Comments on strategies to increase diversity in the profession

It seems that “diversity” has become the new word for affirmative action, with admissions committees interested in increasing diversity taking a holistic approach that considers noncognitive factors. I wonder, however, whether the noncognitive factors used to help get students into school will also be helpful in getting them out. Dr. Evan Morse's warning in the recent JAVMA News article¹ that “[t]he repercussions of ignoring diversity will be apparent in empty waiting rooms and closed clinics” strikes me as hyperbole. When looking for a professional of any kind, the choice is always for the best, not the “diverse.” And speaking of diversity, where did all the males go?

Allan J. Ahearne, dvm

Cooperstown, NY

Addressing the need for veterinarian-scientists

I find it clairvoyant on the journal's part that the commentary¹ by Dr. Marshak (“The vanishing veterinarian-scientist?”) was published in the same issue that features a sculpture (“Two Horses and Rider”) by Ephraim Friedman on the cover. In my experience, Dean Friedman represents the shining example of a physician-scientist. I had the pleasure of being a faculty member at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine while Dr. Friedman was the dean. He had a meritorious and insightful career as a researcher investigating various ocular diseases, most notably macular degeneration; he excelled in administrating institutions of higher learning, including but not limited to the Boston University School of Medicine, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Infirmary; and throughout all of this, he maintained a private practice that was noted for the admiration bestowed on him by his patients and his colleagues. On top of this, he became a well-regarded painter and sculptor.

Dr. Friedman's career truly embodies the image that Dr. Marshak so urgently writes about. It behooves us, as a profession, to heed his words and to urgently begin to act on them. I thank Dr. Marshak for his insightful commentary and hope that he will remember its positioning in the journal issue featuring the sculpture by Dr. Friedman, the physician-scientist.

Roy W. Bellhorn, dvm, msc, dacvo

Professor Emeritus

University of California-Davis

Davis, Calif

We were pleased to read Dean Marshak's commentary “The vanishing veterinarian-scientist?”¹ in the October 1, 2010, issue of JAVMA. We could not agree more that current pressures on veterinary school graduates discourage pursuit of research training leading to advanced degrees in basic or applied research, which has resulted in a dire need for more programs and funding. In fact, this need was the impetus behind the establishment of the Pfizer Animal Health-Morris Animal Foundation Fellowship for Advanced Veterinary Research program in late 2008. The program, which is a three-way collaboration between Pfizer Animal Health, Morris Animal Foundation, and individual universities, funded eight talented young clinicians in their pursuit of research training in 2009, and four more clinicians were recently selected for funding starting in 2010. This program is a testimony to the level of commitment our two organizations have to veterinary medicine and the future of our profession.

A concern we have, however, is the lack of coordination among programs and the lack of metrics to measure their effects. You cannot improve what you cannot measure, and currently, there is no agreed-upon way even to determine how many veterinarian-scientists are graduating on an annual basis. For example, if there are 40 individuals with combined DVM-PhD degrees who graduate every year, then the Pfizer-Morris program (and others like it) is having a substantial impact. Alternatively, if 200 graduate every year (and yet we are still experiencing a lack), then a much larger effort will be required if we are to “move the needle.” Although it is always tempting to argue that more is better, in a world of limited resources, hard choices must be made to know where best to place those resources.

These are expensive programs. Each fellow in the program represents an $80,000 commitment from each of the three partners (Pfizer Animal Health, Morris Animal Foundation, and the fellow's university of residence), money that could otherwise be invested in any of several valuable pursuits. We firmly believe that the investment is worth it in this case, but that belief could be supported by facts if a common way of defining and measuring graduation rates were available. We believe this is one of the key functions of organized veterinary medicine and encourage the National Academy of Sciences, the AVMA, or the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges to seek out and create a consensus position.

The shared mission of our organizations—to improve and prolong the lives of animals and humans—depends to a large degree on these veterinarian-scientists. Future advances in basic sciences, veterinary medicine, and human medicine will all benefit from the whole-body perspective and comparative approaches inherent in veterinary training. As a profession, veterinarians add a unique skill set to the pursuit of scientific knowledge, and we agree with Dean Marshak's position that without a wide array of initiatives to address this need, the gulf will only grow wider. We encourage other organizations and individuals to join us in supporting this goal, and we encourage organized and academic veterinary medicine to provide our community with the tools necessary to create not only meaningful programs to address the need but also methods to measure the impact of those programs.

