The ACVIM Animal Survivor Media Event

Written by Zachary Wright on June 2nd, 2010(NO COMMENTS)

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Posted in ACVIM Candidate, ACVIM Diplomate | No Comments

For almost a decade, the ACVIM has hosted the Animal Survivor media event.  This event highlights three to five animals and their owners who are local to the host city and have relied on an ACVIM Board-certified Specialist for their care.  Local news media are invited to the press conference for a short presentation on each case. The ACVIM Diplomates who provided patient care present a short synopsis of the animal’s medical history and outcome.  The animals and owners are all present and available for interviews.  The event focuses on highly successful medical outcomes provided by the highest levels of veterinary training and expertise.  Past case examples included interventional radiology for a PDA, diagnosis and treatment of diskospondylitis, and novel treatment protocols for a feline oral squamous cell carcinoma.

The media then airs or prints these success stories on local TV stations and newspapers.  The end result allows the ACVIM to educate the local animal owning population about veterinary specialists’ role in their animal’s care, as well as the types of veterinary specialists in their immediate area.  Many animal owners are unaware that specialists are available to help their animals.

I was invited to participate in the Animal Survivorprogram at the ACVIM Forum in San Antonio in 2008.  I presented a complex case of an older dog with salivary gland adenocarcinoma that had responded very well to a surgery and chemotherapy regimen.  See the link for the finished product of that event on Channel 29, a local San Antonio news station.

If you are attending this year’s ACVIM Forum in Anaheim, please stop by the ACVIM press room (Anaheim Convention Center, Room 210 A) from 9:50 am-11:00 am, Thursday June 10.  Or, check out the link for a preview of the Animal Survivor event. 

If future ACVIM Forums are scheduled to come to your practice area, please consider providing a case for the Animal Survivor media event.

What are ACVIM Consensus Statements?

Written by Scott Weese on May 19th, 2010(5 COMMENTS)

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Posted in ACVIM Candidate, ACVIM Diplomate, General Practitioners, Veterinary Students, Veterinary Technicians | 5 Comments

The annual ACVIM Consensus Statements (presented at the ACVIM Forum) are a highlight of the conference – - I look forward to them every year.

The ACVIM Consensus Statement process involves identifying an important subject, recruiting a recognized expert in the field to lead the effort, and assembling a group of experts to identify, review and debate the relevant issues. The group then develops a Consensus Statement that is presented at the ACVIM Forum, and then published at a later date. Having been involved in two of these in the past, I know it’s a time consuming but stimulating effort that can result is some excellent information. In the past, Consensus Statements have provided extremely useful information on diverse topics such as anthelmintic resistance in small ruminants, Streptococcus equi in horses, Lyme disease in dogs and cats, antimicrobial use, and blood donor screening. Many of these have become ‘Gold Standard’ documents on the subject and are widely used.

This year’s Small Animal Consensus Statement is entitled Leptospirosis: diagnosis, epidemiology, treatment and prevention. This is an important and timely topic. Leptospirosis is considered a ‘re-emerging’ disease in many areas and is of significant animal health concern. It’s also a topic that has some controversial aspects. Additionally, it’s a zoonotic disease and an occupational risk in veterinary medicine. Better information on diagnosis, management, and prevention of this disease is needed to properly manage cases and reduce the risks to pet owners and veterinary personnel. A clear, concise, and thorough evaluation of ‘all-things-lepto’ would be a great resource for primary care veterinarians and specialists alike. As someone with an interest in infectious diseases, infection control, and public health, I’m really looking forward to this Consensus Statement.

If you’re attending the 2010 ACVIM Forum, make sure you attend the Consensus Statement presentation on Friday, June 11 at 11:30 am. It’s bound to be well worth the time. It will undoubtedly provide some excellent information and by attending, you can get the information first-hand instead of having to wait months for publication.

TGIF

Written by Carley Giovanella on May 12th, 2010(4 COMMENTS)

Posted in ACVIM Diplomate, General Practitioners, Uncategorized | 4 Comments

So by Friday, the meeting is in full swing!  Get that caffeine in me early! The sessions start at 8 am and as much as I fantasize about sleeping in (my new dog is not in Anaheim to demand I get up and walk him), there is no time for that right now.  The Keynote follows the two hour Neurology Research Focus track I will be attending. ACVIM award winners will be announced and Dr. Paul Pion will present the Keynote Address. 

