My name is Lynda Gould and I am the 2008 Student Delegate to the AASV Board of Directors. At the recent Annual Meeting in San Diego, it became apparent to me that student members of AASV don’t always know about all the opportunities that are afforded them with their membership. I thought a reminder would be a benefit to all of us (I didn’t even know about some of these opportunities as the current Student Rep!). Most of this information can be found at the "student" section of the AASV website: http://www.aasv.org/students. Please take a moment to find out what you’re missing!
- Any current veterinary student can earn $200 to $500 from the AASV Foundation for participating in a swine externship. The amount awarded will be based on costs associated with the externship, which can be done at a swine-only practice or a mixed practice with a significant swine basis. So go ahead and take that externship across the country… no skin off your back! More details and an application can be found at the above web address.
- As many of you who attended the AASV Annual Meetings know, we are provided with a stipend to offset traveling and lodging costs. The travel stipend has been doubled for next year’s meeting in Dallas to $200.
- Start looking for those summer swine-related research projects! Students are asked to present their research either orally or in poster format at the AASV Annual Meeting each year. Fifteen students will be selected to present their projects during the Student Seminar session and will receive a $750 travel stipend sponsored by Alpharma Animal Health. Presenters compete for scholarships of up to $5000 sponsored by Alpharma Animal Health and Elanco. More information and applications can be found on the website given above.
- Be sure to check out the Student Seminar CD Files located under the "Student" tab on the AASV website. This is a list of completely valuable information that is available ONLY to students. Includes things like a list of available swine internships, vaccination schedules, Spanish translations… all things created by practicing vets, and they are allowing you to use it!
- Please look for upcoming information regarding applications for the Alternate Student Delegate position in the next few months. This is a two year position, and the Student Delegate and Alternate Student Delegate both participate in all Board of Directors meetings, as well as sit on the Student Recruitment Committee. If selected, you would serve your first year as Alternate, and then move up to Delegate for your second year. I must say that this has been one of the best career moves I could have made while still in school. Compared to the benefits, there is relatively little time or effort required on the part of the student.
- The Student Delegates are entertaining the idea of putting together an international trip, possibly to coincide with the International Pig Veterinary Society Congress. Alternatively, we are also considering putting together a list of international contacts that would be willing to help host student visitors interested in pig medicine. To judge interest, please let me know if you would consider participating, or have contacts that would be helpful.
- This is just an interesting footnote I thought most of you would be interested in. A visual representation of where the food animal vet shortages are published by the AVMA. http://www.avma.org/fsvm/maps/default.asp.
I know this is a lot of information, but I encourage you to use it! The American Association of Swine Veterinarians recognizes that the future of swine veterinary medicine rests with the students, and they want to do everything they can do to help.
Please let me know if I can be of any assistance to any of you!
Lynda Gould (U of IL), Student Delegate
Jess Waddell (ISU), Alternate Student Delegate