Entries in Grants (27)

Monday
Mar252024

SAVMA GRANTS AND SCHOLARSHIPS

Submitted by Vivian Lee, Cornell University

Retrospective Conference Travel Grant

Attending the International Association for Aquatic Animal Medicine (IAAAM) Conference 2023 was one of the most impactful events that has shaped my career thus far. As an aspiring aquatic veterinarian, I have spent 6+ years dedicating myself to setting up a successful career path and partaking in as many opportunities possible. However, the COVID-19 pandemic affected many of the programs I participated in such as AQUAVET, externships, and especially, conferences. The 2023 IAAAM Conference was the first in-person conference held since COVID-19 and my first in-person IAAAM conference presentation. This conference hosts the most important people in this field and “founders” of marine mammal medicine, many of whom I made connections with at this event. In addition, I was able to network with prospective employers for internship and residency programs as well as meet interns/residents to discuss their experiences. By presenting my research, I shared knowledge with the community and discussed future research collaborations with other organizations. Attending the many research presentations and a “Marine Mammal Anesthesia” workshop taught by the founders of the specialty made for an unforgettable learning experience that I will certainly apply to my future career. Overall, attending this conference provided invaluable networking and learning opportunities but most importantly, it helped me confirm that this is the specialty I want to pursue and a community that I would like to remain a part of. Reminiscing on this experience continues to motivate and inspire me to pursue this career during difficult times. Thank you to SAVMA’s Education and Professional Development Committee for providing me with the Retrospective Conference Travel Grant so that I could partake in this memorable event!

Monday
Oct242022

SAVMA PHCOC: Serving Island Dogs

By: Kelle Keyles
I am a student at Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine currently doing my clinical
year at The Ohio State University. I have brought my love of the island animals and knowledge
of St. Kitts and Nevis’s severe lack of resources back stateside with me; I want to continue to
help support the animals of the island through many different facets. The first way is by sending
mostly donated supplies to St. Kitts and Nevis, having it be picked up by students or locals and
distributed to the local veterinary clinic. During my time on the island, which was almost 2 years
consecutively due to travel restrictions during COVID, I learned how the local clinic and
veterinary staff provide care to the local population. The entire clinic is run by one local woman
who is the technician and one veterinarian, with the addition of local volunteers from time to
time. It was a privilege to see first hand how they used minimal resources to cater to the local
animals in need.
My wife lived on the island with me and was hired by the first and only physical animal shelter
on the island. She worked as the foster and adoption coordinator and kennel attendant for about a
year which allowed us to take in some animals from the local clinic that were abandoned or
surrendered there. Once at the shelter we were able to get them into foster and adoptive homes.
The local animal population on St. Kitts and Nevis are severely underserved, often resulting in
owners having to surrender their pets. The stray population on the island is also very high and the
limited resources makes it difficult to control the population and get them proper medical care.
Veterinary care for small animals is already limited on the island as most of the local
veterinarians work with the agriculture department with the livestock and large animal
concerns.Since leaving the island for my clinical year at The Ohio State, I have been
brainstorming ways to continue to support the animals of St. Kitts and Nevis and help provide
them with veterinary essentials such as dog food, cat traps for spay/neutering feral cats, and
donated medications. In conjunction with sending down resources to the local veterinary clinic
on island, Ponds Veterinary Clinic, we have also been flying out puppies rescued from the streets
or abandoned at the local clinic We have partnered with a local vet student run rescue in Ohio, as
well as a Ross Alumni who works for a rescue in Pennsylvania . These are the two primary
locations our island dogs go when they come to the states. We have imported a total of 14 dogs
so far to the United States and we continue to keep contacts and options open for transporting
more dogs in the future.
I am able to continue to supply resources to the local clinic and continue to fly dogs off island
with the collaboration of Ross University Veterinary students on island. They help by
volunteering at the local clinic, picking up packages and pallets sent down, as well as fostering
and being flight buddies for dogs being flown off island. Students have been fundamental in our
ability to provide more assistance to the island while living in America. Students coordinate with
us to rescue and provide them with health care and a foster home, as well as prepare them for a
flight to one of the rescues we partner with. Students have been willing to help pick up shipments
from customs and distribute them to the local clinic and local community members in need. We
hope that with each experience they have learned that there are ways to continue to help the
island even from America that they will be inspired to do the same when they leave. St Kitts and
Nevis is a beautiful country, with some of the greatest people and they deserve to be able to
provide their animals with the best medical care. The stray animals living on the street deserve
loving homes and access to adequate medical care too. We are proud to still remain a part of the
community of students and locals that help the animals on the island and will always work
towards growing and changing for the better for them. We have since started a non-profit to
continue our support of animals and locals on the island, called Penelopes Rescue Mission.
Friday
Oct212022

