We must understand that regulations and laws made at both the federal and state levels directly impact the veterinary profession and can either be beneficial or detrimental to veterinary medicine.  Too often laws and regulations are crafted by individuals with very little expertise in animal science or veterinary medicine.  Too often these well-meaning individuals that have no practical knowledge or background in veterinary medicine listen to the wrong people who hold themselves out as authorities.  If we want to ensure that the federal and state governments enact laws and regulations that help not hinder veterinary medicine then we are obligated to become advocates for the profession.  We are the experts that can help to ensure that our profession continues to deliver the best care possible care to animals and protects human health.  All of us ought to let our elected officials in the states and in Washington know where we stand on issues impacting the veterinary profession.  I know you are pressed for time, I am too.  AVMA tries to make it easy to stay informed on the issues impacting the profession.  Sign up for the AVMA-CAN and become a fan of the AVMA Political Action Committee on Facebook.

The most fulfilling part of SAVMA Lobby Day was when all of the students went to Capitol Hill to meet with congressional staff from our respective congressional delegations.  As constituents, we were able to ask for their support for the Veterinary Services Investment Act (S. 1709/H.R. 3519), the Veterinary Public Health Workforce and Education Act (H.R. 2999), and for $6 million in FY2011 to fund the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program.  An important point was made in prepping for our meetings.  The issues are not democratic or republic issues.  They are non-partisan.  These legislative issues hv relevance in every state and should they pass they will greatly benefit the profession.  All of the students involved in SAVMA Lobby Day were proud to know that we were doing our part.  We saw quick results too.  Three House members cosponsored H.R. 3519 on the evening following our visits!

I urge you to get involved! Learn about the issues in your city, state, and federal government and let your lawmakers know how you feel about it.  Remember, when it comes to veterinary medicine, WE are the experts.

-Van Brass

So I am writing this after experiencing possibly the pinnacle of my short life. Allow me to explain.

Well, I met with the Legislative Assistant for Congressman Carnahan last week. While I was there one of the Staff Assistants asked if I had been to the White House yet. I answered, “No, I would like to though”. She looked at her computer for a minute and said, “We may be able to get you a spot next week”. “Awesome!” I answered and left  her my information.

This morning I received an e-mail stating, “Your White House tour is confirmed for 1/20 at 10:30 a.m.”. Now, I didn’t read this e-mail until 9:45 that morning. So needless to say I was hustling to get myself together and make it there on time.

So I sprinted to the White House not really knowing what to expect since I had never visited the White House before.

After spending some time in several lines and going through security and the like I entered the White House. They led us into the east side of the house and we toured through several rooms there which were all quite beautiful. There were also many portraits and photographs of Presidents and their families. The photographs were quite interesting because I felt as if they represented the more personal side of our country’s leaders.

After passing through the East Room we were told to line up single file and to quiet down because there was an important person in the Blue room. I figured there was some sort of foreign delegate or ambassador that was going through the White House as well. But to my utmost surprise in the next room was Michelle Obama!

I was in a bit of shock at first because I thought, “Surely she is not here. Why would she be here?”. But this was her in the flesh with Bo the Portuguese water dog by her side. We all filed through and were all able to shake hands with her as we passed through.

We shook hands. She has very slender fingers and her handshake was firm but not overpowering. I was surprised at how tall she was. She must have been about 5 foot 11 inches. She was smartly dressed in a black and white tweed jacket and skirt. Her hair was perfectly coiffed and she looked radiant as always.  Here is how our conversation went:

Myself: Hi, I’m Kelvin. I’m a veterinary student from Missouri.
Mrs. Obama: Oh, Veterinarian?
Myself: Yes ma’am.
Mrs. Obama: How does he look? (gesturing at Bo).
Myself: He looks great! He is really well behaved! (He really was quite well behaved. I was surprised at his ease with the amount of people shuffling in and out. He spent most of his time laying at her feet but occasionally would pace about. I actually got to pet him, he is quite soft.)
Mrs. Obama: Awesome. Nice to meet you.
Myself: Thank you. If you could support S. 1709, the Veterinary Services Investment Act, it would help our profession greatly.
Mrs. Obama: Alright. Thanks.
Myself: Thanks!

Of course I had to say something ridiculously nerdy but I figure this way maybe she will remember me (for at least a day or so). This was truly the pinnacle of my tenure here.

