It is part of the mission of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians to "mentor students, encouraging life-long careers as swine veterinarians." To help fulfill this mission, the association encourages veterinary students to attend the AASV annual meeting and offers a variety of activities for student participation during the conference. Once again, the AASV Annual Meeting offered excellent opportunities for students to learn about swine medicine, network with each other, connect with swine faculty, and meet veterinarians and potential mentors.
Annual AASV student membership is $15. Student member registration to the Annual Meeting is free and includes access to all educational sessions and activities, including the preconference seminars on Saturday and Sunday – a real squeal-of-a-deal! As usual, AASV’s Student Recruitment Committee offered several conference activities designed especially for veterinary students, including the Swine Medicine for Students preconference seminar, a vet hunt, a speed networking opportunity for upper-class students, and the Swine Student Trivia event.
Student Trivia
Merck Animal Health hosted and sponsored prizes for a "pub-style" trivia event. Nearly 70 from 13 veterinary schools participated, and all teams competed extremely well! Prizes were awarded for the top three teams, with the winning team getting Bluetooth speakers, tumblers, and gloves. AASV student delegates Sydney Simmons and Hunter Everett coordinated the sign-ups, Dr Megan Inskeep welcomed the students and reviewed the benefits of AASV student membership, and AASV Student Recruitment Committee Chair Dr Chelsea Hamilton and members Drs Corinne Bromfield and Bri Fredrich emceed the event. While only student teams were eligible to participate, anyone attending the Annual Meeting was welcome to observe and cheer on the teams.
Vet Hunt
The Vet Hunt encouraged veterinary students to network with veterinarians. Students introduced themselves to and visited with at least ten veterinarians who voluntarily participated in the Vet Hunt for a chance to win swine swag or other prizes, sponsored by Merck Animal Health.
Speed Networking
Speed networking during the Annual Meeting provides a fun way to meet swine-savvy students and mentors, future interns, or even potential new employees or employers. Eight upper-class veterinary students met with sixteen veterinarians, spending 3 minutes to visit with each other in speed-dating style.
Students made meaningful connections and appreciated the opportunity to practice their interviewing and networking skills even if participating veterinarians were not hiring. In addition to helping students become more proficient at discussions with potential employers, veterinarians also used the opportunity to screen potential candidates for jobs or preceptorships.
Podcasts
AASV once again provided an opportunity for students to earn a $200 stipend by conducting a recorded interview of an AASV speaker for podcasting. Seven students selected a speaker, prepared questions in advance, and interviewed speakers during the Annual Meeting. The end products are 5 to 15-minute MP3 podcasts available to members in the AASV Podcast Library at aasv.org/podcast/. Podcasts from the 2022 Annual Meeting will be available in the near future.
Student Reception
Always a favorite, the Student Reception, sponsored by Merck Animal Health, drew a large crowd on Sunday evening. Students, veterinarians, researchers, and industry representatives spent the evening interacting with each other in an informal setting. The reception was filled with plenty of snacks, beverages, and magical entertainment.