The number of applicants to the Veterinary Medical College Application Service (VMCAS) rose almost six percent over last year, indicating strong interest among students in seeking careers in veterinary medicine. During the admissions cycle leading to matriculation in Fall 2017 that closed on September 15, 2016, a total of 7,071 applicants applied to professional education programs operated by AAVMC member institutions participating in VMCAS. That's 398 more than the 6,673 applicants that applied during last year's cycle. The AAVMC returned more than $30,000 to financially qualified applicants as part of the VMCAS Fee Reimbursement Program. Learn more.

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The AAVMC recently found that grant aid was not widely distributed among the neediest veterinary medical students, which suggests that such aid is not systematically promoting racial and socioeconomic diversity. To better understand the sources of support that pre-veterinary students have access to, the AAVMC examined the sources of financial support that allowed pre-veterinary applicants to graduate with less than $29,000, or a below average amount of debt. Learn more.

	The AAVMC's conference room at 655 K St.

It's taken a lot of careful planning and logistics, but the AAVMC has completed its historic move from 1101 Vermont and occupied its new quarters at 655 K Street in Washington D.C. Actually, the entire process of packing, moving out and moving in went extremely well and resulted in minimal down time, according to Chief Operating Officer Dotty Gray, who led the effort to build and occupy the 4,000 square foot facility on the seventh floor of the gleaming new office building. Outside of a few days around Labor Day weekend, it was business as usual for the AAVMC during the move. Learn more.

	Dr. Kochevar

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine recently published the proceedings of a forum on the role of accreditation in enhancing quality and innovations in the health professions. The AAVMC is among the health and education-related organizations that support the Global Forum on Innovation in Health Professional Education, which hosted the workshop in Washington, D.C., April 21-22, 2016. As part of the workshop, AAVMC member and former President Dr. Deborah Kochevar, dean of the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University, led a panel discussion on "Innovative Models of Accreditation: Veterinary Medicine and One Health Accreditation Across Nations and Sectors." Dr. Kochevar also served on the workshop's planning committee. Learn more. See the report.

	Dr. Stuart Reid

Professor Stuart Reid, Principal of the University of London's Royal Veterinary College and long-time AAVMC member and leader, has been recognized by the British Veterinary Association (BVA) with their most prestigious scientific award: the Dalrymple-Champneys Cup and Medal. The award is presented annually to recognize those whose distinguished achievements and contributions encourage the advancement of veterinary science. "It is a huge honor and an enormous privilege to be recognized by the British Veterinary Association," said Reid. "The fact that it is the Dalrymple-Champneys Cup and Medal is truly humbling." Learn more.

The AAVMC's Diversity and Inclusion on Air program, now in its second season, is building momentum. The podcast, which debuted October 2015, is presented in a YouTube Live format that can be viewed live or referenced later. In each podcast, Dr. Lisa Greenhill, the AAVMC's Associate Executive Director for Institutional Research and Diversity, features different speakers for hour-long discussions on veterinary topics through a diversity lens. To date, podcast viewers have watched 5,727 hours of programming on YouTube, and listeners have streamed the audio version 509 times through a variety of podcast applications. Learn more.

Put some veterinarians and veterinary students in a room and it won't be long before the name James Herriott surfaces. Herriot's beloved "All Creatures Great and Small" series inspired generations to pursue careers in veterinary medicine. The books, which recount the challenging but idyllic life of a British country veterinarian, were turned into a BBC series watched by millions. To celebrate the centennial of the author's birth (October 3,1916), New York's Macmillan Audio has posted a number of memorable audio excerpts. Click here to hear some of the passages that may have inspired your own journey into this rewarding profession. #Herriot100 Learn more.

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