What motivated you to volunteer with the ACVIM, or how did you first get involved with the organization?
Looking back quite a few years ago, case reports were an integral part of the ACVIM’s credentialing process. My involvement with the ACVIM started as a member of the Credentials Committee evaluating these submissions and offered a chance to be part of a larger community of specialists maintaining and advancing veterinary internal medicine education.
Could you describe the work of the committee and how this work contributes to the overall mission/goals of the ACVIM?
The Equine Committee collates all submissions for the upcoming ACVIM Forum, ranking each in order of importance, before making a collective decision on the final program’s structure. Should a certain knowledge void exist in the proposed program, we also actively pursue experts and attempt to solicit their participation in the forum. Quite an effort is placed on creating an Equine Program that we believe is current, providing novel medical information while ultimately strengthening the community of professionals in an environment conducive to learning.
As the chair of this committee, what responsibilities and duties do you undertake?
A few of the roles include keeping the committee focused, facilitating online meetings, keeping communication flowing, assisting with decision-making, ensuring that deadlines are achieved in advance and resolving any conflicts. Ultimately, I wanted to ensure that there was a strong sense of collaboration and inclusivity amongst all the committee’s members.
Can you share a successful collaboration story that highlights the positive impact of teamwork within your committee?
We recently hosted another online meeting and although one of our committee members was bedridden after extensive surgery, this colleague still wanted to be present and contribute to the Equine Committee’s overall success. Being part of a committee, we all realize that ultimately, we’re part of a bigger picture.
How has your involvement with the ACVIM and chairing this committee personally enriched your professional experience and contributed to your growth in the field of veterinary internal medicine?
Chairing the ACVIM Forum’s Equine committee has helped deepen my organizational knowledge of the ACVIM, improved networking with colleagues and helped foster a sense of connection with the professional community at large. It is both nerve-racking but also exciting to assist in setting the conference theme, managing the peer-review process and maintaining the overall quality of the ACVIM Forum’s program!
What advice would you give to other Diplomates considering volunteering with the ACVIM?
Come on, what are you waiting for?! If you have some spare time, would like to reconnect with colleagues, develop new skills, contribute to the ACVIM’s mission while being part of a larger community, do it!
Looking ahead, what are your aspirations for the committee and its impact within ACVIM? Are there any upcoming projects or goals that you are particularly excited about?
The Equine Committee should continue to entertain submissions that advance internal medicine, improve patient care and identify causes and treatments for diseases. Presented research needs clinical significance to ensure a real-world benefit with tangible improvements for patients and promoting evidence-based clinical practice.
