Louis A. Merillat, Veterinarian of the Half-Century

By Donald F. Smith, Cornell University

Posted January 13, 2015

Lost from the memories of most living veterinarians is the man who some considered the most influential veterinarian of the first half of the 20^th century. At least, that’s how the Chicago Tribune referred to him when reporting an interview with him in July 1950, when he was 82.

“I’ve worked for two things during my life,” he told the Tribune, “better education in veterinary medicine and better working conditions for the educated man.”(1)

Dr. Louis A. Merillat
(Photo provided by AVMA)

The son of a horseman from Ohio, Merillat attended the Ontario Veterinary College--it was less expensive than living in New York City-- then moved to Chicago to learn more about equine medicine from Matthew McKillip. Though a physician and not a veterinarian, McKillip had one of the most successful equine practices in the country and he would later start a three-year veterinary college that carried his name.

Merillat became an instructor at McKillip (1893-1900; 1913-19) and also the Chicago Veterinary College (1900-13) while maintaining a vibrant equine practice during the heyday of the urban horse. Working and teaching out of the McKillip College facilities as well as his own practice at 1827 S. Wabash Street, he developed new surgical operations and anesthetic techniques. His expertise attracted the attention of some of the most prominent stables of the city, including several with show teams of draft horses.

During WWI he was a veterinarian for the 41^st Division and later became chief veterinarian for the First Army. According to the Tribune, "he supervised the care and treatment of tens of thousands for horses crippled in battle."

After the war, he returned to France and spent six months studying at the Alfort National Veterinary College. By the time he returned home, “the automobile had wiped out" his practice so he turned to writing. He authored a major book on equine surgery and became editor-in-chief of the JAVMA.  He also authored a two-volume book on military veterinary history.  Always having been active in organized veterinary medicine, he served a president of AVMA in 1924-25.

Near the end of his life, at the 60^th anniversary of his Ontario Veterinary College graduation in 1948, he was toasted as the “outstanding veterinarian in America.”

Merillat died on Feb 25, 1956, and was buried at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors.

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(1) Merrick, Mary Lee. Dr. Merillat is Honored as Veterinarian. Chicago Tribune, April 2, 1950. This citation applies to quotations and information throughout this story.

AVMA Vice President Candidates Discuss Mentoring and How to Advocate for Veterinary Students

By Donald F. Smith, Cornell University

July 20, 2014

I recently posted interviews with the two AVMA president candidates, Drs. Larry Dee and Joseph Kinnarney.[i]  Today’s story is a follow up on the other officer election that will be decided by the House of Delegates (HOD) July 25^th, preceding the annual convention in Denver. An earlier interview conducted by AVMA staff was reported in the July 15, 2014, issue of the JAVMA, and also on line.[ii]

Email responses to four questions I posed to the two candidates, Dr. Rebecca Stinson and Dr. Mark Russak, are below.

Regarding Mentoring:  The concept of mentoring has received a great deal of attention recently. What are your thoughts about mentoring programs for veterinary students, especially as it relates to seeking support and advice from those outside the traditional veterinary college environment?  

Dr. Mark Russak:
Mentoring means very different things to different people….From improving veterinary technical skills to personal and professional finance success, as well as, life balance and satisfaction. I believe there is room for various modes of mentoring because it is not just about veterinary medicine but it is about being the best you can be professionally and personally. So far, long distance mentoring has not proven to be very successful. There is nothing like a one on one conversation and a personal relationship.  Over the last several years I have worked closely with AAHA and Vet Partners in developing a hands on mentoring program and toolkit... This is goal orientated, measurable and flexible for the mentors and the mentee. I truly believe this will be the answer to true mentorship in Veterinary Medicine. This is the link: https://mentorship.aahanet.org/.  I am proud to have been an integral part developing of this toolkit over the last several years.