SAVMA PHCOC: FARVets in Guatemala

By: Vivian Lee
During March of 2022, I had the immense pleasure of travelling to Santiago Atitlán,
Guatemala, a small mountain city located near Lake Atitlán, a massive volcanic crater in
Guatemala’s southwestern highlands, as part of the FARVets Program. FARVets is a non-profit
organization dedicated to planning, organizing, and implementing sterilization clinics to assist
animal welfare groups abroad. As part of this program, I worked closely with Fantasma Animal
Rescue, a local organization in Lake Atitlán that focuses on animal rescue, spay and neuter
clinics, and vaccinations. There is a historically high number of stray animals in Atitlán,
Guatemala with animals having a few familiar faces in their lives but not being provided the
proper nutrition and veterinary care needed to thrive. Many of these animals will go from
restaurant to restaurant in search of food, and at the end of the day they have no home to go
to.
Due to the overpopulation of animals, many of them are susceptible to disease, injuries,
and malnutrition. During the clinic, I performed multiple wellness procedures such as physical
exams, vaccinations, dewormings, topical parasite control, and other medical procedures as
necessary as possible. In addition, I performed my first ovariohysterectomies and castrations
with veterinary supervision, as well as assist with anesthesia and the recovery of the patients.
By offering these free veterinary services, our team was able to help hundred dogs in getting
the veterinary care and attention they need to ensure that the population is left healthier and
happier. Since I have limited amount of small animal clinical experience, being able to improve
on my surgical skills in addition to animal restraint, drawing blood, giving IV medications, and
placing catheters made me significantly more confident in my abilities and will surely help my
future career as a clinician.
I was lucky enough to attend this location in Guatemala, which has more than 20 Mayan
ethnic groups and is most notably home to the Tz’utujil and Kaqchikel people. This town is rich
in Mayan culture and is known for textiles, ceramics, holistic therapies, and other handmade
crafts made by the locals. As an advanced Spanish speaker, it was an honor to be able to speak
to the local people in Spanish and help translate many of the veterinary medical terms so that
they could understand what procedures we were performing and answer any questions they
had. As a second-generation Cuban Chinese American, it was invaluable to experience their
culture and see how open they were to helping their animals and giving them a better chance
at life. Being that this was the first time I had travelled internationally since COVID, it was a very
eye-opening experience and really helped bring perspective into my life that I still take along
with me today.
One of the most important missions of this trip for me was to help educate the local
citizens and pet owners of common canine and feline health issues. This ensures that we not
only leave the animals we treated in good condition, but by making locals aware of common
health issues and the importance of veterinary care, we will indirectly help other animals in the
future. A wonderful opportunity I was given as part of FARVets was to visit a local children’s
school about a 5-minute walk from the clinic location, and we spoke to the kids about the basic
needs of animals, what the clinical signs of rabies are and what to do when they see a dog with
rabies, and what a veterinarian’s role is. Many of them were eager to learn more, ask
questions, and engage with us. I left feeling like we had made a very positive impact on the
community and sparked better relationships for the next time the program visits Santiago.
Finally, not only did I gain many skills, but also I gained a family. Although we had only
spent one week together, we spent the entirety of our long days working hard in the clinic and
learning a lot about one another. I had the pleasure of working with three incredible
veterinarians who put a lot into making it an unforgettable experience, and were extremely
patient and enthusiastic to teach us veterinary students. It really demonstrated to me what a
positive and healthy work culture is, and how much the time flies by when you are having fun.
The other Cornell veterinary students who were part of the trip, some of which whom I had
never spoken to, were so supportive, encouraging, and had a lot to teach me as well. I still hold
many of these people close to my heart, and look forward to hopefully working with them again
in the future.
I am forever grateful for my experience with FARVets and would highly recommend it to
anyone who is interested in pursuing an opportunity abroad that will change your life. I would
like to thank SAVMA’s Public Health and Community Outreach Committee (PHCOC) for
awarding me the Underserved Areas Grant to help offset the costs of this program. I would also
like to thank the following people for making my FARVets experience possible: Dr. Jesse
Navatta, Dr. Mark Fealey, Dr. Mariana Prado, Claudia Guinansaca-Aguilar, Emmy Luo, Stacy
Kaneko, Kaela Toback, Sandra Pinto, Sara Dutra, and Dr. Paul Maza.
About Vivian:
Vivian Lee (she/her) is a third-year veterinary student at Cornell University’s College of
Veterinary Medicine with a keen interest in conservation medicine and aquatics. She
has had various experiences at institutions including Mystic Aquarium, Mote Marine
Laboratory and Aquarium, Fort Wayne Children’s Zoo, University of Florida’s Tropical
Aquaculture Laboratory, and The Marine Mammal Center.
She currently serves as the SAVMA Delegate for Cornell University and the
International Exchange Officer-Elect for National SAVMA, representing veterinary
students on a national and international level. In her spare time, Vivian enjoys going on
hikes with her guide dog in-training, Siggy, as well as dancing and travelling.
Vivian is happy to speak with everyone (pre-vet students, vet students, and current
veterinarians), and you can connect with her here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivian-
marie-lee/
Thursday
Feb252021

