Looking inward to find balance
(Courtesy of University of Florida CVM)
Citation: American Journal of Veterinary Research 79, 2; 10.2460/ajvr.79.2.140
Equine practice has always been notorious for long hours along with demanding clients, plenty of late-night emergency calls, and many miles logged during breeding, racing, or show season. In fact, a 2016 American Association of Equine Practitioners survey showed that one of the top three most important issues identified by members was quality of life. That's why the AAEP has made wellness a priority in its most recent strategic plan.
Dr. Margo Macpherson, 2018 AAEP president, said at the AAEP convention in November 2017 that the topic of work-life balance resonates with her personally. “It's hard to be a successful equine veterinarian with the demands of motherhood and wifehood. For me, that the overarching theme of this meeting is based around balance is enormous.”
Dr. Macpherson chose Nigel Marsh as the keynote speaker. The former advertising CEO, leadership coach, and father of four structured his talk around how to approach the issue of work-life balance, persistent myths, and practical advice on how to achieve balance. He admits he loathes the term work-life balance.
“It's ludicrously binary. It suggests that there are only two parts of existence, and that they're in opposition—that you do more of one and less of the other. It suggests work is bad, that we have to spend equal amounts on each,” Marsh said. “Work-life balance isn't about organizing your life so you can get home early from work to get on the golf course or on a yoga mat. It's about finding a way of living a life you find meaningful.”
Marsh emphasized starting small. He told the story of how, after losing his job, he decided he would pick up each of his kids from school once a month. The first day, he took his son to dinner, and they played together. While he was putting his son to sleep, the boy said it was the best day of his life. After that, Marsh added a new change every month.
“We overestimate what we can do in a month and underestimate what we can do in a year. Because we think we can't do everything, we think we can do nothing,” he said. “Twelve changes changed my life.”
Change first requires serious reflection. Often this happens only after a health scare, a death, a divorce, or a layoff. Marsh urges folks to reflect before any of that happens.
“The process requires thinking seriously and honestly about the type of person you want to be, the life you want to live, and the legacy you want to leave. Then, sit and think about the gap between goals and what you're actually doing and if you want to address this,” he said. “The world isn't going to organize itself so you have better balance. You have to take personal responsibility to get better balance.”
At the same time, individuals must acknowledge the realities of their situation. Every business will have things that won't change.
“Don't drive yourself into insanity trying to change things you can't. Try to work around it,” he said.
Marsh said if things are to change for a profession, older generations must want the younger generations to have an easier life.
“This is not a revenge thing. If you have done 30 years of 15 hours a day, why should the younger generations do 10 hours a day? Because it's right. Or at least for the sake of the profession. For recruitment and retention. You need to,” he said. •
Condensed from Jan. 15, 2018, JAVMA News
Divided by debt
From 2015–17, the debt-to-income ratio for recent veterinary graduates declined from 2.04:1 to 1.86:1. Much of this, however, had to do with starting salaries increasing by a mean 4 percent. Meanwhile, overall educational debt dropped by a mean 1.5 percent in that time frame. This is according to figures released during the 2017 AVMA Economic Summit, held Oct. 23–24 in Rosemont, Illinois.
So how did total educational debt among veterinary graduates decline if tuition and fees increased by 14.5 percent in that three-year period? The answer is that the percentage of veterinary graduates without any debt went from 11 to 17 percent during that time as well.
“There's been lots of increase in people with zero debt, so we're accepting more rich kids,” said Michael R. Dicks, PhD, director of the AVMA Veterinary Economics Division, at the summit.
He later added, “So that means you have fewer graduates who have a (high) DIR, but of the ones that do, they have a much greater DIR problem, and that is going to be a serious problem. It's OK if everyone is between a 1.4:1 and 2:1 ratio, but if you have lots of people with 4:1 to 5:1 ratios, you're setting someone up for serious problems down the road.”
These two trends have implications not only for the financial status of current and future veterinarians but also for the diversity of the profession and its ability to attract the best and brightest.
Lisa Greenhill, EdD, senior director for institutional research and diversity with the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges, stated at the 2016 AVMA Economic Summit that there was evidence the profession was beginning to attract applicants more likely to be able to afford attending veterinary college. •
Lisa Greenhill, EdD (Photo by R. Scott Nolen)
Citation: American Journal of Veterinary Research 79, 2; 10.2460/ajvr.79.2.140
Condensed from Jan. 1, 2018, JAVMA News
Are horse veterinarians checking out early?
