The audience for the AAVMC’s Diversity and Inclusion on Air podcast, hosted by Senior Director of Institutional Research and Diversity Dr. Lisa Greenhill, is growing dramatically. Greenhill’s goal was to double the number of “listens” for the podcast from about 250 to 500 a month. In November 2018, the show was on track to hit 800 listens, far surpassing her goal. “For a small association podcast, these are great numbers!” she said. The AAVMC launched the podcast in the fall of 2015. It features conversations about diversity, inclusion and veterinary medicine...

Here’s a collection of commentary that I’ve found thought-worthy of late, just in case your feet are up and you’re taking a few minutes for reflection: How the Member Experience Shapes the Association Space Produced by software provider MemberSuite, this webinar encourages us to think about segmentation, personalization and the member journey – in contrast to the traditional approach of member benefits.  The session was originally delivered to an overflow audience at the ASAE annual conference in August. Our Relationship with Online Video Is Changing Recent research from Pew notes that online video, particularly...

First what I learned about tractors…  or at least tractor supplies. Recently I discovered a store that is an outlier while most “brick and mortar” stores are failing. The store is the Tractor Supply Company, and they sell farm equipment, supplies, clothing, guns and even baby chicks. Their tag line is “Everything you need for a life out here.” And when they say “out here” they mean out beyond suburbia, where the grass is tall, and the tractors roam fee. Recently the Tractor Supply Company expanded to the point where they have...

“We are pleased that our member institutions have received financial support to continue education and extension activities that allow them to serve those who need veterinary service the most.” “We are pleased that our member institutions have received financial support to continue education and extension activities that allow them to serve those who need veterinary service the most,” says Dr. Andrew Maccabe, Chief Executive Officer of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) and one of the co-leads of the Veterinary Debt Initiative. Four AAVMC member institutions and one affiliate were...

“PSLF is a critical tool for the veterinary profession, particularly since the veterinary expertise is critical to a range of public sector and nonprofit roles. “ The Department of Education’s Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) provides tax-free student loan forgiveness to individuals who have worked ten years in qualifying nonprofit or public-sector roles after making 120 qualifying, on-time loan payments. Many veterinarians who have chosen careers in the nonprofit or public-sector count on PSLF, predominantly because these careers are often less lucrative than those in the private sector. “PSLF is...

Financial Wellness DVM, a personal finance blog for veterinarians, asks its readers if, and how, parents can raise a family with one veterinarian’s income. The blogger probes further by exploring female sole income earners in the profession and how the burden of student debt impacts their career trajectory and financial decisions. Led by the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Association of the American Veterinary Medical Colleges and the Veterinary Medical Association Executives, VDI is a collaborative alliance aimed at raising awareness and providing access to resources that will enable pre-veterinary students,...

“There is a difference between a growing economy and a thriving economy.” Financial Wellness DVM, a personal finance blog for veterinarians, shared key takeaways from last month’s American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Economic Summit. The blog passes on advice from Dr. Matthew Salois, AVMA Chief Economist: focus on paying off debt and increasing savings, don’t overreact to economic news, and review investments to ensure the appropriate amount of risk/reward built into those investments. It also provides insight on one of Dr. Salois’ concluding remarks, “there is a difference between a growing...

Petco has announced it will not sell pet food or treats containing artificial ingredients, according to Dr. Whitney Miller, DVM, MBA, Diplomate ACVPM, and Director of Veterinary Medicine at Petco.  This change will be implemented by May 2019.  The Petco media release from November 13 is provided below, along with some of the media coverage to date.  This information is provided to VMAE members as part of Petco’s Gold-level Strategic Initiative Partnership with VMAE. SAN DIEGO, Nov. 13, 2018  -- Today, Petco announced it will not sell food and treats containing artificial colors, flavors...

Public funding for higher education has not bounced back a decade after the Great Recession, according to a recently released report from the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP). After the financial crisis, colleges responded to significant state funding cuts by increasing tuition, reducing faculty, limiting course offerings, and in some cases closing campuses. Funding has rebounded slightly since then, but costs remain high and services in some places have not returned, the report says. Nearly every state has shifted more of the education costs to students. The decline in state...

American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) President Dr. John H. de Jong made student debt the primary focus of his column in the Oct. 1 issue of the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.  Dr. de Jong stressed how important it is for the profession to be financially rewarding. The AVMA, along with the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges and the Veterinary Medical Association Executives, co-lead the Veterinary Debt Initiative, with a goal to help veterinarians thrive in financially sustainable and profitable careers. Dr. de Jong explained AVMA’s role...