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May 2024 e-News
President's Message
Renee Rucinsky, DVM, DABVP (Feline), President
Now that it’s been a few weeks, I think I’m finally back on track after a great Symposium. For those of you who didn’t make it this year, you missed a good one! The CE tracks were especially good, and it was hard to choose sometimes which lectures to go to. This is the first try to record the lectures,
and although there were some speed bumps, having the availability to attend even more of the Symposium offerings is a valuable new addition from our CE committee.
One of my favorite highlights from this year was the Second Line parade organized by Marisa and her management team. What’s better than a goofy
group of veterinary nerds parading through the streets of New Orleans led by
a 7-piece jazz band! I’ve done some party things in NOLA in my time, but this ranks near the top.
As I mentioned at the Diplomate meeting, we have achieved most things we set out to do with the Strategic Plan of 2021. I’m so proud to be part of the current leadership group that has moved that plan along so well. We have a
few more things to tick off the list, but there’s been stellar progress. I skipped over most of the financial details of the organization, but important highlights include that we have managed our spending extremely effectively and have even been able to actively invest in interest bearing accounts – something we’ve not been comfortable doing in the past. Our new website is live – if you haven’t checked it out yet, please do! It’s modernized and simplified, and it embraces our new logos and branding. You can access the new logos and marketing materials here.
We also introduced the idea of creating cohorts within our membership.
This
is something that is in its infancy, but the possibilities are endless. Would you like to have an informal group of other specialists to talk about cases? Are you a practice owner that wants to talk to other practice owners? Are you a solo practitioner who wants to commiserate with other solo folks? What other groups would you want? Please reach out to me with your ideas and your contact info, and let’s start putting these new teams together.
My final thought for today is based on a James Keller quote. He said that a
candle that is lit loses nothing by lighting another. How does that apply to us
as specialists? How can we use what we have to raise the profession? To support our colleagues? And if we aren’t sharing our flame, are we at least
not trying to extinguish the ones that belong to others? Building our ABVP
community, making connections, developing cohorts, educating veterinarians and students – these are all ways for us to light those proverbial candles. Keep it up, friends. You’re doing great.
Your May MOC Update
Sonnya Dennis, DVM, DABVP (Canine & Feline), MOC Chair
It was so nice to meet so many of you and put faces to names in New Orleans!
This month, the MOC Committee has a lot to say! PLEASE read carefully.
QUICK LINKS
MOC webpage, Journal Club, add me to the Google Group/Listserv!
IMPORTANT INFORMATION RE: YOUR SYMPOSIUM CE CERTIFICATE
Most of you will upload your CE Certificate THREE (3) TIMES in Prolydian.
- Required CE Category, RVS Activity
- Required CE Category, non-RVS Activity
- Additional Points Category, Symposium Attendance Activity
📌 For CE, CLEARLY mark which lectures were in your RVS and which ones were non-RVS. For example, Feline Diplomates attending a Fish lecture would mark that one as non-RVS
📌 ALL CROSS SPECIES LECTURES are considered RVS
TIPS
Avoid uploading duplicate points requests! Save photographs or pdfs of your CE certificates and keep them in a folder (e.g. Google Drive) labeled "Need to upload to Prolydian." After you upload those to Prolydian, move the certificates to a different folder labeled “Already uploaded to Prolydian.” Prolydian will NOT catch duplicates, but when you are ready to renew and maintain your certification, a manual review will be done and duplicates will be removed. This may result in an incomplete application. It is up to you to monitor this.
When asked to “Name the Activity” in an application, put the year first to help with sorting and finding items later. e.g. “2024 AAFP spring conference,” “2024 AAFP fall conference,” etc. Improved sort capabilities have been requested in Prolydian but will take some time for the programmers.
IMPORTANT!
If your certification expires this year, all of your applications for points MUST be uploaded by July 15th! Once you receive notification that those points have been approved, you can click “Apply for Renewal” on the Diplomate Dashboard in Prolydian.
TECHNICAL ISSUES WITH PROLYDIAN?
Contact support+abvp@prolydian.com. The MOC Committee can help with rules, but not with technical problems. Prolydian tech support is available most weekends, too!
Faculty and Specialist Shortage in Academia
Craig Datz, DVM, MS, DABVP (Canine & Feline), DABVP (Feline), DACVIM (Nutrition), VSOC Liaison
The AVMA recently announced that a task force will form to address the shortage of specialists in academia: https://www.avma.org/news/avma-task-force-tackle-specialist-shortage-academia
This was a result of a recommendation from the AVMA Veterinary Specialty Organizations Committee (VSOC). I serve as the ABVP liaison to VSOC and have been involved in the discussions.
