Newsletters: (login required)   Volume 1 Issue 1 April 2006

Executive Officers
 

Objectives of the organization
The Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine's Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association is 1 of 28 chapters from United State's and Canadian Veterinary Colleges that comprise the Student American Veterinary Medical Association (SAVMA). The Student American Veterinary Medical Association's goals are modeled after it's parent organization, The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The AVMA's objectives are "...to advance the science and art of Veterinary Medicine, including it s relationship to agriculture and public health." SAVMA was formed in 1969 and today is comprised of over 8,000 veterinary medical students at 28 schools. The goals of the WSU Student Chapter of the American Veterinary Medical Association (SCAVMA) are:

1. To promote a spirit of friendly relations among veterinary students.
2. To provide additional opportunities for the members to gain professional knowledge and an understanding of professional ethics and conduct.
3. To demonstrate the virtues of organized effort.
4. To promote an attitude of professionalism, fairness and honesty among veterinary students in the College of Veterinary Medicine.
5. To develop characteristics of leadership through training received in conducting chapter affairs.
6. To make available to the students, the opportunities offered by the AVMA to it's student chapters.

Meetings
SCAVMA meets as a general body once a month during the regular school year with a key note speaker. The executive board meets once per month. The executive board is comprised of elected officers and class representatives. Additionally faculty advisors, representatives from the chapter newsletter and student bookstore also attend the meetings.

Activities
Since 2002 the WSU SCAVMA has been operating under a newly updated constitution and by-laws. The new constitution and by-laws are the result of many months of rewriting and editing. Ultimately, they will help the organization to run more smoothly and make it easier to take care of business. These updated documents will more accurately represent the goals and objectives of the organization.

SCAVMA is represented every year at the Student AVMA Educational Symposium held in the spring and the AVMA convention in the summer.

• 2006 at Minneapolis, 56 students attended, Winning Teams
• 2005 at Texas A & M, 49 students attended: Winning Teams
• 2004 at Tennesee, Winning Teams
• 2003 at Georgia, Winning Teams
• 2002 at Colorado, 74 students attended SAVMA Symposium 2002
• 2001 at Iowa, 24 students attended
• SAVMA Symposium 2000 winning teams
• in 1999 the symposium was hosted by WSU Photo Gallery of SAVMA Symposium 1999
• 1998 at Florida, 46 students attended
• 1997 at Purdue, 28 students attended
• 1996 in Oklahoma, WSU sent a total student representation of 25.
• 1995 at Illinois, WSU was represented by 11 educational team competition members

At the annual AVMA Convention, WSU's SCAVMA executive board is represented by the SCAVMA President and the two National Delegates. The SCAVMA president-elect attends the quarterly WSVMA Executive board meetings, reporting on behalf of SCAVMA.

The future plans of the WSU SCAVMA are to continue to increase the positive communications between the Washington State Veterinary Medical Association and veterinary students through a mentoring program. By doing this, SCAVMA hopes to increase veterinarians' awareness of students' abilities and help students make the transition to professional employment easier.

SCAVMA helps organize an annual Spring open house. Student clubs, vendors and professors set up educational displays and activities designed for all ages in the community. This provides a chance for veterinary students to share some of what they are learning with family, friends and the community.

The WSU SCAVMA is the umbrella organization of all clubs at the College of Veterinary Medicine. SCAVMA sponsors many club activities, provides money for special events, operates a student bookstore and provides scholarships to Veterinary Students every fall. The overall desire of SCAVMA is to help Veterinary Students as much as possible in their extracurricular activities and provide a direct link to the AVMA which it is hoped will foster an appreciation and interest in organized Veterinary Medicine.