President's Message

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

Hopefully the winter months are treating everyone well. We have had a roller coaster of weather in the Great Lakes region, but at least this time of year there is light at the end of the tunnel with spring approaching. I would encourage everyone to take advantage of the early bird pricing for Symposium registration in Baltimore and I am excited at the thought of seeing everyone in a couple months. Drs. Datz, Husa and Rucinsky have been working with Marisa to update our Policies and Procedures to better reflect our current organization. It can be a daunting task and I appreciate them taking on the challenges. The Advisory Council whose members include the Regents and Committee Chairs held their first meeting led by Dr. Gagne and I am encouraged by the enthusiasm and work being done by this group. I know the Symposium Committee is doing a great job getting the final touches on the meeting in Baltimore and is already putting together everything for New Orleans next year. My heartfelt thanks for all of their hard work as well. Stay warm if that's appropriate for your part of the world, and if not-don't rub it in to the rest of us. Until next month....

Register Before March 10 to Save

The Early Bird Deadline for the ABVP Symposium ends on Friday, March 10 at 11:59 PM Central Time. We are on target for this to be the largest Symposium to date so you definitely do not want to miss this year's conference in Baltimore. Our workshops are selling out fast, too! Only a few spots remain in specific courses. If you were waiting to decide, wait no more!

Surgical Extractions in Canine & Feline
Speaker: Dr. Ira Luskin, DVM, DAVDC, DEVDC
Price: $1475


Cancer Cytology
Speaker: Dr. Ravi Dhaliwal, DVM, DACVIM, DABVP (Canine and Feline Practice)
Price: $325


Exotics Spay & Neuter
Speakers: Dr. Angela Lennox, DVM, DABVP (Avian Practice), DABVP (Exotic Companion Mammal Practice), DECZM - Small Mammal & Dr. Krista Keller, DVM, DACZM
Price: $600

Watch this VIDEO to see what you'll be learning from Drs. Lennox and Keller!
 

1 SEAT REMAINS
Endo Ear: Enhanced Endoscopic Diagnosis & Intervention for Ear Disease in Small Animals
Speaker: Dr. Munir Kureshi
Price: $1475

Watch this VIDEO to see what you'll be learning from Dr. Kureshi!

Locoregional Nerve Block
Speakers: Dr. Bonnie Wright, DVM, DACVAA & Dr. Mark Epstein, DVM, DABVP (Canine and Feline Practice)
Price: $500

1 SEAT REMAINS
Global FAST® (AFAST, TFAST, Vet BLUE®) Hands-On Scanning Workshop**
Speaker: Dr. Gregory Lisciandro, DVM, DABVP (Canine and Feline Practice), DACVECC
Price: $850

*Limited attendance and additional fees apply for all workshops.
**Pre-requisites required.

ABVP Credentials Process

Streamlining for Those Seeking a Second (or More) RVS Certification

​​​​​​The ABVP Board of Directors is pleased to announce a Pilot Program that is aimed at providing current ABVP Diplomates in good standing the opportunity for a more streamlined path toward sitting for additional ABVP RVS Specialties. This program has been a work in progress for the last 2 years, and after much consideration and excellent discussion, was approved in February of this year. 

The goal of this endeavor was to encourage more of our current ABVP Diplomates to credential and sit for the examination in an additional RVS.  Under this program, recognition of what it has taken to become an ABVP Diplomate has been taken into consideration, which results in a more streamlined application process. The biggest difference between the historical tract (basically completing another entire RVS application) and this Pilot Program is that the writing component requirements are different. Contact hours with patients in the new RVS and Continuing Education hours in the new RVS are also required.