More young equine veterinarians than ever appear to be leaving that sector of the profession in their first five years, according to results of the 2016 American Association of Equine Practitioners-AVMA Economic Survey. Starting with the class of 2000, 20 percent of former AAEP members had dropped their membership within four years of their graduation date. That increased to 50 percent for the Class of 2008 and to 55 percent for the Class of 2012.
The American Association of Equine Practitioners-AVMA Economic Survey shows membership declines among early-career veterinarians, but overall membership remains stable. (Courtesy of AAEP)
Citation: American Journal of Veterinary Research 79, 2; 10.2460/ajvr.79.2.140
Furthermore, 21 percent of those who graduated from 2012–16 and 33 percent of those who graduated from 2007–11 said they would change sectors if they could, while only 17 percent of graduates from 1997–2006 said they would.
“It's important that we think about the reasons people are unlikely to stay (in equine medicine). I think financial stress is probably big,” said Dr. Amy Grice, one of the survey's contributors, during a presentation at the American Association of Equine Practitioners' 63rd Annual Convention, held Nov. 17–21, 2017, in San Antonio.
Exit surveys of nonrenewing members that the AAEP conducts indicate the reasons are primarily lifestyle and salary, and the association is developing strategies to address these issues.
Michael R. Dicks, PhD, director of the AVMA Veterinary Economics Division and one of the survey's analysts, said it's also unclear whether these individuals are leaving just the equine sector or the entire profession, though he casts doubt on the latter.
“The veterinary profession generally has a less than 1 percent leaving rate. Once you're a vet, you're a vet for life,” he said.
That said, the overall number of equine veterinarians has remained stable. According to AVMA membership numbers, those who selected their practice type as equine predominant or equine exclusive totaled 2,638 (3.5 percent of membership total) in 2006 compared with 3,026 (3.4 percent) in 2016. •
Condensed from Jan. 15, 2018, JAVMA News
WHO seeks end to antibiotic use without disease
Global health authorities are discouraging use of antimicrobials in food-producing animals in the absence of disease.
World Health Organization guidelines published in November 2017 state that livestock industries should stop using antimicrobials to prevent disease or improve production in livestock. They also advocate reducing overall antimicrobial administration to livestock, especially administration of drugs important for human medicine.
The WHO also is recommending veterinarian oversight of antimicrobial use in food-producing animals, use of antimicrobial resistance tests in treatment decision-making, use of vaccines and sanitation to prevent disease, and limitation of some classes of antimicrobials to use in human medicine.
The 90-page document is available at http://jav.ma/WHOguide.
Marc Sprenger, MD, director of the WHO antimicrobial resistance secretariat, said in a press conference that overuse and misuse of antimicrobials in humans and animals have been important causes of resistance. Kazuaki Miyagishima, MD, the WHO's director of food safety and zoonoses, said prolonged or routine antimicrobial use promotes antimicrobial resistance and that reducing overuse in animal production is necessary to protect public health.
Dr. Miyagishima said antimicrobials should not be used for production or as preventive measures in the absence of animal disease, with potential exceptions for prevention uses under veterinarian oversight. The WHO also recommends taking samples from animals to determine which antimicrobials are effective and using the most likely effective antimicrobials that are least important for human medicine.
Condensed from Jan. 1, 2018, JAVMA News
AVMA backs bills on student loans, debt
The AVMA will support legislation that could help veterinarians and veterinary students refinance their educational loans and manage repayment.
The Association also is lobbying to save programs that reduce educational debt and provide access to low-cost loans.
In November 2017, the AVMA Board of Directors voted to support seven bills that would educate borrowers on debt repayment and forgiveness options, expand those options, enroll delinquent borrowers in income-driven repayment plans, let student loan recipients use bankruptcy to discharge debts to government or nonprofit institutions, limit debt collection methods, guarantee access to educational transcripts and credentials during defaults, lower student loan interest rates, eliminate origination fees, and separate consolidated loans issued under a now-canceled loan program.