Dr. Rebecca Stinson:
I am a firm believer in the concept of mentorship.  During my years of being active in organized veterinary medicine, I have seen many organizational models come and go within AVMA and through other groups including state VMAs, and AAEP.  I have learned from these experiences that a mentor is often a moving target.  The truly great mentors in our lives are often the ones that have identified themselves as mentors. These are the people who have invited me to visit their practice or other work environment, have invited me to become involved in AVMA, state associations, etc.  Mentorship changes constantly and our mentors for different phases of life will change as well.  Many of us will find one mentor who helps with career decisions and someone completely different who can offer advice on balancing personal and work opportunities.  The role of organized veterinary medicine will hopefully be to continue to expand the database of people that you have the opportunity to interact with in a meaningful way.  This will allow people to continue to form relationships that will help them throughout careers and life.  A mentor may not have to be around the corner but they will let you know that they are always there when you need them.

Regarding Women’s Leadership in the AVMA:  You are both well aware of the gender makeup of the AVMA leadership, whether in the House of Delegates, the Executive Board, or the AVMA senior staff.  Please comment about the current composition of the senior AVMA leadership (voluntary and staff), and discuss how you would address many students’ concerns about the fact that the leadership profile and the student profile appears so different to them. 

Dr. Mark Russak:
It is obvious that the current leadership of AVMA does not YET reflect what our profession physically looks like…..but it is changing. Leadership positions require our leaders to have time and experience so it is not surprising how our current leadership has appeared until recently. In the past several years, the gender shift has been occurring rapidly within the profession and I contend women are moving into more leadership positions. They are starting to catch up. For example, in one major veterinary organization, the current AAHA board of directors is composed 7 women and 1 man and it is a young board. This was not done by chance or through affirmative action it was done by proactively seeking the BEST and most competent persons for the position. It so happens that women were the best fit. Competency is always the key to a successful organization. AVMA must proactively pursue and welcome all competent potential leaders regardless of gender. It will not be long before the AVMA leadership reflects the appearance of all of our profession. This will be the natural progression that we are already starting to see.

Dr. Rebecca Stinson:
This is a challenging question.  When we look at the current makeup of the AVMA Executive Board, we see three women effective in July with one of those a staff member, one a non-voting but powerful position, and a newly elected District Director.  The AVMA continues to become more accessible to women interested in leadership roles and if you look at the committee and council structure, you will note a substantial number of wonderful female leaders rising through the current leadership models.  Similarly, the House of Delegates is predominantly male but continues to change in its makeup with each passing year.  I feel that the organization needs to continue to foster new leaders from all demographics and seek out ways to increase involvement by women as well as several other cohorts.  Additionally, the AVMA will need to continue to strive to keep leadership roles relevant to the next generations of veterinarians by being mentors and reaching out to those around us in our profession and helping the future leaders to see the rewards from being involved.  I hope that by being a woman working to be involved in leadership of AVMA that I may help to influence another generation to become involved and take the opportunity to continue to move the organization forward for the generations after.

Regarding the Current Role of Vice President: Some perceive the VP role to involve a great deal of time and effort in travel to veterinary colleges). Nonetheless, travel is often considered an impediment when people consider becoming candidates for the position. While you are both fully committed to this investment of time and effort, is there perhaps a different way—a better way perhaps—to fashion the position so that your successors can be selected from the broadest possible range of qualified candidates? 

Dr. Mark Russak:
I have been traveling to Veterinary Colleges for the last 5 years plus. I have logged over one quarter of a million air miles in the last 2½ years. I know and understand the rigors of travel. I am young at heart, and in great physical health. I retired young and I am a widower so I have all of the time needed to handle this position. This will be my FULL TIME JOB. That being said, in today’s technologically advanced world there are multiple ways of delivering messages, webinars, podcasts, social media etc. etc. They all have their place but there is nothing like communicating in a face to face conversation through interactive presentations. I have developed numerous personal and long lasting relationships with young veterinarians throughout the country and it would have been difficult to cultivate credibility and trust without face to face interaction. This is a very dynamic position and I believe any candidate for this position understands the commitment necessary to fulfill the requirements and objectives of AVMA Vice President.