David Haworth, dvm, phd

Director, Global Alliances

Pfizer Animal Health

Kalamazoo, Mich

Patricia Olson, dvm, phd, dact

President and CEO

Wayne Jensen, dvm, phd, mba

Chief Scientific Officer

Morris Animal Foundation

Denver, Colo

Dr. Robert Marshak's recent commentary¹ describes the widening gap between biomedical research and patient care and discusses the challenge of increasing the number of veterinary clinicians trained rigorously in research. Dr. Marshak makes an eloquent appeal to deans and veterinary groups to work toward recruiting and retaining talented veterinary students in research careers. Among possible solutions, he recommends expanding the combined veterinary degree-PhD programs that currently exist in veterinary schools in North America. I agree with Dr. Marshak and offer some additional thoughts.

This year, at three national meetings, the North American Veterinary Medical Education Consortium² discussed ideal core competencies of veterinarians for the 21st century and studied a number of models of veterinary education that could enable the profession to address future needs more effectively. As Dr. Marshak points out, one priority is translational veterinary medical research (ie, translating basic scientific discoveries into improved patient care). One model of veterinary education that addresses this need involves the concept of tracking, or establishing areas of career emphasis within the curriculum. Twenty years ago, this idea was quite controversial; however, most veterinary schools currently provide some form of tracking. The extent of student tracking varies considerably among institutions, but the typical curriculum combines a multispecies, multidiscipline core of biomedical sciences and essential medical and surgical training with a menu of elective courses that lead to a number of areas of career emphasis. In addition to traditional species-oriented tracks, some schools offer a nontraditional track that can involve an option to concentrate on biomedical research. Research time and elective PhD-level courses are built into the four years of veterinary studies in an assortment of ways. Students can complete a PhD after a variable period of research study following the DVM degree. This is an effective way of producing veterinarian-scientists. Students recognize it as an established track equal to any other career choice, not an add-on.

It is essential that DVM-PhD candidates are mentored by faculty members who are true leaders in their fields of research, thereby increasing the likelihood of students acquiring the important scholarly way of thinking. Additionally, all veterinary students and animal patients benefit when professors are actively engaged in scientific inquiry, not merely using existing knowledge. Furthermore, introducing research concepts and creative thinking into general classroom teaching helps to counteract the prevailing habit of cramming excessive factual information uncritically into an overcrowded curriculum. Indeed, all university students can benefit from learning that teaching and research are not mutually exclusive but akin.

Dr. Marshak's plea is compelling and timely. Sooner or later, veterinary colleges and schools must offer new educational opportunities in response to the evolving needs of society. At such times of change, curriculum restructuring is inevitable. This is an opportune time to introduce innovations, which could include a syllabus designed to train veterinarian-scientists. But unless there is a genuine sense of urgency and concerted leadership, especially among deans and college faculties, little will happen.

Peter Eyre, dvm&s, bvms, phd

Professor and Dean Emeritus

Virginia-Maryland Regional

College of Veterinary Medicine

Virginia Tech

Blacksburg, Va

An online resource for canine exocrine pancreatic insufficiency

I would like to bring a website—www.epi4dogs.com—to the attention of the veterinary community. A group of informed owners of affected dogs has established this online resource to disseminate information about canine exocrine pancreatic insufficiency internationally The organizers make great efforts to be as evidence based as possible, often citing available scientific literature. The site includes information about diagnosis and treatment. It also alerts owners about the likelihood of concurrent abnormalities, such as cobalamin deficiency and small intestinal disease, that may require additional veterinary intervention to achieve an optimal clinical response. Visitors to the site also share personal experiences regarding management of their own pets with this disease, information that can be useful to both other owners and their veterinarians.

The leadership of this group has also been instrumental not only in raising funds to investigate the potential underlying genetic abnormalities in affected dogs but also in assisting in the collection of clinical samples from affected dogs to be used in these investigations. I recommend this website as a useful resource to both veterinarians and their clients with affected animals and commend this group for the excellent work they do to promote clinical research on exocrine pancreatic insufficiency.

David A. Williams, ma, vetmb, phd, dacvm

Department of Veterinary

Clinical Medicine

College of Veterinary Medicine

University of Illinois

Urbana, Ill