DR. JENNIFER QUAMMEN (CONT.) Q: What do you see as the greatest opportunities and challenges facing veterinary education?
A: Tis is the big question, isn’t it? Tere are many issues looming over our veterinary education, but I’d like to focus on two areas as AVMA vice president: technology and connected care as well as healthy utilization of veterinary technicians and student skills. Both are inextricably linked. Input from our academicians, administrators, and students is key to finding solutions for these challenges.
Technology, cloud-based solutions, and virtual connections of veterinary health care teams aren’t a far- off thought; they’re happening now. Many practices are already utilizing part-time and full-time remote employees and offering work-from-home options. Universities are teaching students about virtual and connected care, artificial intelligence, and remote monitoring. Tis is a timely opportunity to have educa- tors and clinicians help one another in the most efficient uses of technology, which are necessary for our veterinary graduates to meet the needs of animal health care.
Let’s move to the theme of veterinary technician and student skill utilization and highlight a couple of pieces of information from the AVMA Veterinary Economics Division. Te turnover rate for veterinarians is twice that of human medical doctors. For veterinary technicians and nurses, it’s three times that of phy- sician assistants. I think we can help change these numbers and retain our colleagues. Fair expectations, reasonable boundaries, and a view of the complete veterinary health care team to manage patient care are all important to consider. We don’t expect veterinarians to be available 24/7/365, nor should we expect that of our students, faculty, or technicians. Dialogue and expectations management could go a long way to foster the team-based health care mentality and, therefore, foster collegiality and a more healthy learning environment.
Tis is an area where novel ideas about workforce capacity are so important. We know practices across all sectors and regions are struggling with inefficient workflows and other processes in our day-to-day work. As AVMA vice president, I will solicit information and advice from veterinary health care teams, as well as those training the future workforce, to learn what is working to improve retention of our workforce talent. Tis is a multilayered challenge and will likely require a multipronged set of interventions.
Q: How can the AVMA help?
A: AVMA has to bridge the gap among the generations, to be open to honoring the traditions of an amazing profession while preparing for the future. Not only has the profile of professionals in the industry changed, but also the mix of the patients we are charged with caring for. How do we look forward to where we are going while understanding where we came from? Our industry has changed a lot in the last 50 to 75 years and will continue to evolve. How do we set ourselves up for success for the next 50 years? I think part of that answer is by admitting that change is coming, it’s inevitable, and that change is overall a good thing. We must keep up with the speed of commerce, communication, and the needs of the veterinary health care workers, the students, and the patients we serve.
Q: When you look back on your time as vice president, what do you hope you’ll have accomplished?
A: I hope to see accomplishments in the arena of technology, both within veterinary education and more broadly in the veterinary profession. Finding methods for students and faculty to use safe and secure tech- nology. And to see that we have a plan to train and retain the veterinary health care team of the future. I have lots of opinions around these topics, so find me at a meeting or send me a message, and let’s talk.
Q: Is there anything else you want to discuss?
A: I’d like to encourage readers to think about how you can have a voice in the profession and our As- sociation. Check out the volunteer opportunities with AVMA or other organizations. Not only can you influence that organization, but also the colleagues you connect with can become an ever-present network for you.
A version of this article appears in the August 2022 print issue of JAVMA. 14 KVMA News - Mid-America Conference
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