A new applicant for ABVP has to have 100 points accepted in the writing requirement category;  A combination of the following may be used:

• Case reports (50 points each), can submit up to 2, Maximum points allowed 100
• Case summaries (10 points each), can submit up to 12, Maximum points allowed 100
• Publication (50 points), can submit 1, Maximum points allowed 50.Current

Diplomates applying to sit for another RVS exam under this Pilot Program will have to have 50 points accepted in the writing requirement category. Options for the writing component of the application are:

• Case Report (50 points) can submit up to 2, Maximum Points allowed 50.
• Case Summaries (10 points each), can submit up to 6, Maximum points allowed 50.
• Publication (50 points), can submit 1, Maximum points allowed 50.  Publications, in this Pilot Program, are allowed but should demonstrate clinical acumen as part of the publication.

I would like to thank the committee that worked on this for so long - Rob Coke, Mike Dutton, Brian Speer, Anneliese Strunk, Tracey Ritzman, and James Bogan. Their input and guidance over the last 2 years were critical to the formation of this plan. While a lot of the focus on this was generated from the "exotic" RVSs, the program is open to all RVSs except Swine and Shelter Medicine at this time. We are hoping to see cross pollination across several of the RVSs in the next few years as this program will hopefully encourage many of us to apply and sit for a new RVS exam.

This program is set to begin with the credential cycle for next year (2024), and we are excited to see how things go. Please reach out to me if you have any questions.

Sincerely,
Chris Griffin, DVM, DABVP (Avian)
ABVP Avian Regent and Exotic Regent Director

Maintenance of Certification (MOC) Update

Sonnya Dennis, DVM, DABVP (Canine and Feline), MOC Chair

​​​​​​How to get to the MOC Portal:

• Start at ABVP.com, “DIPLOMATE LOGIN” (top bar), then “log in'' (top right). 

• Links to everything you need are on the left under “My Member Actions.”

• Link to MOC webpage with SHORT how-to videos!

• Please read the handbook carefully! The handbook has direct emails to your specialty vice chair. Or you can email the chair at mocchair@abvp.com.

How do I enter 0.5 or 0.25 points for CE? Don't use the arrows. Just put the cursor in the box and type.

The MOC Committee has streamlined how to claim points for mentorship of a new diplomate and volunteering!

• Mentors: have your new diplomate fill out the “Identify My Mentor” form. You will get an email confirming you were the mentor to attach to your points application.

• Volunteers: Committee chairs will report the lists of volunteers to MOC.  Emails will go out to each volunteer in June 2023 for the July 1, 2022, to June 30, 2023, volunteer year. Once you get the email, attach it to your Prolydian points application.

⏰ Tick tock! MOC renewal applications are due July 15, 2023.

• This gives everyone six extra months under the new MOC rules! The previous due date was January 15, 2023, to submit all renewal material for certification expiring December 31, 2023.

• Do NOT wait until the last minute to start uploading your points applications. Once you have all the required points to complete your Maintenance of Certification, you will submit your renewal application. 

• Save yourself time! You can attach multiple documents to a points application. For example, you could call the request, “all CE from January to June, 2021”, ask for 20 points, then attach twenty of those 1 credit CE certificates.

ABVP Swag Shop

Do you want to show off your ABVP Diplomate status in some new gear? There is a new option for ordering ABVP logo apparel and more. This site is separate and in addition to the existing shop on the abvp.com website. The new shop offers an increased variety of styles, colors, and options with quick turnaround and shipping. We will continue to add additional brands and options, including future plans to add templates for customized brochures, business cards, stickers and much more! Disclaimer – for this new site, ABVP does not necessarily receive a percentage of sales unless we reach a high sales threshold. However, we wanted to make more options available to our members.

How does purchasing and wearing ABVP apparel benefit you? Advertising your ABVP membership to colleagues, staff, clients, interns, externs, and the general public is a great way to demonstrate your specialist status that you worked hard to achieve and should be proud to share. Increasing awareness of your ABVP status may generate increased interest and conversations about what being an ABVP Specialist entails and how hard you worked for the designation. The clothing is also very comfortable and attractive! Win, win!
How does purchasing and wearing ABVP logo items benefit ABVP and Diplomates in general? While ABVP doesn’t directly derive financial compensation, any advertising increases “brand” awareness and you, the amazing talented specialists representing the brand, are the best advertisement that we could ask for! By wearing or sporting ABVP gear, you will increase awareness of the American Board of Veterinary Practitioners, and this also tends to generate great conversations with your clientele, staff, colleagues, and visiting veterinary students about what we are, what we do, and how we are different from a general practitioner and the other specialty colleges.