Anything can happen in Washington. I have spoken with so many people working in governmental agencies, policy, or lobbyist work and they all have different paths that they took to end up here. The only thing they really have in common is that they took chances and never let an opportunity pass them by. More than anything, this is what I will truly take away from this experience.
 
It saddens me that this experience is coming to an end. But, at the same time my knowledge and world view have expanded so much that I am ready for anything to come. I feel open to any possibilities and opportunities to come my way and I cannot wait to see what happens next!

Kelvin Urday
AVMA-GRD Student Extern
University of Missouri
http://www.externsonthehill.com/

I was actually surprised at the ease of setting up meetings with the individuals that represent our congressmen and women. Each Senator or Representative has a team of Legislative Assistants (LA) that are assigned certain issue categories. They also meet with constituents and relay their messages back to their bosses. The meetings I had this week were mainly with Legislative Assistants. 

For the most part, I was able to see that the LAs were genuinely interested in what I had to say. Though these meetings cannot guarantee that something may actually occur, I definitely felt that my thoughts were reaching our congressperson’s ears. In general, it was a pleasant experience and I really enjoyed speaking with the various LAs.

The main issues I have been concentrating on are the Veterinary Services Investment Act (VSIA) and the Prevention of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act (PAMTA).  VSIA is basically an act that will support our profession by expanding programs at veterinary schools, encouraging veterinarians to enter food supply and public health medicine, and even helping veterinary businesses with the purchase of equipment. I truly believe that the VSIA could help our profession so I encourage all of you to send your support to your Representatives and Senators. I also believe that PAMTA is poorly written and could be detrimental to agriculture and animal welfare. The AVMA opposes this legislation and you can send your opposition as well.

Senator Claire McCaskill from Missouri hosts a “Constituent Coffee” about once a month for citizens to come and meet with her. There was one this week so I went and was able to meet the Senator. She spoke to all of the constituents on the state of government, healthcare, and her life in politics. Her style of speaking is very straightforward and direct. You could tell that she was a very strong individual. We didn’t get to speak much but I was able to mention the issues that are important to the AVMA right now.

Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer is a freshman Congressman this year from my district. He was able to meet with me and we were able to discuss his current role as a Representative. He had so much insight and a great attitude about serving constituents and the American people. He truly cares about improving the lives of people. He comes form an agricultural background so he also has knowledge about veterinary medicine.

I happened to see Congressman Kurt Schrader at an event. Congressman Schrader is a veterinarian representing Oregon. As we spoke he highlighted the importance of citizens and veterinarians being involved in their government. It was a pleasure speaking with him and I definitely appreciated that he was wearing cowboy boots with his suit.

I also ran into Congressman Ike Skelton from Missouri. Congressman Skelton has been serving as a Representative for over 30 years so he’s a very respected and well known person within the House of Representatives. Luckily I recognized him in the hallway so we were able to speak for a few minutes.

I have had the opportunity to meet with veterinarians that work with the Department of Homeland Security, Food and Drug Administration, US Agency for International Development, and the Library of Congress. It’s truly fascinating seeing the variety of careers that are available. Washington DC is a place of possibilities and the possibilities are endless.

Interested in how you can help get veterinary legislation off the ground? Well get started!

Sincerely,

Kelvin Urday
AVMA-GRD Student Extern
University of Missouri
http://www.externsonthehill.com/

Parks and Recreation
Season 2, Episode 4: “The Practice Date”

Effective communication is a large portion of what a lobbyist does. Without preparation and a thought out plan of attack your platform crumbles before you even step onto the National Mall. I learned this lesson the “hard way” on my second day as an extern.

That day, I had a meeting with Dr. Ted Mashima the Associate Executive Director for Academic and Research Affairs of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC). I have never had a first time conversation like this before. Dr. Mashima skipped the drinks, appetizer, and salad and got straight to the main course. We spent the next hour discussing the veterinarian’s role in the public eye, career paths, and the future of veterinary medical education.

Speaking with Dr. Mashima highlighted my rustiness in interviewing. A few “yeahs”, “cool”, and “umms” slipped out on occasion and I found myself getting flustered and lost in my own train of thought which is very uncommon for me. It definitely showed me how out of practice I was with basic networking skills. Dr. Mashima noticed that and gave me a pretty solid and constructive critique on my lack of preparation to speak with him and especially my lack of research done on the AAVMC (you can learn more about the AAVMC at www.aavmc.org). As it turns out, Dr. Mashima often speaks at national meetings and veterinary colleges about developing non-technical skills, such as networking and communications.

