- Participate in the first year orientation program – ISVMA has a key role during the students’ first day on campus. We review the various associations and the critical role of organized veterinary medicine. We also distribute student membership application forms to each student and make sure that we obtain a completed application from each student.
- Sponsor and provide on-campus education programs for students – ISVMA offers quarterly programs geared towards practice management, life skills, and contemporary issues in veterinary medicine for the students. We provide lunch/dinner and have been averaging about 160 students per meeting (out of approximately 420 total students).
- Offer to teach a class on the politics of veterinary medicine – we have been fortunate to teach this class to first year students for the last three years. It is a real eye-opening experience for many.
- Have students elect Class Representatives – ISVMA has a student representative for each of the four classes. The first-year students are asked to elect a classmate during the second semester. We hold the election during the second semester so that the students get to know each other (and who the leaders are), understand ISVMA better, and don’t just engage in a popularity contest or “spread the wealth” because there are so many class positions available and, during first semester, they can’t tell one from another. We hold an electronic election with an online ballot program. We have great participation from the students. In 2009, for instance, we had 8 candidates for the position and 93% of the students voted. Once a student is elected during their first year, she serves as ISVMA Class Representative for all four years.
- Make sure the Class Representatives have real jobs – We share a job description for ISVMA Class Representatives with every student. It demonstrates that we consider the position to be more than an honorary title. We expect our Class Representatives to become fully integrated in the leadership structure of ISVMA and give them meaningful leadership experience in organized veterinary medicine. We want our Class Representatives to be looked upon as leaders within their own class and in the veterinary college.
- Provide scholarships – ISVMA provides a scholarship for each of the ISVMA Class Representatives. Initially, it was a $1000/year scholarship for each student. This was funded by the ISVMA. At the same time, we began building endowments in the Illinois Veterinary Medical Foundation so that the endowment could assume the funding of the scholarships and are moving to a $2500/year scholarship for each student. In addition to the ISVMA Class Representative Scholarships, ISVMA provides 3 additional scholarships for the valedictorian and two named scholarships (recipients determined by the College).
- Encourage students to be involved in leadership – In addition to our voting student Board member, we have students on nearly every committee. This year, one of our student members was the “take charge” person for our Lobby Day and our attendance doubled from the previous high. We actually had to rent a charter bus to bring students over to the Capitol for the day. This student coordinated with faculty to either excuse students interested in attending or reschedule exams to accommodate the Lobby Day schedule. Several second year students took an exam at 5:30am (and the faculty member got up early to give the exam!) so that they could catch the bus and participate.
- Be a presence on campus –
- ISVMA holds one of its five annual Board of Director meetings on campus every year. In conjunction with that meeting, the ISVMA hosts an “open forum” luncheon with students. Every student is invited to join the ISVMA Board members for lunch and an open discussion of issues. The discussions have included current legislation, leadership opportunities, student concerns with curriculum, job opportunities, how to prepare for an interview, how to find a good mentor, etc. It has always been a very lively discussion. We set up 20-25 tables of ten and distribute the Board members around the room so that each group of students can eat lunch with an ISVMA leader.
- ISVMA holds its regular student education forums on campus and they are led by the ISVMA Board of Directors Student Liaison (a Board member entrusted with this responsibility).
- ISVMA participates in the blue coat ceremony, white coat ceremony, graduation, annual open house, Doodle-for-Wildlife annual auction (to raise money for the wildlife clinic – and I donate a framed, signed photograph every year), awards ceremony, and much more.
- I try to appear on campus at least twice monthly. I set up meetings with the ISVMA Class Representatives, ISCAVMA, hold ISVMA committee meetings, or sometimes I just to walk the halls to be seen. Some of the students have commented in the past that they thought I had an office on campus because I am there so much. At least they recognize me and associate me with ISVMA!
- ISVMA partnered with the Illinois Veterinary Medical Foundation and the College of Veterinary Medicine to develop the Dr. Walter E. Zuschlag/ISVMA Veterinary Heritage Collection and Information Commons in the most high traffic area on campus (see attached). This is a “living museum” chronicles the history of veterinary medicine for the students, alumni, and public; and affirms the important contributions of veterinary medicine in the past and its relevance for the future protection of the health and welfare of animals and the public. Additionally, it is a study area for students and a place for prospective students and their families to meet. It is hard wired for internet access (as well as wireless); and has study carrels, long tables, round tables and floor space for those that want to spread out on the floor to study. It is a heavily-used room and ISVMA’s brand is very noticeable.
- Participate in the pre-graduation orientation – Every year, the fourth year students gather a couple of weeks before graduation to receive instructions, fill out necessary paperwork (e.g. agreement to release transcripts), choose their hooder, etc. I have participated in this meeting every year that I have been at ISVMA. It is my last opportunity to discuss with the students the importance of joining the AVMA and their state association (wherever they intend to practice). We review the licensure process and I share examples of how ISVMA has been their advocate as student members and how they will relate differently to ISVMA as veterinarian members. I distribute new member application forms and every student is asked to fill out the membership form (irrespective of where they intend to practice). We find that many new graduates that leave the state initially (for internships, residency or for their first associate job) come back. They will often retain their ISVMA membership even if they live out of state. Every year, we get between 95-100% of the students to fill out the application form and our retention rate has been very high. Recent graduates that do not renew their memberships are almost exclusively those that choose to practice out of state, have joined the state association in their state of practice, and have no intention of returning to Illinois for practice.
Author: Peter Weber, CAE, Illinois Veterinary Medical Association