Gina Luke, assistant director of the AVMA Governmental Relations Division, expects the AVMA also will have lobbying opportunities when Congress deliberates reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. One priority is preserving the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program, which forgives the remaining balance of federal Direct Loans to borrowers who make 10 years of payments while working for government agencies or certain tax-exempt organizations.
The AVMA also advocates establishing a refinancing option for student loans, eliminating origination fees deducted from student loans before disbursement to schools, lower caps on student loan interest rates, higher caps on the amount students can borrow through federal student loan programs, and preservation of income-driven loan repayment plans. •
Condensed from Jan. 1, 2018, JAVMA News
Studies show an economically complex profession
Real mean income, that is, income adjusted for inflation, for private practice veterinarians has declined since 2010, in part as a result of changes in age distribution over the past decade. Net present value of obtaining a veterinary degree is increasing for women but not for men. The unemployment rate for veterinarians continues to fall, but job satisfaction among veterinarians is decreasing, and burnout has risen.
These are some of the key findings presented during the fifth AVMA Economic Summit, held Oct. 23–24 in Rosemont, Illinois. Highlights from the latest AVMA pet demographic survey were also shared.
Frederic Ouedraogo, PhD, spoke about how demographic trends within the veterinary profession are impacting veterinary incomes, which, he said, when adjusted for inflation, have been declining since 2010. “Every year income goes up, but when we account for the real value of the dollar, we see income was actually lower,” said Dr. Ouedraogo, an assistant director of the AVMA Veterinary Economics Division.
Charlotte Hansen, a statistical analyst also in the economics division, discussed during her presentation the net present value of obtaining a veterinary degree versus a bachelor's degree, with net present value representing the present value of the costs and benefits associated with earning a degree.
“Female veterinarians (on average) earn $300,000 in today's dollars (over) their lifetime more than they would (have), had they stopped at a bachelor's degree, while men (on average) make less money with a DVM than if they had just taken a bachelor's degree,” Hansen said. She explained that, from a purely economic perspective, the opportunity costs of earning a DVM degree are, on average, higher for men because men typically earn more with a bachelor's degree than women do. Thus, men are, on average, forgoing more income than women do during the four years they spend in veterinary school. •
Condensed from Jan. 1, 2018, JAVMA News
Winn Feline Foundation: 50 years of advancing medicine
Feline medicine has come a long way in the past half-century, thanks in part to the Winn Feline Foundation.
2018 is the foundation's 50th anniversary. Since 1968, Winn has provided more than $6 million for feline health research.
Jamie S. Perry, an artist who has devoted her career to drawing cats, created “No Place Like Home” for the cover of Winn's 50th anniversary book. The original was lost in a California wildfire in October 2017, along with the rest of Perry's artwork.
Citation: American Journal of Veterinary Research 79, 2; 10.2460/ajvr.79.2.140
Kicking off a yearlong celebration, Winn marked Oct. 21, 2017, as the inaugural Cures4Cats Day during the American Association of Feline Practitioners' conference in Denver. Dr. Margie Scherk spoke about the long history of domestic cats and relatively short history of feline medicine, and the foundation released the book “50 Years of Advancing Feline Medicine: Winn Feline Foundation Helping Every Cat, Every Day.”
In 1968, the Cat Fanciers Association started what was then the CFA Foundation with a $100 donation. In 1971, the foundation was renamed after the late Robert H. Winn, who had been the association's attorney and an original member of the foundation's board. In 1978, the foundation held its first annual symposium on feline health.
According to the anniversary book, funding from Winn Feline Foundation has contributed to many developments, from the 1987 discovery that most cases of dilated cardiomyopathy in cats are related to taurine-deficient diets, leading to reformulated standards for all commercial cat foods, to a 2017 report on the transdermal application of an appetite stimulant, mirtazapine, in cats.
The anniversary book is available to download for free or to order for the cost of shipping at www.winnfelinefoundation.org/50th-anniversary-book.
Condensed from Jan. 1, 2018, JAVMA News
USDA awards funds to support rural veterinary services
The Department of Agriculture's National Institute of Food and Agriculture announced Nov. 21, 2017, that it has awarded 13 grants to support rural veterinary services and relieve shortages of veterinarians in parts of the United States.
This is the second round of awards under the new Veterinary Services Grant Program. The AVMA was instrumental in pushing Congress to authorize and fund the program.
