Every year, the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) hosts an annual meeting in Washington D.C. and this year I was fortunate to attend advocacy day alongside my dean. Advocacy Day is a time where many deans and faculty members from each veterinary college visit their state representatives and senators on capitol hill.
So, what is the purpose of advocacy day? Well, this is a time for those of us in the veterinary profession to speak up on key issues in the veterinary medical profession. This year we provided our policy-makers with information to preserve the Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program and continue support of the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program (VMLRP) and the Veterinary Services Grant Program (VSGP). We also urged the importance of support for federal investment in innovation, research, and development for the National Institutes of Health, United States Department of Agriculture, and the National Science Foundation, and many other agencies.
I had an amazing time meeting with my state representatives to lobby for current issues facing the veterinary profession. I feel extremely grateful that I had the opportunity to accompany my dean to be a voice for not only Purdue veterinary students, but for all veterinary students across the nation.
