Washington D.C. and you

As our profession continues to evolve, the veterinarians role in the political arena becomes increasingly important. How can you best prepare yourself for emerging issues facing veterinary medicine?

The 3rd annual Veterinary Student Legislative Day seeks to initiate your participation in the legislative process! Spending February 7-8, 2011 in Washington D.C., you will learn about current public policy topics, spend time on Capitol Hill visiting with legislators, and have the opportunity to explore D.C.!

If you are interested in learning more about how legislation works and what role you can play, I suggest you consider this opportunity. I attended a couple years ago and had a great experience. You get to meet like-minded students from across the country, talk with legislators about current veterinary issues and learn how to be effective with those communications. And who knows, you might even get a glimpse of someone famous!

Interested students should get in touch with the SAVMA delegate at their school for more information about attending. Registration ends November 1st, so hurry up!

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.

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New York Becomes Second State to Propose Bill Banning Tail Docking in Cattle

(This may be a little late on the news front, but still worth knowing)

By: Erin Lashnits

Cornell University, Class of 2012

A bill to prohibit tail docking in cattle was introduced in the New York State Assembly in January. 

     This ban comes on the heals of a recent report by ABC Nightline, in which a video recorded by the animal rights group Mercy for Animals showed tail docking and dehorning, as well as sick and injured cows, excessively dirty living conditions, and improper handling of cattle.  The video was recorded during an undercover investigation of a 5,000 head New York dairy farm.  The segment also included a heavily edited interview with Chris Galen, the National Milk Producers Federation (NMPF) spokesperson, but did not show footage of other farm sources provided to ABC by Dairy Management, Inc.

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USDA accepting applications for veterinary loan repayment program

A federal notice has gone out requesting applications for the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP), which will provide up to $25,000 of student loan debt relief per year for a minimum of three-years service in designated shortage areas across the United States.

The USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), which is running the program, also released maps of state- and federally-designated shortage areas on its website, along with eligibility requirements, FAQs and application forms.

Applications will be accepted until June 30, with awards being offered by September 30.

Dr. Kevin Dajka, director of the Membership and Field Services Division at the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), says the VMLRP is a great opportunity for recent veterinary school graduates to pay off a substantial portion of their student debt, while providing a much-needed boost to critically underserved areas of veterinary medicine.

"Graduates coming out of veterinary school are carrying about $130,000 in educational debt," said Dr. Dajka. "The VMLRP will help ease this financial burden for a number of veterinarians, while encouraging them to practice in areas of the country and profession that are in desperate need of veterinary help, such as rural America and food supply veterinary medicine."

AVMA leaders, who have spent the better part of the last decade championing this program and its funding, are thrilled that federal debt relief will soon be made available for veterinarians working, or willing to work, in underserved areas.

"This is the culmination of years of effort by America's veterinarians and by the USDA to get this program launched," said Dr. W. Ron DeHaven, CEO of the AVMA. "The AVMA is committed to continue working with NIFA to ensure the program is successfully implemented, and we will continue to advocate for annual funding for this program and to make the program tax exempt."

For more information, contact Michael San Filippo, AVMA media relations assistant, at 847-285-6687 (office), 847-732-6194 (cell).