Dr. Rebecca Stinson:
Although I recognize that we have great opportunities to increase contact with others via non traditional means, I do feel that having a personal interaction at the schools continues to be important.  During my work on the Task Force on Governance, potential retooling of the position was given a lot of consideration. We had a large amount of feedback from the students that they felt that the volunteer leader visit was essential in keeping AVMA in touch with the students around the country and at the chapters beyond our borders and the Associate group at St. Matthews. Additionally, we need to continue to interact with the faculty at the colleges to understand the unique expectations they have of the organization. I think that we can continue to strive to improve the level of interaction by potentially adding some virtual visits in addition to the one in person visit to each school. The SCAVMA president networking opportunities seem to act as an added means to keep the schools aware of challenges one another are facing and help this new generation of veterinarians realize how much we have in common regardless of where we reside. It may be possible to improve the distribution of travel having additional volunteer leaders share in the role of the in-person visit. 

Regarding the Potential for Student Impact: Today’s students are bright, passionate, committed and have boundless energy. In the position as Vice President, how could you help students reach their full capacity having an impact on the future of veterinary medicine? More specifically, please identity one significant challenge that students face today, and share how you might advise them how they could go about finding a solution to the problem, either individually or collectively.

Dr. Mark Russak:

I believe the most significant challenge for our veterinary students and young associates is the debt to salary ratio in the current job market. It is not sustainable. Our young DVMs have no control over many of the factors that are contributing to this challenge. The best way to overcome this is taking the opportunity to become a highly productive veterinarian as soon as possible. This is a win- win- win….more productivity with client adherence equals efficiency and higher income for the associate, the practice and better medical care for the patients. Large or small animal, client bonding and trust is the key to successful practice. Most veterinary schools are not teaching or placing enough emphasis in this area. Curriculums are full and it is difficult to find time in the curriculum for non-technical skills…..what I call success skills. It was my mantra in private practice and this is what I was teaching during my time in academia and what I have been teaching in my seminars for many years.  I have seen the positive impact it has had on student careers and success. I hope to continue sharing this information with students as AVMA Vice President.

Dr. Rebecca Stinson:
The opportunities for students to impact the future of veterinary medicine continue to expand almost daily.  Students are asked to participate on several leadership entities at AVMA including Councils, committees and Task Forces.  The AVMA PAC has also opened up opportunities for students to have a voice and participate in the Advocacy on behalf of the membership.  Students who have participated in these volunteer roles or in the AVMA externship programs have often been very excited to see that the individual can have even in an organization as large and diverse as AVMA.  I would like to take the opportunity during school visits to introduce not only my story of being engaged but also those of other volunteer leaders from the region.  The make up of our leadership is only as good as the people who are willing to step forward.

Doubtlessly, the largest challenge for students today is the concern for financial stability.  A potential solution may be to work to reconsider pre-requisites for admission to include some basic business education in at least personal financial planning and management.  This could be potentially be addressed through the Economic Division in combination with the Council on Education and the AAVMC.  Having a basic understanding prior to entering veterinary school may help students to carefully evaluate the debt they are taking on and the process of contract negotiation.  Although this alone is unlikely to correct the difficult financial picture, it may help to start to chip away at the problem.

Lastly, I would like to speak to all of my colleagues, current and future, and say thank you for counting me as a part of this profession.  I feel blessed every day that I can always say that I AM a VETERINARIAN.

On behalf of all of the readers of www.veterinarylegacy.blogspot.com, I extend my sincere thanks and appreciation to both Dr. Russak and Dr. Stinson.

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[i] Smith, Donald F. AVMA Presidential Candidates Discuss Governance, Future Scope of the Profession and Advocacy. Perspectives in Veterinary Medicine, July 7, 2014.

[ii] Nolen, R. Scott (interviews). “The next AVMA vice president. Russak and Stinson explain they’re up for the job.”  Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association. July 15, 2014. 245(2).

Dr. Smith welcomes comments at dfs6@cornell.edu

WVLDI Marks its First Anniversary with Programs at the AVMA Convention in Denver

Sometimes change happens quickly. Occasionally, important things happen very quickly. 

And that’s the case with WVLDI—the Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative—often simply called “Wivaldi” (like the classical composer, Vivaldi, but with a “W”). 