“Rural veterinary practitioners address a variety of unique challenges related to the health and welfare of agricultural animals, public health concerns, and managing their practices,” said Sonny Ramaswamy, PhD, NIFA director, in the announcement about the awards. “This program offers incentives to these types of practitioners, students, and educators, empowering the veterinary workforce with specialized skills to enhance services in the field.”
Overall, NIFA awarded $2.35 million through the Veterinary Services Grant Program as follows:
Education, Extension, and Training
• Auburn University, $237,233
• University of Florida, $225,643
• University of Hawaii, $169,304
• Iowa State University, $250,000
• University of Kentucky, $250,000
• North Carolina State University, $240,430
• University of Tennessee, $249,966
Rural Practice Enhancement
• Downs Veterinary Clinic, Downs, Kansas, $124,794
• West River Veterinary Clinic, Hettinger, North Dakota, $125,000
• Agrarian Veterinary Services, Buckingham, Virginia, $118,025
• Allegheny Equine Veterinary Services, Elkins, West Virginia, $123,426
• Lodi Veterinary Hospital, Lodi, Wisconsin, $124,996
• Mondovi Veterinary Service, Mondovi, Wisconsin, $111,919
Project details are available at http://jav.ma/VSGPgrants.
Condensed from Jan. 15, 2018, JAVMA News
SAVMA faculty advisers engage profession's next generation of leaders
Volunteer leadership is critical to the success of Student AVMA chapters, and each of the 37 university chapters has at least two AVMA members volunteering as faculty advisers. These faculty members provide support and guidance to the chapter officers and, collectively, to more than 16,000 members of student chapters.
Faculty advisers fill a variety of roles within their chapters. While the SAVMA chapter officers average one to two years in their leadership roles, faculty advisers often volunteer for many years, providing continuity.
Each chapter elects its advisers, and terms vary. Of the more than 70 faculty advisers currently working with the chapters, the typical adviser has been in the role for four years, and 10 have been serving for over a decade. As the demands on veterinary faculty grow and as faculty members move, take sabbaticals, or retire, chapters must welcome new advisers. Available data indicate 25 advisers have moved or retired in the past two years, and 20 are new in their role since 2016.
AVMA members on faculty at veterinary schools and colleges have volunteered as faculty advisers for the Student AVMA chapters (formerly, student chapters of the AVMA) for as long as many chapters have existed. When the national Student AVMA formed in 1969, the AVMA saw a need to bring the volunteers together and started a biennial Faculty Advisors Conference that year.
In 2002, the faculty advisers requested that student officers be asked to join the biennial conference, and in 2004, the event transitioned to an annual joint meeting of faculty advisers and student officers. They meet annually at AVMA headquarters for the Student Chapter of the AVMA Leadership Conference, most recently held Aug. 25–26, 2017. •
Condensed from Jan. 15, 2018, JAVMA News
Animal research helps pets, too
This past October, the Foundation for Biomedical Research launched its “Love Animals? Support Animal Research” campaign to educate the public about how animal research has improved the health and welfare of companion animals.
The campaign debuted Oct. 16 at the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science national meeting and is co-sponsored by AALAS, the AALAS Foundation, and the AVMA.
Image for the Foundation for Biomedical Research's animal research campaign
Citation: American Journal of Veterinary Research 79, 2; 10.2460/ajvr.79.2.140
Similar public outreach efforts have focused on the benefits to human health derived from animal research, such as development of vaccines for polio and hepatitis A and B. “Love Animals? Support Animal Research” takes a new approach by highlighting a lesser-known issue: how animal research has led to innovations in veterinary medicine that help sick and injured cats and dogs.
Animal research has improved and saved the lives of countless companion animals, according to a promotional brochure, which cites the following examples: vaccines to prevent distemper, rabies, infectious hepatitis, tetanus, parvovirus, and feline leukemia; technologies such as CT, MRI, and ultrasonography to help diagnose potentially deadly diseases; lifesaving emergency care for dogs and cats injured by cars; advanced surgical procedures to treat joint and ligament problems in dogs and cats, to transplant organs, and to implant pacemakers; and nutritional products to help puppies and kittens grow into healthy adult animals.
More information about the campaign and the Foundation for Biomedical Research is available at www.fbresearch.org.
Condensed from Jan. 15, 2018, JAVMA News
