 FROM
THE EDITOR
The student presentations at the Annual
Meeting of the AASP serve a vital role for the future of the AASP,
swine veterinary medicine, and the swine industry. Research has
shown that veterinarians and physicians choose to work in specialty
areas according to their extracurricular experience during their
university education. Veterinary students who gain extracurricular
experience with swine are more likely to choose swine health management
than students who do not work with swine.
Veterinary education in North America has changed over the
past 20 years. In most veterinary colleges, there are fewer lecture
hours dedicated to swine health management, fewer faculty members
with a swine focus, and less time spent on swine field service.
Administrators argue that few veterinary students choose swine
veterinary medicine upon graduation. This could have devastating
consequences. Students not provided with a thorough education
in swine health management will not have the confidence to do
swine work upon graduation. If we do not educate our veterinary
students, before long we will stop providing swine veterinarians
to the field, few new graduates will choose swine health management,
and the administrators of veterinary colleges will conclude that
we do not need to train any veterinarians for the swine industry.
It could be a downward spiral.
The demographics of students entering veterinary school have
changed along with the general population. Fewer people are associated
with agriculture in North America and, similarly, fewer incoming
veterinary students have had agriculture experience. It is even
more essential that we provide extracurricular educational opportunities
for preveterinary and veterinary students. If you had never been
in a pig barn prior to sitting in lectures on swine health management,
what is the chance that you will fully comprehend the lecture?
Similarly, if you haven't visited a pig farm, you would never
choose a career in swine. If we expose students to swine health
management early in their veterinary education, we will show them
the opportunities available in this very exciting field of veterinary
medicine.
Unfortunately, as the hours dedicated to swine education have
decreased, the expectations of the knowledge of the new graduate
have increased. Most employment opportunities for swine veterinarians
come with expectations of experience, a high level of knowledge
in many areas of swine production and health, and a broad sense
of the swine industry. All of this is beyond the educational opportunities
available to students in any one veterinary college.
Summer employment for veterinary students provides them with
the opportunity to experience swine health management and gain
invaluable, hands-on experience with the industry. They will become
very proficient in one or more areas of applied veterinary medicine.
The employer benefits from the enthusiasm of the student and the
chance to get a project accomplished. The AASP presentations provide
the students with a focused goal at the end of a summer's work.
This enables the students to see a project through to the end
and take ownership of the project. You will find that the students
work very hard on their AASP proceedings papers and the presentation.
Last year, the students selected from the University of Guelph
gave their presentations to the OVC Swine Club, faculty, and graduate
students. This increased the visibility of the swine program and
these students, and provided an extra educational opportunity
in our curriculum.
Giving a presentation at the AASP Annual Meeting provides the
students with a sense of belonging and contributing to a worthwhile
organization. Students appreciate being treated as professionals
by the members of the AASP. The students gain more education in
swine health management during the conference and see the diversity
of our organization and the opportunities in swine health management.
The student presentations themselves provide more education to
the AASP members, often in very applied, practical areas of research.
Finally the presentations give the students exposure, which may
lead to employment opportunities in the future.
Since 1993, 82 students have given one or more presentations
at the AASP Annual Meeting. Of these students, 54 have graduated
from veterinary college. Most of these veterinarians (78%) do
some swine work and 37% work exclusively with swine. Of these
graduates, 39% are currently members of the AASP. I encourage
you to look at old proceedings and you will recognize that many
of today's prominent industry leaders were once student AASP presenters.
I applaud the Roche Animal Nutrition and Health and Lilly Foundation
on behalf of Elanco Animal Health for providing honoraria and
awards for these students. I am pleased to see that Alpharma,
Inc. has agreed to sponsor students and provide an award. I would
like to thank Drs. Sandy Amass and Tom Fangman, who organize the
student session and review the papers that are submitted, and
the veterinarians who mentor these students.These young people
are the future of the AASP and the future leaders of the swine
industry. I would encourage all of you to consider mentoring preveterinary
and veterinary students. You will find it a very rewarding experience
and you will be contributing to the future of the AASP and the
swine industry.
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