Veterinarians’ Appeal for Medical Supplies and Donations for Ukraine
Veterinarians in Britain have pulled together to provide support for Ukraine. The group, British Veterinary Professionals for Ukraine (founded by a veterinarian and second-generation Ukrainian, Dr. Antonina Babchuk), is appealing for urgent medical supplies for delivery directly to Ukraine.
“We have been collecting physical donations from across the UK and are now establishing ways people can buy medical supplies in the UK that we take out to Ukraine. I am humbled by the support we have been receiving from vets in the UK, but there is so much more that they need out there.” – Dr. Babchuk.
The organization has been working closely with the Ukrainian Medical Association to establish direct links with both human and veterinary surgeons working in the war zone.
For more on this story and to find out where to donate, click here.
Veterinary Medicine Students Launch Tech Startup, Transfur Inc
Sisters, Annie and Ali Pankowski, students at the University of Wisconsin–Madison School of Veterinary Medicine and the University of California, Davis, have become the founders of a veterinary tech startup, Transfur.
The idea came to the pair in 2020 when Annie’s coursework shifted virtually (due to COVID-19), and she opted to move home. At home, the pair decided to help with record-keeping at their mother’s veterinary clinic to keep busy and gain experience.
“I would pre-read all of her cases that were coming in that day and write a short history with important things my mom should look out for before she goes into this consultation,” Pankowski said. “I was laughing to myself like, ‘There’s got to be some technology that could do this better than how I’m doing it.’”
Thus, the idea for Transfur began. The company aims to create easy access to records for both veterinarians, staff, and pet owners right when they need it.
For more on this story, click here.
Demand For Home Vets Helps Handle Pandemic Pet Boom in Australia
Despite the pandemic-fuelled pet boom and increased pressure on Australia’s veterinary industry, the increase in pets could have some positive effects.
A report by Animal Medicines Australia’s 2021 Pets and the Pandemic revealed that pet ownership in Australia is at an all-time high. The report found that there are an estimated 30.4 million pets in Australia’s homes.
The pandemic has also sparked a growing demand for home visits which is helping address the veterinary shortage.
Operational manager Kiri Brandli from Pawssum Vets, Australia’s largest network of mobile vets said, “The good news is that, with more demand for mobile vets, veterinarians who’d left or were thinking of leaving the industry due to long clinic hours and the emotional stress of the career, saw a new way to be able to stay in the job they love while also taking care of themselves”.
For more on this story, click here.
The Zoetis Foundation Commits to Providing The AAVMC a $1.875 Million Grant
The Zoetis Foundation has committed to providing the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) with a $1.875 million grant to fund the 2023 Zoetis Foundation/AAVMC Veterinary Student Scholarship.
The grant will support 263 second and third-year veterinary students by offering $7,000 in funding per student.
The grant aims to ease student debt and enhance diversity in veterinary medicine.
“As a champion for diversity and inclusion focused on advancing the veterinary medical profession, this funding from the foundation will be instrumental in helping us further education development and increase well-being,” says Andrew T. Maccabe, DVM, MPH, JD, CEO of AAVMC.
For more on this story, click here.
The Importance of Representation in Veterinary Medicine
In a recent interview, DVM360 student ambassador, Lakhia Fuller, MS, highlighted her experiences struggling with the lack of representation in veterinary medicine.
The student ambassador, also discussed why representation in veterinary medicine is crucial to the sustainability of the profession.
“[In] my junior year of college I did not know any Black [veterinarians] and I was like okay maybe [veterinary medicine] isn’t for me. I applied to a clinical laboratory science, like professional phase program, got accepted, and I was like: ‘Actually this is not what I want to do.’ I want to be a [veterinarian], I just don’t know anyone who looks like me. So I had to find and connect myself with a network of people.” said Lakhia Fuller.
To watch her interview, click here.
Veterinary Wellbeing – Are Things Getting Better?
New research has indicated that wellbeing in the veterinary profession may (finally) be on the uprise!
In a survey (by the organizers of VET Festival) on 400 veterinary professionals, it was found that over three quarters (76%) of veterinarians described their mental health as either ‘reasonable’ or ‘very good’, whilst 80% reported that they knew where to access information and support on mental health.
Encouragingly, 97% of the veterinarians in the survey reported that they felt supported by their colleagues; and 90% said that they loved their job also!
Overall the research suggests that the veterinary profession could be making progress in addressing issues such as stress, burnout, and compassion fatigue which affect many of those working in this sector.
For more on this story, click here.