Please take a look and let us know if there are items that you want to see added to the shop!

DEI Committee Member Spotlight

Darren Remsburg, DVM, DABVP (Dairy Practice), Dairy Regent, Large Animal Regent Director

What made you decide to get involved with the ABVP DEI Committee?
I believe veterinary medicine is one of the noblest professions. We care for a patient that can’t say please or thank you (well except maybe our Avian Diplomate colleagues).

I want to make sure all veterinary students and veterinarians can experience and succeed at the highest levels of this profession. In an ideal world, a DEI committee wouldn’t be needed; until then, I’ll continue to humbly try to make sure everyone has an equal opportunity.

Tell us a little bit about your position on the committee and your responsibilities?
I am a member of the DEI committee. We work collaboratively within the committee and with the ABVP Regents and Board of Directors to identify opportunities to increase opportunities and representation within our profession and within our ABVP community.

What changes would you like to see in the profession regarding diversity and inclusion?
One of the most powerful approaches to Dairy Production Medicine is to make Data Driven Dairy Decisions. I certainly didn’t come up with that phrase, but it’s one that stuck with me. The great thing about data is it doesn’t have an agenda, it doesn’t have feelings, and it (usually) doesn’t have bias. Today, the data are clear that the opportunities to become a veterinarian and a veterinary specialist are not the same for everyone. I’d like to see a continued focus on these data to track opportunities now and in the future.

Tell us what you love most about working in veterinary medicine? 
For me, veterinary medicine has always been about the people; specifically, farmers. Dairy cows are my conduit to work with them, to help them and their businesses, and through their business, their families. I mentioned veterinary medicine is one of the most noblest professions, but it’s the farmers that still feed me and my family, and you and your family. I am grateful and humbled I still get to work with them most every day.

What would you tell an ABVP diplomate who is interested in volunteering on a committee?
Do it! I’ve had the opportunity to volunteer in a couple different roles at ABVP. Initially as a case reviewer, then as the Credentials Vice Chair for food animal cases, and now as Dairy Regent. In all those roles, I’ve found an ABVP community that is welcoming and striving to do the best for applicants and diplomates.

What are your hopes for the committee?
That we’re successful enough to become obsolete. The sooner, the better.

Call for Abstracts (March 10) & Grant Proposals (March 15)

The ABVP Foundation offers grants up to $10,000 USD supporting clinical research projects involving animals conducted by veterinarians. One grant will be awarded in 2023. We encourage submission of all types of proposals concerning animal health and disease. However, research projects of an applied nature that will rapidly solve problems seem in clinical practice are preferred.

The American Board of Veterinary Practitioners (ABVP) Foundation is organizing a Poster Session during the 2023 ABVP Symposium in Baltimore, Maryland (April 20 – 23, 2023). Our goal is to create an opportunity to showcase what the ABVP membership does. Hence, we invite diplomates, residents, veterinary students (under mentorship), practitioners, academicians, and researchers to submit abstracts of novel practical studies and case reports related to one of the eleven recognized veterinary specialties within ABVP (Avian, Beef Cattle, Canine and Feline, Dairy, Equine, Exotic Companion Mammal, Feline, Food Animal, Reptile and Amphibian, Shelter Medicine or Swine Health Management).

We are looking for both research and case report presentations in poster format. A dedicated session will be scheduled in the Symposium program and presenters will be required to stand by their posters to interact with the audience. The presenting author must be registered in the Symposium.

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

Residency and Job Postings

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