This is not a new lesson for me, but I’m glad that wakeup call occurred BEFORE I met with the Senators and Representatives of our country. I have to be completely prepared and know who I am speaking with as well as what I am speaking about in order to keep the conversation flowing and not allow awkward silences to infiltrate.

Needless to say, that meeting was embarrassing. The entire meeting I had “Be Prepared!” from The Lion King playing in my head, mocking my lack of preparedness. But you live and learn and hopefully improve every day.

Other than that I’ve spent some time with friends in Maryland, reading up on bills, calling legislators, trying to master the ride and read while commuting, preparing for the slew of meetings next week, getting lost at least once a day, and enjoying DC nightlife. I plan on sightseeing this weekend.

Until next time,

Kelvin Urday
AVMA-GRD Student Extern
University of Missouri
kelvin.urday@gmail.com

In governmental work you have to comfortable being uncomfortable in order to get the job done. In this blog I will be chronicling my journey as an AVMA Extern and all of its boundary stretching moments.

The morning of my first day (Monday, January 4) was spent in the bimonthly AVMA Governmental Relations Division (GRD) staff meeting. This is a time for all staff members to update each other on what they are all respectively doing. It is also an opportunity to reconvene and reformulate future plans. It was an enlightening but also confounding experience behind the inner workings of politics and lobbyist organizations.

Government work is like sifting through alphabet soup. Letters and numbers are thrown around haphazardly into a tornado of legislative mumbo jumbo. It’s almost like speaking another language. Every now and then familiar acronyms would pop up. But for every USDA, there are about five XYZ 123 ABCs. Upon coming to Washington DC I thought I was more educated on political matters than the average 20 something year old inundated by the blogosphere, Facebook, and celebrity gossip. But come to find out, I cannot even reach out and touch the knowledge that individuals in this city possess of our government.

After the staff meeting, I spent some time becoming oriented to the program and meeting with Gina and Ashley, the associate directors of the AVMA GRD. They are the representatives of the AVMA on Capitol Hill. They are the ones writing letters, meeting with congressmen and women, and ultimately lobbying on behalf of veterinarians. The AVMA has fantastic representation here in DC and I am honored to be working with them. Though the job is difficult, time consuming and labor intensive these tireless individuals are working to improve the state of our profession and country.

Then, I began placing phone calls and e-mails trying to get in touch with local veterinarians and legislators.  I also began reading up on current legislation and the AVMAs opinion on it.  The issue I am concentrating on is the Veterinary Services Investment Act.

I was also able to find a grocery store a few blocks from my hostel. Though I was painfully surprised to find that groceries cost about a third more here than they do in Missouri!

Find something uncomfortable to do today!

Regards,

Kelvin Urday
AVMA-GRD Student Extern
University of Missouri
kelvin.urday@gmail.com

The Obama campaign was effective because they had an army of supporters willing to volunteer, attend rallies and donate money at the drop of a hat. They had a strong grassroots network, not just because they had a cause and a candidate people were willing to support, but because they understood how to attract and keep their members active.

The single most important thing the Obama campaign did to build a grassroots network was listen. They didn’t ignore the conversations happening online, but instead embraced this method of communication. If they wanted to engage people, they knew they needed to go to where the conversation was already taking place, not just expect people to come to them.

The next steps for building a network were  done for the campaign by the early adopters of the message. People  shared graphics, texts, videos and other messages that originated from the campaign through online social networking tools. The campaign also encouraged people to create their own content. With features like “create your own event” and “create your own Obama group,” the campaign provided the tools for people to meet, organize, fund-raise and canvass voters, allowing them to take ownership in the movement. They weren’t just followers; they could become part of the campaign from their home.

Because solicitations to join the movement came from trusted friends and family, people were more willing to click on a link or forward a message on to their network of friends. This peer-to-peer communication allowed the message to spread, and strong relationships were built  between the campaign and the grassroots members.

Think about how you engage with the AVMA-CAN. Do your friends and colleagues know about the CAN?  Do they receive the Advocate every month? Do you encourage them to browse though the site to see how the CAN is working in the interest of veterinarians and animal welfare.