Communication Development Grant 

 

ATTENTION CREATIVE MINDS! Next up for our SAVMANewsletter highlight: the Communication Development Grant brought to you by the Integrative Communications and Diversity Committee.

The Integrative Communication and Diversity Committee (ICDC) would like to assist you and your organization in hosting an event that will encourage the development and improvement of communication in veterinary medicine. The ICDC can grant up to five grants ranging from $200 to $500 to organizations that need monetary assistance in hosting such events. The application deadline is March 15th, 2021.

Applicants are required to produce a creative work such as a video, poster, piece of art, etc. that demonstrates how their event will encourage growth in communication. The creative work will be submitted within the google form application found below, along with more details regarding the event itself, an outline of their budget and the need for monetary assistance, as well as the names of the organization(s) hosting the event and the associated university. If you have any questions please contact the Integrative Communication and Diversity Committee at savma.icdc@gmail.com.

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Wednesday
Feb242021

CDC Veterinary Public Health Essay Contest 2020-2021

Have you had the chance to check out this month's SAVMANewsletter? Have no fear! Over the next few days, the Vet Gazette will be highlighting some of the incredible grant and scholarship opportunities SAVMA has to offer. First up: CDC Veterinary Public Health Essay Contest brought to you by the SAVMA Public Health and Community Outreach Committee

The Public Health and Community Outreach Committee (PHCOC) has organized an essay contest to award 10 awards of $200 to individuals who attended the 2021 CDC Veterinary Public Health Q&A Panel. This contest is meant to encourage interest in public health and support those considering a career in veterinary public health. In order to be eligible for this scholarship, the student must be a SAVMA member in good standing attending an accredited school or college of veterinary medicine. 

The biennial CDC Day was held virtually this year as a Q&A Panel featuring veterinary public health professionals on January 11th, 2021. Essay applicants should have attended or watched the recording of the webinar.

Students must answer the following question in 500 words or less: Describe what you learned from the CDC Public Health Panel and how this is important to you and your future veterinary career.

Apply at this link by March 1st, 2021. 

If you have any questions, please email Rachel Park at savma.phcoc@gmail.com.