Currently there are an estimated 500 open faculty positions at U.S. veterinary schools. A few schools have lost entire departments such as internal medicine and surgery. In some cases, these gaps are being filled by non-specialists, adjunct, and/or visiting faculty. There’s also an increased reliance on the distributive model where students are sent off-campus for externships. This shortage will likely worsen over the next few years as new vet schools are planning to open: https://www.avma.org/news/proliferation-newly-proposed-veterinary-colleges
We have started a discussion on the Canine and Feline Practice listserv to see where ABVP might be able to help with the shortage and the future of veterinary education in general. We also held an in-person meeting at last month’s Symposium in order to brainstorm and come up with a list of considerations and action items.
We would like to open up the discussion to all ABVP Diplomates in all of our species specialties. To that end, we have created a new email listserv called Academic Forum. We will use this listserv to ask questions, offer suggestions, and have discussions. If you would like to be added to the listserv, please fill out the ABVP listserv form.
Please do not send questions or requests for further information to the office. Instead, please use cadatz@gmail.com and I will forward it to the relevant people. Likewise, if you would like to send a question or message privately instead of the new listserv, use cadatz@gmail.com. Thanks for your interest!
VIN Rounds
ABVP is happy to partner with VIN to make Rounds available to all ABVP Diplomates. You must be a VIN member and/or an ABVP Diplomate to attend. Those who attend the live session earn 1 hour of CE credit. Sessions are also recorded for viewing later with NO CE credit attached.
Save The Dates!
June 13, 9 PM Eastern
Pre-Weaning Diarrhea in Pigs
Matheus Costa, DVM, PhD, DABVP (Swine Health Management)
July 7
August 11
September 19
October 6
November 3
December 29
Access emails will be sent by VIN prior to the June session. If you do not receive that email, please email VIN directly at rounds@vin.com. ABVP cannot assist with access since Rounds are on the VIN platform.
If you are a newer Diplomate and interested in presenting, please email ce@abvp.com. Each lecture is about 50 minutes long and you will need to keep an eye on your lecture's message board after the lecture for a couple of weeks. VIN will pay you for your lecture. ABVP will help you with your lecture by assigning you a mentor, if you would like.
2024 ABVP Symposium CE Certificates
CE certificates have been sent. Make sure to check your spam folder as these were sent from a "noreply" email address.
If you need any changes made to your CE certificate, please fill out our correction form. Corrected certificates will be sent one (1) time per week for the next two (2) weeks - Friday, May 24 and Friday, May 31.
Book Review
Brita Kiffney, DVM, DABVP (Canine & Feline), DEI Chair
"Bad Dog: Pit Bull Politics and Multispecies Justice” by Harlan Weaver examines the changing narratives and politics around pit bulls, a breed that has been stigmatized in the United States, and across the globe. The author uses a critical lens to analyze how dog-human relationships reflect and shape experiences of race, gender, ethnicity, sexuality, and breed. It delves into research among dogs and their advocates, and challenges the zero-sum logic that pits animal care against human care. The book proposes a new way of seeking justice for marginalized humans and animals together, in an exploration of interspecies intersectionality.
I found it a refreshing, compassionate book, towards the much maligned pit bull and humans marginalized in our society.
2025 ABVP Symposium Speakers
Manuel Himenes Jr., DVM, DABVP (Equine), Equine Regent
Hello Diplomates! It was great to see many of you at the Symposium. There were great speakers and the combined program with the Food Animal group was fantastic.
As we begin planning for 2025, please contact me if you know of any Equine speakers or would like to be on the Equine program.
Find an ABVP Specialist
If you do not show up on the "Find an ABVP Specialist" feature, please ensure membership dues are current.
Since we launched a new website and updated the "Find a Specialist" feature, please ensure you take a few moments to add or update your work contact information.
Here are the steps you need to take.
- Log in to your account: https://abvp.connect.prolydian.com/
- Click on 'My account' in the far right top corner of your screen
- Click 'Edit' (mid-screen to the right of 'View')
- Click 'Name and Address' (mid-screen, beneath the 'View' and 'Edit' tabs)
- Update the fields labeled as Work
- Click 'Save' on the bottom of the screen
Residency and Job Postings
Don’t forget that ABVP has classified listings for open positions all over the world!
July 1, 2024
- 2024-2025 Diplomate and Emeritus Diplomate fees payable
July 15, 2024
Semi-Annual Residency Logs deadline. Logs must be submitted online by 11:59 PM Central Time
MOC Points Applications and Renewal Forms must be submitted online by 11:59 PM Central Time
December 31, 2024
- Final date to be called a Diplomate for those who failed to MOC on time
January 15, 2025
Credentials 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
March 27-30, 2025
- ABVP Symposium, San Antonio, Texas
