against bioterrorism and prevent diseases that threaten public health," said John de Jong, DVM, AVMA president. "It's important we ensure that each member of the veterinary profession, including veterinary technicians, is armed with the necessary knowledge to do these jobs effectively. Strong licensing standards help us do that." "Professional licensure goes to the heart of protecting the health and wellbeing of people and animals," said Andrew T. Maccabe, DVM, MPH, JD, AAVMC CEO. "It also affects the future development …
AAVMC establishes scholarship fundraising awardAugust 16, 2018The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) has created an annual award to inspire and recognize professional excellence and achievement in fundraising for student scholarships among member institutions. The AAVMC Award for Fundraising Excellence in Student Scholarships will consist of a $1,000 honorarium and a commemorative, and will be presented in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Association of Veterinary Advancement Professionals. "Creating this award is part of our strategic interest in helping advance the Veterinary Debt Initiative," said Andrew T. Maccabe, DVM, MPH, JD, and AAVMC CEO, adding that the award is focused exclusively on scholarship resource development and is not intended to recognize comprehensive program excellence in fundraising. "Increasing the amount of scholarship resources available for students in our member institutions is a viable strategy for creating a more financially sustainable operating environment for our students and recent graduates." All resources considered within the award program must be nonpublic sector resources (private, corporate, and foundation gifts) specifically earmarked for student scholarships. Planned versus actual gifts will be officially recognized based upon established standards in professional fundraising. Development programs within any AAVMC member institutions are welcome to participate in this recognition program; the performance window evaluated …
AAVMC updates its Cost Comparison ToolJune 19, 2018The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) has updated and enhanced its Cost Comparison Tool (CCT) for 2018. Introduced in 2016, the CCT web-based tool helps applicants and students more precisely estimate the cost of earning a DVM degree, according to AAVMC. Updates now allow users to research schools and use interactive filters to compare data related to tuition, projected cost-of-living, and the cost of financing one's education. The tool still features information on all 30 U.S. schools, but now includes 13 international members, up from 11. Five-year international programs are designated, and calculations have been adjusted for the differential. The tool demonstrates three levels of cost: tuition, tuition and living expenses, and total cost of attendance (TCA). The TCA includes the previous two categories as well as the cost of loan interest accruals on an assumed fully financed DVM education (the current interest rate for graduate students using the Federal Stafford Loan is 6 percent). The sorting feature has been enhanced so that programs generally are shown from higher costs to lower cost. The map includes resident, nonresident, and international total tuition (adjusted for colleges where residency may be established after the first year) …
AAVMC launches holistic admissions pilotJune 14, 2018Three institutions have been selected to participate in an Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) pilot program designed to help veterinary schools develop holistic admissions programs. The three colleges, which were largely selected due to demonstrated interest in and commitment to diversity and change, are the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, and North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Holistic admissions is a rapidly developing program in health professions, which is designed to encourage greater diversity and inclusion among student cohorts. These processes evaluate academic performance and aptitude, but also consider qualitative factors known to contribute to a candidate's ultimate success as a student and career professional. Such factors may include more intangible attributes, such as: Intrinsic motivation Leadership Resilience Communications skills Empathy Tenacity (e.g. in the face of poor grades, adversity) Demonstrated success in a working environment High ethical standards "We will be supporting these colleges as they pursue admissions reviews that are flexible, consider the applicants' capabilities, provide balanced consideration to academic performance, life experience and attributes, and assess how the applicants will contribute to the learning environment and the veterinary profession," …