Here’s the story.

At last year’s AVMA meeting in Chicago, Dr. Karen Bradley stood for re-election for the position of chair of the House Advisory Council (HAC) of the AMVA’s House of Delegates (HOD).  When the voting was completed, not only was she replaced by a man as chair, but male HOD delegates were selected to fill the three open seats on the seven-person HAC.  As I wrote last year on this site, “Five Days in July”,

The stunning outcome reverberated across the floor and spilled out into the halls as the seven-member House Advisory Committee returned to being all male, having had only two women members in its history.[i]

Many people, men as well as women, were disappointed. AVMA president, Dr. Douglas Aspros shared an observation that would prove prescient. “A historic convention”, he said, referring to the fact that it was the Association’s sesquicentennial, “but bad outcomes for the HOD and great grist for the mill as we advocate for change.”[ii]

Shortly after the meeting ended, Karen Bradley sat at lunch. Composed, self-assured, and even smiling at times, she conferred with colleagues, considering how women could improve their leadership platform in an association where everyone seemed to acknowledge the desirability to have more women engaged, but no one seemed to know how it could be accomplished.

The interest in developing a group to support women’s leadership grew during the day. Dr. Stacy Pritt, who would become Vice President of the future WVLDI, described the momentum as “palpable, with people rapidly signing up to join a Facebook initiative, and plans for a web site and logo were being solidified.”  Under her leadership, those plans came to fruition within just a few short weeks after the Convention.[iii]

Dr. Karen Bradley, President WVLDI

(Photo provided by Dr. Bradley, 2013)

Less than two months later (September 11), Dr. Bradley hosted a conference call that included six women and two men. Three, including herself, are members of the HOD, and two were past presidents of the AVMA. There was one dean, and one dean emeritus. There was also a faculty member from a veterinary college, and a representative from a women’s foundation in Massachusetts.  These nine agreed to become the founding directors of WVLDI, with Dr. Bradley agreeing to serve as the inaugural president.[iv]

Almost immediately, WVLDI established Facebook and Linked In pages that energized grass roots discussions among its members. Lectures and seminars were presented at the North American Veterinary Conference in January, and the Western Veterinary Conference a month later. A presentation given at the Denver student symposium in mid-March ignited student interest that had been kindled at a course in Women’s Leadership held at Cornell two weeks earlier.[v]  Student chapters of WVLDI were quickly established at three colleges,[vi] and a news article on that topic appeared in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association.[vii]

Several aspiring female leaders have benefited already from the WLVDI’s mentorship and sponsorship.  They are participating in AVMA-sponsored leadership development programs and serve on AVMA committees.

In February, financial support and sponsorship was received by Ceva. In announcing her support for WVLDI, Dr. Karen Padgett, Ceva’s chief operations officer, companion animal (US), said, “We recognize how important it is to support the advancement of women to leadership, policy and decision-making positions within all areas of professional veterinary activity.”[viii] 

The AVMA’s support for the initiative is strong, and also includes financial commitment, as justified in a March 18^th press release,

The WVLDI’s commitment to diversity and achieving leadership excellence in every sector of veterinary medicine is a natural fit with the AVMA’s strategic goal of enhancing participation and engagement of our membership through the creation of a culture of inclusion, transparency and community. [ix]

 From July 25th – 28^th, WVLDI will be active at the AVMA Convention

Friday, July 25^th, 1:00 – 4:50 pm

Colorado Convention Center, Room 702

Workshop: Develop Practical Skills for Becoming Confident and Effective Leaders[x]

Sunday, July 27^th, 2:00 – 3:00 pm

Colorado Convention Center, Room 207

The Initiative to Develop Women Leaders in Veterinary Medicine (Hot Topics Session)

Monday, July 28^th, 8:00 – 11:50 am

Colorado Convention Center

Women’s Leadership Development Symposium

8:00 - 8:50       Women’s Leadership: Minding the Gap and Sharing Solutions

9:00 – 9:50      Women of Vetlandia: Secrets to Success in the World of Organized Veterinary Medicine

10:00 - 10:50   Stories from the Trenches: Leaders from Multiple Areas of Veterinary Medicine Share Experiences and Lessons Learned

11:00 – 11:50  Round Table Wrap Up: Q and A Healthy Discussion

Monday, July 28^th, 3:00 – 4:00 pm

Meet and Greet Reception

AVMA Welcome Center, Colorado Convention Center

WVLDI Vision:   To achieve leadership excellence in every sector of veterinary medicine that fully reflects the diversity of the profession and society.

