Commentaries

Abstract

Several presentations at the 2012 Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) Annual Conference (March 7–11) provided evidence that our profession is truly in transition. AAVMC Interim Executive Director Dr. Bennie Osburn and AAVMC Deputy Director Dr. Mike Chaddock described progress in the implementation of 23 recommendations from the NAVMEC report to advance academic veterinary medicine on pivotal issues such as accreditation, testing, and licensing. Dr. Alastair Cribb, Founding Dean of the newly established Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, and Dr. Paul Gordon-Ross, Assistant Professor of the Western University of Health Sciences College of Veterinary Medicine, presented detailed descriptions of their respective curricula that emphasize involvement of private practice partners in the off-campus education of veterinary students. A special session entitled ‘‘Challenges and Opportunities in Food Supply Veterinary Medicine’’ was highlighted by Dr. Bennie Osburn’s presentation of data developed by Dr. Alan Kelly on the future workforce needs of the fundamental role of veterinarians. These data, generated over several decades, paint an alarmingly clear pattern of declining involvement, demand, and incentives for veterinary practitioners in food-animal production. Another session devoted to companion-animal primary health care presents a contrasting picture of innovation, growth, and rewards for pet-animal practitioners. All of these sign posts of transition were capped by the 2012 AAVMC Recognition Lecture by Economist Dr. Malcolm Getz, author of the 1997 book Veterinary Medicine in Economic Transition.1 Among the more controversial recommendations that Dr. Getz made to reduce the cost of veterinary education was his idea to create a two-tier system of limited education and training for practitioners and more ‘‘advanced’’ education of a top tier for veterinarians trained by the current ‘‘complete’’ curriculum. Consequently, the drum beat of discourse on changes demanded of our profession, initiated by the divergent opinions expressed in previous issues of the Journal of Veterinary Medical Education (JVME) by Drs. Peter Eyre2 and Robert R. Marshak continues to stimulate healthy expression of opinions on these urgent and prophetic topics for the future of veterinary medicine. The following two commentaries by Drs. Reynolds and Habtemariam are a continuation of this provocative series. I hope that other leaders of our profession will use this venue to contribute to this vital debate.