AVMA, AAVMC form Veterinary Futures CommissionApril 4, 2018To better evaluate the challenges and opportunities within the veterinary profession, the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) have established a Veterinary Futures Commission comprised of individuals from academia, industry, professional practice, and other sectors of the profession. "We're very excited to bring together such a visionary and diverse group of big-picture thinkers to participate in these critical discussions," said Michael J. Topper, DVM, Ph.D., DACVP, president of the AVMA. "They are just the right folks to participate in the critical strategic discussions we need to be having, asking the right questions, and, when need be, challenging assumptions that might be holding us back." The commission, a result of the AVMA/AAVMC Joint Committee, will hold its first meeting April 8-9 in conjunction with the Innovation Summit at Texas A&M University. "The purpose of this group is to help shape a better future for the profession of veterinary medicine," said Andrew T. Maccabe, DVM, MPH, JD, AAVMC CEO. "The diversity of perspective and experience that commission members bring to the table is going to promote some innovative thinking and help generate the kinds …
Zoetis scholarship award program passes $6M markMarch 23, 2018Zoetis and the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) announced the awarding of $630,000 in scholarship funds through the Zoetis Veterinary Student Scholarship Program for 2018. Now in its ninth year, the program awarded scholarships in the amount of $2,000 to 315 second- and third-year veterinary students representing 33 colleges of veterinary medicine. The program has awarded $6.1 million over the past nine years, helping to offset education expenses for more than 3,000 veterinary students. Lizann Guzman, a student enrolled in the College of Veterinary Medicine at Western University of Health Sciences in Pomona, Calif., said the award made a significant impact on her educational experience. After not being accepted to the veterinary college in her home state, Guzman faced a difficult financial choice. "One of the hardest decisions of my life was moving out to California for vet school, knowing that I would be in so much more debt than if I waited a year to reapply in-state," said Guzman, who will graduate in 2019. "This scholarship greatly helped me out financially and gave me extra motivation to work hard in pursuing my dream." "Easing the economic pressure on students like …
AAVMC introduces new slate of officersMarch 21, 2018Calvin Johnson, DVM, Ph.D., DACVP, dean of the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine, has assumed his duties as president of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). Johnson had been serving as president-elect of the organization. Michael Lairmore, DVM, Ph.D., dean of the University of California, Davis School of Veterinary Medicine, was named president-elect following an intra-organizational election held in late January. Lairmore, board certified by both the American College of Veterinary Pathologists (ACVP) and American College of Veterinary Microbiologists (ACVM), has served as dean at California since 2011. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine. Phillip Nelson, DVM, Ph.D., dean of the Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine, has completed his term of service as AAVMC president and will now serve a year as past-president. The president, president-elect, and past-president comprise the executive committee of the AAVMC board of director樂威壯 s and meet monthly. Mark Markel, DVM, Ph.D., dean of the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, continues as treasurer. Paul Lunn, BVSc, MS, Ph.D., MRCVS, DACVIM, dean of the North Carolina State University College of Veterinary Medicine continues as secretary. …
AAVMC council funds second round of annual education researchMarch 21, 2018The Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges' (AAVMC) Council on International Veterinary Medical Education (CIVME) has funded three program grants designed to foster the enrichment and advancement of international academic veterinary medicine. Funded proposals include collaborative projects from 15 institutions in 11 countries and five global regions. Funded programs include: Creating the next generation of evidence-based veterinary practitioners and researchers: What are the options for a veterinary curriculum ($9,500)? Main applicant: Dr. Heidi Janicke, St. George University, Grenada. Collaborators: Bristol Vet School, U.K. and Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University, Bangladesh. The perceptions of final-year veterinary science students, studying at four international veterinary schools, regarding the suitability of the undergraduate professionalism-training curriculum ($8,780). Main applicant: Dr. Stuart Gordon, Massey University, New Zealand. Collaborators: Murdoch University, Australia; University of Nottingham, U.K.; and University of Guelph, Canada. Towards an international veterinary immunology teaching network and platform ($10,000). Main applicants: Drs. Victor Rutten and Femke Broere, Utrecht University, the Netherlands. Collaborators: University of Leipzig, Germany; University of Bern, Switzerland; University of Veterinary Medicine Munich, Germany; Royal Veterinary College London, U.K.; University of Berlin, Germany; University of Environmental and Life Sciences Wroclaw, Poland; and University of Veterinary Medicine …