Some people skip listening to the Keynote Speaker since it is not a “medical information” session, but I find it interesting to hear what people have been through on their professional journeys and how they accomplish all they do while balancing personal and family life. It is not easy to expose yourself by lecturing to a group of highly educated professionals and peers, much less on a topic that is not academic but personal. I respect Paul for stepping out and look forward to hearing what he has to say. What would I say if I had to address the ACVIM Forum attendees?  Would I have a story interesting enough to tell?  Would I find appropriate words of encouragement, gratitude, humor, and support for my peers?  What would you tell the general assembly of  the ACVIM Forum? 

The rest of Friday afternoon and all of Saturday are dedicated to veterinary medical education. Most of the time, I end up spending the week in my own Specialty sessions. This year, however, there are a few topics out of my area that I want to attend – - particularly endocrine or pain related sessions as these have been big issues in several cases I’ve seen this year. Isn’t that the beauty of continuing education?  What happened with the previous case and what will I do differently / better next time I see a case like that?  Selecting topics that that are relevant to questions that have come up recently in my job tends to keep my interest up even in the talks that are right after lunch (you know what I mean. .. full belly, dark room, eyelids closing)… WAKE UP! 

There is so much to learn and gain from each session. Fortunately, this is a meeting that has plenty of breaks in the day to get refreshments and visit the Exhibit Hall. I don’t like having to miss a talk to see the hall or go to the bathroom, so I am very grateful for the breaks. I also have a small caffeine addiction so the coffee is greatly appreciated.

Socialization is not out the window, though, and the Bayer Dance Party is Friday night!  Most years I have attended the ACVIM Forum, we gather a group at the party all head out on the town afterwards. Yet, as my social circle ages and kids get in the picture, we all seem to be too tired out from dancing and socializing at the party to make it out after “last call” around 11 pm.  Maybe you younger or more energetic attendees can pick up the slack and party on for us!  

This year, I won’t be at the dance party because the Neurology Specialty  Dinner is that evening and it is one of the events I never want to miss. The pictures and quotes that come from an evening of  Specialists sitting around with a bar available are priceless. I am sure you all have memorable evenings like that you can recall from past ACVIM Forums and, if this is your first time attending, you are in for a treat.  I am sure you will have lots of great memories to take with you and traditions to start for the future ACVIM Forums you will attend.

Tough Decisions

Written by Sandy Willis on April 27th, 2010(1 COMMENT)

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Posted in ACVIM Candidate, ACVIM Diplomate, General Practitioners | 1 Comment

How do you decide which sessions to attend during the ACVIM Forum?

As a Small Animal Internal Medicine Consultant for a small diagnostic laboratory, I tend to attend sessions on a variety of Small Animal Internal Medicine topics to stay as up-to-date as I can for our lab clientele. However, my special interests are in endocrinology, hematology, and hepatic disease. Therefore, when looking forward to the sessions on Thursday, June 10, I am going to have to make some tough decisions.

I love the Research Abstracts. They are fast-paced and often include some stimulating discussion among top researchers in a particular field. The abstracts allow me to see what is on the horizon, as well as what new findings will influence my future practice. And I enjoy seeing our newest colleagues hone their speaking skills while presenting, perhaps for the first time, the results of their projects.

The Hematology and Endocrine Research Abstracts take place simultaneously on Thursday, June 10, and I hope the rooms are near each other so I can hop back and forth. The Hematology Research Abstracts look to include some interesting reports on immune-mediated diseases including an abstract on a point of care hematology analyzer for chemotherapy patients and a technique for bone marrow aspirate and biopsy. The Endocrine Research Abstracts will cover some intriguing aspects of feline hyperthyroidism, hyperadrenocorticism testing / treatment and, of course, canine and feline diabetes. And then there are the Nephrology / Urology Research Abstracts, which I just noticed occur at the same time as well. There are some great abstracts on canine urethral stenting, nephritic syndrome, and renal disease in the cat. How am I ever going to decide what to attend!!

I also note the Liver Study Group topics on Thursday morning. Canine biliary disease – - that seems very interesting. Might be worth a look see. And it looks as though I can avoid the gym early on Thursday morning as I will burn lots of calories running between three rooms!!

