President's Message
Jon Townsend, DVM, PhD, DABVP (Dairy Practice), President
Penultimate. An adjective defined by the Merriam Webster Dictionary as meaning “next to last”. As a kid I always found this word interesting and I still do today. It becomes important to me today as this is the next to last message and month that I will have as President of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners. This year has sadly flown by. I may never do anything as gratifying in organized veterinary medicine as getting to serve as your President the past year and for that I thank for giving me the opportunity. I’ll need to thank many other people for the help they have given me the last year, but I’ll save that for next month!
Before I get too sentimental, there is much to do for me and the rest of the volunteers that help to keep ABVP moving. I am reminded of an interview of a World War 2 veteran. Mr. Hershel “Woody” Williams was a young Marine that was awarded the Medal of Honor for his service during the Battle of Iwo Jima. He dedicated his post-war life to service to veterans. You can read more about his life in Wikipedia. His advice for life was that; one, “you can’t possibly operate under fear”, and two, you must keep moving forward. While no where close to the gravity of a situation like a deadly battle, we would do well to remember this advice for our daily lives. I think this advice holds true as we think about ABVP as well. While we have a very good specialty board (someday, perhaps college), we must always be thinking about the future and how we can make ABVP better. Maintaining the status quo isn’t good enough and you deserve continual improvement. That doesn’t mean that sometimes we might try and fail, but we are better for trying. We have made huge changes to our MOC process, our CRM system, our exams, and our Board structure. We are focusing on implementing changes in our credentialing process. We are about to undergo an introspective and hopefully very rewarding strategic planning process to help set the course for the future of ABVP. We continue to examine how we can encourage more excellent veterinarians to join our ranks and how we can assure ourselves that our membership reflects both the veterinary community and the general community in which we live. There are bumps along that road to improvement, but we have made great strides in the last few years to do a better job for you. With all these factors in mind, I would encourage you all again to consider volunteering your services to ABVP. Contact your Regent as there are always opportunities and we always could use the expertise of our incredible Diplomates. Many hands make for light work!
In closing, I want you remind all of you to keep an eye out for the registration for our Annual Symposium in New Orleans. It would be great to have an excellent turnout and see everybody in person. I’m excited by the educational offerings and the opportunity to catch up with old friends.
Now, I’m going to get back to enjoying some warm weather finally and take advantage of some sun to mow the grass! Hope all is well at your end of the barn!
Jon
Incoming Leadership Team
ABVP will find itself with a new Board of Directors and Council of Regents beginning on July 1 as people shift roles.
Congratulations to Renee Rucinsky for being elected the next ABVP Vice President in our recent election.
You can contact any member of the ABVP Team at any time by finding contact information on the website.
Board of Directors
Bill Folger, President
Gary Thompson, President Elect
Renee Rucinsky, Vice President
Jon Townsend, Immediate Past President
Vacant, Treasurer
Council of Regents
Chris Griffin, Avian Regent
Jeffrey Sarchet, Beef Cattle Regent
Raj Singh, Canine & Feline Regent
Darren Remsburg, Dairy Regent
Ashleigh Olds-Sanchez, Equine Regent
Tracey Ritzman, Exotic Companion Mammal Regent
Amy Hinc, Feline Regent
Jacques Fuselier, Food Animal Regent
Ravi Dhaliwal, Regent-at-Large
Rob Coke, Reptile & Amphibian Regent
Stephanie Janeczko, Shelter Medicine Regent
Jeff Husa, Swine Health Management Regent
Craig Datz, ABVS Representative
Nik Weber, Appeals Chair
Carondelet Nollner, Continuing Education Chair
Susan Gogolski, Credentials Chair
Mike Dutton, Examination Chair
Vacant, Maintenance of Certification Chair
Brita Kiffney, Outreach Chair
Billy Smith, Residency Chair
ABVP Online System
ABVP is in the process of moving platforms for its Maintenance of Certification (MOC) process. We will also be moving the payment of annual Diplomate fees and your contact information to this same platform. As with all technology projects, there are unforeseen bumps in the road but we are almost there and will send emails once it's ready for you to login!
The next ABVP process we will work to move into this new platform are the ABVP Semi-Annual Case Logs. Last, but not least, will be the ABVP Credentials process beginning with those applying for the January 15, 2023 application deadline.
We hope you will find the new system easier to use! We are always open to feedback for the list of "wishes" and "wants" as money and technology allow.
Journal Club
Should our bi-monthly emails not make it to your inbox, keep in mind you can always bookmark the URL for your RVS' Journal Club and check-in periodically for updates! Remember, this is now a mandatory part of the MOC process.
Exotic Companion Mammal Journal Club
Residency and Job Postings
Don’t forget ABVP has classified listings for open positions all over the USA!
Event Calendar 2021-2022
July 1, 2021
2021-2022 Diplomate Fees payable via your ABVP online account
July 15, 2021
Semi-Annual Residency Logs deadline. Logs must be submitted via your ABVP SmartSheet account by 11:59 PM Central Time
September 1, 2021
Exam registration and fee deadline. Registration for all Candidates and MOC Diplomates must be completed via your ABVP online account by 11:59 PM Central Time
First-time Credentials Application and fee deadline. All applications and fees must be submitted via your ABVP online account by 11:59 PM Central Time
September 15, 2021
ABVP Exam (All Exams)
September 16-19, 2021
- ABVP Symposium, New Orleans, Louisiana
January 15, 2022
Credentials documentation deadline for both Initial Applications and Re-Applications. All documentation must be submitted via your ABVP online account by 11:59 P.M. Central Time
Swine Health Management Entry Exam registration and fee deadline. Registration must be completed via your ABVP online account by 11:59 P.M. Central Time
Semi-Annual Residency Logs deadline. Logs must be submitted via your ABVP SmartSheet account by 11:59 P.M. Central Time
