Thanks to the generosity of MVP Laboratories, the AASV Foundation is raffling off a brand new, 2016 Mini Cooper two-door hardtop! This feisty little vehicle is described as an “automotive on steroids.” Decked out in Lapisluxury Blue with a white top, the Mini Cooper prize is valued at $25,000.

Raffle tickets are $100 each and can be purchased prior to the meeting at http://ecom.aasv.org/raffle or by contacting the AASV office or one of the AASV Foundation Auction Committee members. Since the vehicle was purchased and donated to the foundation by MVP Laboratories, the full value of raffle tickets purchased will benefit the AASV Foundation!

Veterinary students: Apply for $500 swine externship grant

The AASV Foundation encourages veterinary students with an interest in swine medicine to gain extra-curricular, “hands-on” experience working with swine practitioners in a private practice or production company. The foundation’s swine externship grant program, now in its fifteenth year, provides financial support to veterinary students who participate in a qualifying externship. The grants are available year-round, and range from $200 to $500 per student, based upon the actual expenses incurred during the externship.

Veterinary students who plan to complete an externship of at least 2 weeks’ duration in a swine practice or a mixed practice with a considerable swine component may apply for the grant (university courses and paid internship programs do not qualify). Both the student and at least one member of the hosting practice must be members of the AASV.

In addition to student information, the grant application requests a letter from the hosting practice containing details of the planned externship. After the externship has been completed and the practice has confirmed the student’s participation, the student submits a brief report of his or her experiences along with expense receipts to the AASV Foundation before the funds are disbursed.

The AASV maintains a searchable list of internship and externship opportunities for veterinary students at https://www.aasv.org/internships/index.php. Members who are willing to host veterinary students in their practice are encouraged to contact AASV with details.

The grant application is available at www.aasv.org/students/externgrant.htm and should be submitted prior to the start of the externship. There is a limit of one grant per student. For more information, contact the AASV Foundation: Tel: 515-465-5255; Fax: 515-465-3832; E-mail: aasv@aasv.org.

Veterinary students paired with swine practitioner-mentors

The AASV Foundation is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2016 National Pork Industry Foundation (NPIF) veterinary internship stipends. Under the direction of NPIF Internship Coordinator Dr Chase Stahl and the members of the AASV Student Recruitment Committee, six first- and second-year veterinary students were selected from a pool of 44 applicants to receive the $3300 stipends. Each NPIF intern has been linked with a volunteer practitioner-mentor with whom they will spend a 1-month internship during the summer of 2016. The foundation is indebted to the practitioners for their willingness to host and mentor the interns.

The interns and their mentors are as follows:

Maxwell Beal, Kansas State University Mentor: Dr Aaron Lower, Carthage Veterinary Service Ltd

Annette Califano, Tufts University Mentor: Dr Adam Mueller, Swine Services Unlimited Inc

Jessica Collins, Oklahoma State University Mentor: Dr Paul Armbrecht, Lake City Veterinary Service PC

Pablo Jarrin Yepez, University of Tennessee Mentor: Dr Dennis Villani, All About Swine LLC

Kayla McCrone, Midwestern University of Health Sciences Mentor: Dr Seth Krantz, Tosh Farms

Emily Vermillion, University of Georgia Mentor: Dr Emily Byers, Smithfield Foods

The NPIF veterinary internship stipend program is now in its eighth year. The stipend of $3300 per student defrays the cost of travel, lodging, and compensation during the 1-month internship. Additionally, the interns are encouraged to utilize their practitioner-mentor as a resource throughout the year and to attend the AASV Annual Meeting and Leman Swine Conference in an effort to increase their knowledge and exposure to swine medicine. Each intern submits a written report and evaluation upon completion of the program.

The AASV Student Recruitment Committee developed the NPIF veterinary internship stipend program in an effort to attract veterinary students to swine medicine and to provide interested students with hands-on experience and exposure to the life of a swine veterinarian. The $20,000 funding for the program is provided by the National Pork Industry Foundation, a charitable corporation that promotes activities in the swine industry related to research and education. The funds are administered by the AASV Foundation.