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view from AAHA


Editor’s note: This month’s View from AAHA is a joint effort by Douglas Aspros, DVM, and Clark Fobian, DVM. Aspros and Fobian are the president and president- elect, respectively, of the AVMA, and they are both AAHA members.


I by Douglas G. Aspros, DVM


t’s a distinct honor to find myself president of the AVMA, the world’s largest member organization in veteri- nary medicine, and the most effective


advocate for the profession. I’ve been a member since my student days at Cornell University, and I’ve been a member of AAHA nearly as long. Both associations have been important


in my life as a companion animal veterinar- ian. When I graduated in 1975, AAHA cer- tification was the mark of the highest qual- ity and most progressive practices, the best practices for young veterinarians to earn their clinical “chops.” My first position was at an accredited practice, and AAHA still sets the standard today in my practices. From my vantage point now, with


decades of experience in the profession, I see a bigger picture. We are a small pro- fession, highly respected but fragile and fragmented. The AVMA offers a big tent for veterinarians who serve in widely diverse ways in many different settings. Our unified voice allows us to promote, protect and expand the role of veterinar- ians in society for the good of all animals, including humans. Perhaps at no point in the history of the profession has this been more needed.


by Clark K. Fobian, DVM


that could easily be contained within the seating of many stadiums). Yet, the sig- nificance and impact of veterinarians in our society are profound. These elements alone make a strong case for the need of organized associations of veterinarians. Our relatively low veterinarian popu-


W Trends magazine, November 2012


lations and high societal involvement increase our vulnerability to many obsta- cles and challenges generated by our


We face declining public support for


veterinary education, expanding class size, consolidation in animal agriculture and the pharmaceutical industry, and a dearth of resources for research into com- panion animal disease and treatment. Adding to our concerns is a recession that won’t quit. The AVMA is one of our best tools.


Our major goals, outlined in the cur- rent strategic plan, include education, veterinary economics, advocacy and animal welfare. These are the issues vet- erinarians care about, and the AVMA is stepping up to address them with strat- egies and tactics that will make a dif- ference. In addition, we’re committed to wider member engagement in the ways that meet the needs and desires of today’s veterinarians. I’m pleased to know that the AVMA


and AAHA stand shoulder to shoulder when grappling with these concerns, and that our leaders and volunteers work col- laboratively for the profession. I’m both an AVMA president and an AAHA hospi- tal director. I couldn’t be prouder. n


Douglas G. Aspros, DVM, is current president of the AVMA.


FROM AAHA MEMBERSHIP


7


e are a small profession. There are about a 100,000 veterinar- ians in the United States (the population of one small city


governance (regulatory and legislative), culture and economy. I initially joined the AVMA and, later,


AAHA to become a better practitioner and clinic owner. With increased expo- sure, I realized how these associations served as the voice of the profession in a wide diversity of public activities. The emphasis and strategic goals of


the AVMA and AAHA are somewhat dif- ferent. AAHA has a more specific and defined membership, and the AVMA has a broader overarching spectrum. How- ever, a number of strategic goals are


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