The always exciting Infectious Disease Research Abstracts take place Thursday afternoon. I work in the Pacific Northwest, home to very little infectious disease, but the recent work being done in infectious disease is exciting and I enjoy these abstracts tremendously. The early part of the afternoon includes abstracts on MRSA, a very timely topic. Dr. Lappin will then discuss infectious etiology of acute rhinitis in a shelter environment. I may duck out for the sessions on Blastomycosis, Babesia, etc., and sit in on some sessions as part of the Society of Comparative Endocrinology, Association of Veterinary Hematology and Transfusion Medicine, or the ACVIM Small Animal Internal Medicine Review and Research track. The latter includes discussions on feline sepsis, FIP, panleukopenia, and cytauxzoonosis.

Look here – - I just noticed the 2:10 pm session on PARR and flow cytometry by Dr. Lana in the ACVIM Oncology Comprehensive Review section. Working for a diagnostic lab, this topic is very timely for me and will be a great follow-up to sessions I attended on the same topic at the 2009 ACVIM Forum & Canadian VMA Convention in Montréal.

Does anyone else have this much trouble deciding what to attend? When it gets closer to the actual event, I will peruse the Proceedings to see how much detail is in the notes and narrow down my choices. On Thursday I will make the final decision on what to attend based on who I bump into immediately prior to the session and where they are going.

For all the planning, it always seems to come down to what feels right at that moment. And that is the beauty of the ACVIM Forum: there are so many interesting sessions that you just can’t go wrong no matter how you choose. 

Write back and let me know what you are attending on Thursday!

How Do You Learn?

Written by Keven Gulikers on April 9th, 2010(NO COMMENTS)

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Posted in ACVIM Candidate, ACVIM Diplomate, General Practitioners, Veterinary Technicians | No Comments

How do you learn?

For some, enjoying a darkened, comfortable room with top-notch presentations from leaders in the fields of Small and Large Animal Internal Medicine, Oncology, Cardiology, and Neurology (and referring to the excellent Proceedings) is the key to success. For others, learning is enhanced when you can interact with your instructors, peers and patients, and have a “hands on” experience which allows you to serve your clients and patients better. And some of us just like to sit around and talk about the crazy cases we see, and although we may not get answers, it is comforting to know we are not alone.

So what do you want to learn more about…are you thinking of adding a CT scanner to your practice and want to be better at reading this imaging modality? We have a session for that.Or maybe you would just prefer to be better at other imagining modalities, such as abdominal / thoracic radiography, echocardiography or ultrasonography? We have sessions for that, too.

Maybe building ships in a bottle is one of your favorite hobbies, and you would like to take your mad micro-maneuvers and apply them to tracheal or urethral stenting, laparoscopy, or bronchoscopy? Yup, we have a session for you, too!

I’ll bet for some of you, Cardiology gets your heart racing…then learn more about cardiac biomarkers and mastering ECGs, including the very mean electrical axis, at sessions created just for you.

For you large animal folks, we have sessions on equine small airway inflammation, EPM, equine insulin resistance, and herd health / disease outbreak management.

For those of you that prefer singular snappy Chihuahuas or fancy felines, we have discussions on trilostane, hemostatic disorders, regulating diabetics, canine albumin and leshmaniosis, IMHA, urology, and oncology…just to name a few.

Do you love the liver? Do hormones make you hum? Are you gaga for GI endsocopy? If so, we have Special Interest Groups (SIGs) for that, and you can meet people who share your focal interests.

At some point in your career, you will see a case that is not a medical problem to solve. How do you see yourself recognizing and responding to animal abuse or hoarding? How do you help your clients ensure the care of their beloved animal companions in the event of their own death / disability? Yup, we even have sessions for that.

Finally, if you are a little more interested in some of the non-medical stuff, and want to know how to create a winning presentation, maintain a realistic (and effective!) physical and emotional health program for the busy professional, and want to get out of that “recession depression”…we have sessions for that.

I hear you now…”Wait – we want to go but we can’t fit them all in!” Think again my friends, as we hired Santa’s team of elves (it’s the off-season and we got them cheap, keeping your registration fees down) to carefully massage the schedule and make sure you can attend as many of these insightful sessions as possible.

So – what kind of learner are you? Which sessions pique your interest? What would you like to see for next year’s sessions?

 

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