WVLDI Mission:   To support women in seeking and achieving leadership, policy, and decision-making positions within all areas of professional veterinary activity.

As one of the inaugural directors of WVLDI, I warmly invite you to participate in the above activities. Men are critical to the success of this initiative, so regardless of your gender or year of graduation, please get involved if you can. At a minimum, please share your thoughts about balanced representation of our membership in the leadership of all sectors of the profession.

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[i] Smith, Donald F. "Five Days in July: Catalyzing a New Wave of Women’s Leadership in the AVMA". Perspectives in Veterinary Medicine. July 29, 2013.

[ii] Smith, Donald F., Ibid.

[iii] Pritt, Stacy (DVM, MS, CPIA, DACAW; Director IACUC, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center). Email to Donald Smith (Cornell University), July 17, 2014.

[iv] Three other directors, including a student representative and an ex officio representative from the AVMA; one of the original directors had to resign because of other responsibilities.

[v] Smith, Donald F. and Julie Kumble. "Women’s Leadership in Veterinary Medicine: A Course for Veterinary Students". Perspectives in Veterinary Medicine. April 2, 2014.

[vi] Cornell, Texas A&M and Virginia-Maryland Regional Colleges of Veterinary Medicine.

[vii] Larkin, Malinda. "Women’s leadership group goes to school". JAVMA News, posted June 18, 2014.

[viii] CEVA US. Women’s Veterinary Leadership Initiative Announces Ceva Animal Health as First Industry Sponsor. www.ceva.us/News, Feb 12, 2014.

[ix] AVMA@Work. "Women’s leadership initiative hitting its stride". March 18, 2014.

[x] Smith, Donald F. and Julie Kumble. "Women’s Leadership Development Workshop Featured at the 2014 AVMA Convention". Perspectives in Veterinary Medicine. July 11, 2014.

Dr. Smith welcomes comments at dfs6@cornell.edu

Western Veterinary Conference Hosts Women's Leadership Symposium

By Donald F. Smith, Cornell University

February 27, 2014

Last week’s symposium on Women’s Leadership in Veterinary Medicine at the Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) in Las Vegas attracted over 100 people during the four-hour presentation. The audience included recent graduates, like Dr. Eva Evans, a Las Vegas practitioner who graduated just 20 months ago from the University of Tennessee, and Dr. Sarah Coburn, a Public Health Officer and practicing veterinarian on the North Slope of Alaska. She graduated from Colorado State University in 2009.

Most of the attendees were already experienced leaders in the profession. Jennifer Durenberger, DVM (2002), JD, is the Director of Racing for Massachusetts. Colonel Robin K. King, DVM, PhD, Dipl American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine, another mid-career veterinarian, told me that she came to the symposium because she wanted to learn more about women’s leadership opportunities in the military. Dr. Dave Gerber, as practitioner in Idaho, excitedly told me he “gets it” —that is, he understands the need for more women in leadership. He shared with me his interest in reading Sheryl Sandberg’s book “Lean In,” given to him recently by one of his daughters.

Besides Dr. Douglas Aspros, immediate past president of the AVMA and one of the four speakers, other senior AVMA executives included Dr. Ted Cohn, president-elect, and Dr. Janet Donlin, CEO of the AVMA’s Professional Liability Insurance Trust.   