Every organization’s greatest resource is their members. You can be an activist for our cause with a click of a mouse, and it will be more valuable than  a thousand ads. With this in mind, we are asking you to invite five colleagues to join the AVMA-CAN

Send them the link to the CAN homepage at http://avmacan.avma.org/avma/home. Invite them to take part in the political process so their voice can join yours. They may share your concerns about the legislation that affects you as a veterinarian, but not be aware of the advocacy opportunities the AVMA-CAN offers. Just as we need your emails, calls and letters, to get our message heard in Washington, we need your advocacy efforts among your personal network. Please ask your family, friends and colleagues to join us in our efforts and further strengthen our voice on Capitol Hill.

For more information, please contact Stephanie Fisher at sfisher@avma.org.

The second event for the evening, hosted by the University of California, was a moderated discussion with Adam Nagourney, the chief national political correspondent for The New York Times. It was fascinating to hear the opinions of a relative insider on the Obama campaign, party strategy and how President Obama is doing so far. It was a good overview of Presidential policy for a newbie such as myself!

Tuesday, I attended the One Health Commission Summit at the National Academy of Sciences. If you haven’t heard, One Health is a strategic collaboration of health care professionals and scientists to improve human health, animal health and environmental health. As evidenced by the H1N1 influenza A pandemic, we need to see the bigger picture when deciding how best to prevent or control zoonotic diseases. Treating the human populations while ignoring an animal reservoir or vice versa is not an effective plan. The summit had speakers from multiple areas, including the CDC, USDA, and FDA. I met multiple DVMs working for government agencies and in academia. The dean of one of the vet schools even asked for my card. Hmm, new job, maybe?! We’ll see!

-Tara Marmulak

Thursday’s topic of discussion was the use of antibiotics in animal agriculture. It was a lively discussion lead by Dr. John Goldberg, from the House Committee on Agriculture. This topic is relevant because S.619/H.R. 1549 Preservation of Antibiotics for Medical Treatment Act of 2009 is being considered by committees of Congress. It bans the “nontherapeutic” use of “critically important antimicrobial drugs” in feed or water with the purpose of decreasing the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. While the intentions of the authors may have been good, the bill itself lacks a scientific basis, takes away extremely important uses of antimicrobials such as prevention and control, and will likely result in higher morbidity and mortality in animals.

Unfortunately, many of our Congressional representatives come from urban areas and can overlook the needs of people from more rural districts who would be affected by this bill. So it’s important for professionals in the animal health industry to make sure that our representatives know the impact that bills, such as this, will have. Go to: http://avmacan.avma.org/avma/dbq/officials/ where you can look up your representatives and send an email to them using a letter pre-formatted by the AVMA (so easy!). Make your voice heard!!

-Tara Marmulak

-Tara Marmulak

While there are a few things I have done regularly during my externship – lobby for support of the Veterinary Services Investment Act in both the House and Senate – I am usually doing something different every day.  I can rattle off a laundry list of activities that I have been doing, (writing education articles, meeting with veterinarians in DC, attending various presentations, committee meetings, hearings, and the LAC and PAC meetings) but I can’t even limit what I have been working on to just one topic.  What I can say with certainty, however, is that this experience has opened my eyes to the numerous ways that veterinarians are affected by what happens in this town and the need for veterinarians to speak out on issues in which they should be involved but are often not asked about. 

What all veterinarians have in common, is a need for excellent communication skills.  Whether you work in a clinic, an ambulatory service, a research lab, or Washington, DC, all veterinarians must communicate with their non-veterinarian clients.  It can be difficult to drop the jargon and put what you are saying into simple English, but it is necessary.  This externship has facilitated the development of these communication skills immensely and has enabled me to speak clearly about challenges the veterinary profession faces. I know that my communication skills will continue to improve as I move through my career but this experience has helped jump-start the process.

I can say, with great pleasure, that no two days of an AVMA-GRD externship are the same.  While some days you can be put into uncomfortable situations, you learn from them and develop your ability to adapt to any situation.  Most days provide excellent opportunities to learn about new topics, engage in conversation, and help bring veterinarians into important discussions.  This externship is what you make of it and I would encourage everyone to step up to the challenge, take on a student externship or fellowship, and pour your heart into it to help protect the practice of veterinary medicine, protect the health and welfare of animals, and move the veterinary profession forward.

–Elizabeth Nunamaker