President's Message

Gary Thompson, DVM, DABVP (Canine and Feline), President

Hopefully this upcoming holiday will be an opportunity to bring everyone together and enjoy time with family and friends. I am certainly thankful for the opportunity to serve such a great group of people and I look forward to welcoming a new crop of Diplomates in the near future. I am also thankful for all of our volunteers who are working to keep our specialties all moving forward. Thank you for all you do. I wish everyone the best in the coming weeks and take time to enjoy friends, family and colleagues.

New Online ABVP Credentials Application Now Open

If you, or someone you know, plans to apply to ABVP for board certification, the new online application was launched in late October. Please click on the link below to be taken to the new online application process. Applications, and all application materials, are due by January 15, 2023 at 11:59 PM Central Time.

Leadership Development Committee (LDC) 

We are seeking interested Diplomates to serve on the newly formed Leadership Development Committee (LDC).

LDC has 4 Duties

1) Nomination - recruit Diplomates to serve on the various boards and committees that make ABVP function.
2) Leadership Development - keep job descriptions for all positions current for use by committee and board members.
3) Onboarding - develop training for new volunteers.
4) Review - set up and manage reviews of current volunteers by their peers and the stakeholders they serve.

LDC is a new committee and we are currently setting all this up so you would be on the ground floor in making this committee a success.

If interested, please email info@ABVP.com or LDC@gmail.com

Symposium Schedule Released

Have you head? Did you see? The program for the 2023 Symposium is now available! Hear from speakers such as:

• Angela Lennox, DVM, DABVP (Avian), DABVP (Exotic Companion Mammal), DECZM (Small Mammal)
• Krista Keller, DVM, DACZM
• Paul Bloom, DVM, DABVP (Canine and Feline), DACVD
• Amy Polkes, DVM, DACVIM
• Marc Seitz, DVM, DABVP (Feline), DACVR
• Dave Bruyette, DVM, DACVIM

...and so many more!

Registration is scheduled to open in December!

DEI Committee Member Spotlight

Nik Weber, DVM., DABVP (Avian), DABVP (Canine and Feline), ABVP Appeals Chair

I grew up in the Detroit area with many different pets, from tarantulas and piranhas (hey, it was the ‘70s) to dogs and cats. If you have met me, you will already know that I went to the University of Michigan for undergrad (Go Blue!), and then stayed in the B1G and attended the University of Minnesota for veterinary school. I graduated from vet school in 1995, did a small animal internship near Detroit in 1998, and then moved to the Sierra foothills in Northern California in 1999; I bought my clinic in 2006 and have been there ever since. I became board certified in canine and feline practice in 2001 and avian practice in 2008. I have a wife, two daughters in college, too many cats, and assorted birds and reptiles. In my spare time I enjoy competitive orienteering, running, cycling, disc golf and occasional homebrewing.

What made you decide to get involved with the ABVP DEI Committee?
I grew up in a very diverse school district, where it was normal to be around people of various skin colors and/or religious beliefs, and didn’t realize until I was older that this was not typical for most of the US. It struck home when I heard that my best friend growing up was as a matter of course teaching his sons how to survive a traffic stop, when it had never occurred to me that my kids needed anything remotely similar. Additionally, a number of my close family members and loved ones are members of the LGBTQ+ community, which has always been underserved and marginalized. I decided that I wanted to try to help change things for the better, and I have always believed we need more diversity in veterinary medicine, so thought the ABVP DEI committee was a good place for me.

Tell us a little bit about your position on the committee and your responsibilities?
I joined the DEI committee in late 2020, and helped start discussion about officially endorsing the Gender Identify Bill of Rights (GIBOR) alongside many of our colleagues in other state and national organizations.The DEI committee is focused on DEI training material for our Board, and outreach to all veterinarians and veterinary students.

What changes would you like to see in the profession regarding diversity and inclusion?
I would like to see veterinary medicine become more racially diverse, as it is currently one of the least diverse professions. I think that starting to recruit underrepresented groups of people early (in high school or early undergrad) is important to remedy this situation. I also think that veterinary medicine should be a safe space for all minorities as well as the LGBTQ+ community.

Tell us what you love most about working in veterinary medicine?
I enjoy helping a broad range of animals, from 4 gram lizards to 200+ lb dogs, and their humans. I also like to be on the cutting edge of practice for many different species, so I can offer my clients the highest quality medicine available.

What would you tell an ABVP Diplomate who is interested in volunteering on a committee?
A number of committees are looking for members and if you are passionate about whatever committee you join you can make a real difference in our group for current and future members. This, of course, includes the DEI committee.

What are your hopes for the committee?
I hope our committee helps lead the ABVP and veterinary medicine as a whole down the road of widespread acceptance of all people.

Tell Us: Where Should the 2025 Symposium be Located? 

On November 16 we sent an email to everyone in our database asking for feedback on the location of the 2025 Symposium. If you did not receive that email (technology gremlins!) or forgot to provide your feedback, please do so now! The survey literally takes 2-minutes to complete.

Note! The survey will close on Wednesday, November 30 at 11:45 PM Central Time

Executive Director Out of Office 

We would like to make everyone aware, in advance, that our Executive Director will be out starting on Thursday, December 22 and returning to the office on Monday, January 2, 2023. If you need immediate assistance during that time, please consider reaching out to our Board of Directors and/or Advisory Council members using the link below. Happy Holidays!

Residency and Job Postings

Don’t forget ABVP has classified listings for open positions all over the USA!

Event Calendar 2023

January 15, 2023

• Credentials documentation deadline for both Initial Applications and Re-Applications. All documentation must be submitted online by 11:59 PM Central Time

• Swine Health Management Entry Exam registration and fee deadline. Registration must be completed online account by 11:59 PM Central Time

• Semi-Annual Residency Logs deadline. Logs must be submitted online by 11:59 PM Central Time

April 20-23, 2023

• ABVP Symposium, Baltimore, MD

July 1, 2023

• 2023-2024 Diplomate and Emeritus Diplomate fees payable

July 15, 2023 

• Semi-Annual Residency Logs deadline. Logs must be submitted online by 11:59 PM Central Time

September 1, 2023

• Exam registration must be completed by 11:59 PM Central Time

November 4, 2023

• Certification Exam