Also present was Dr. Karen Padgett, Chief Operating Officer of Ceva Animal Health, LLC. At the midway juncture of the morning’s presentation, she presented a check for $15,000 to Dr. Karen Bradley, president of the Women’s Veterinary Leadership Development Initiative (WVLDI). This extraordinary financial support—the first of its kind from industry and just six months after the WVLDI was established—provided an unquantifiable boost to morale for those who have worked tirelessly to launch the initiative.  Just two months ago, the American Veterinary Medical Association provided $25,000 in program support. This support from Ceva and the AVMA allows the WVLDI is to launch several new initiatives, and make plans to reach broader audiences of veterinarians.

As I listened to Dr. Padgett speak to the WVLDI directors later that day in a joint strategy meeting, I could not help but remark publically that I had seldom met anyone whose leadership skill was so evident in personal style, commitment, and action. What an honor for the group to benefit from her company’s support and encouragement. 

Lea-Ann Germinder of Germinder & Associates, Inc, one of the leading communications specialists in veterinary medicine, announced the attendance of many representatives of the media, in including the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association and DVM360.

Dr. Karen Bradley, Onion River, Vermont

The program featured four presenters. Drs. Aspros, Dr. Bradley and I represented organized veterinary medicine, practice ownership, and academia. Julie Kumble of the Women's Fund of Western Massachusetts represented the broader domain of women’s leadership in society.

Julie Kumble and I lectured for the first two hours under the title, “Minding the Gap and Sharing Solutions,” referring to the gap between the large percentage of women in the profession as a whole, and the relatively small percentage who occupy senior leadership positions. We presented data and anecdotal information gathered from interviewing over 40 leaders in the veterinary profession—including several men—to raise the awareness of leadership challenges (we used the prevailing term, “leadership gap”) in the four areas of organized veterinary medicine, academia (especially the dean level), industry, and clinical medicine (especially ownership of veterinary practices).  

Dr. Douglas Aspros, New York

One goal of our presentation was to describe challenges women face in attaining leadership positions by examining institutional and systemic barriers to women’s advancement. We also shared information about those gender-based perceptions and personal traits that sometimes hinder attainment of leadership positions for women. To give concrete examples of success stories gleaned from our many interviews, we shared best practices from within and outside of the veterinary profession. For example, we presented data on how Iowa State Veterinary Medical Association has made institutional changes to assure greater representation of women and also younger veterinarians in their leadership team in the past 12 years.

Ms Julie Kumble, Massachusetts

The second part of the symposium, presented by Drs. Bradley and Aspros, was aptly named, “Women of Vetlandia, How to find personal and professional success in the world of organized veterinary medicine.”  By tag-teaming in an entertaining and informative manner, they outlined how veterinarians can get involved in the professional affairs at a regional, state, and national level. They described the number and variety of opportunities in a manner that made it appealing for veterinarians in all stages of the profession, as well as how to balance day-job responsibilities with broader service. As the more recent graduate, Dr. Bradley shared personal insights into how this balance could be achieved, even as a mother, wife, and co-owner of a three-doctor practice.

During the final hour of the symposium, the audience was invited to sit in the front of the auditorium. The four speakers and two additional directors of the WVLDI (Drs. Rachel Cezar and Stacy Pritt) convened a more direct exchange, providing the opportunity for everyone to participate. For many attendees, this was the most interesting part of the session.

Dr. Cezar, who also served as moderator of the program, had the additional responsibility of collecting and summarizing the evaluation forms completed by attendees. She identified several issues that should be addressed before a similar program of this nature is presented in the future. For example, we need to provide greater clarity about what the WVLDI can provide for women veterinarians, such as information on leadership training programs and mentoring. We were also urged to provide information on women in a broader array of specific segments of the profession, such as the military. Some asked how students can get involved; and others were disappointed that we did not provide more opportunity for interactive participation.

We also received many positive comments: “THANK YOU, THANK YOU”; “Every vet should be here [attending];” “This has been a long time coming;” and “Looking forward to getting involved.” Both constructive criticism and positive responses provided encouragement and guidance for moving forward.

For me, the capstone of the feedback was a comment the following morning by Dr. Joni Samuels, a practice owner from southern California and incoming director of the WVC, as we rushed past each other to our respective meetings. A friend for many years, and one whom I can depend upon for being thoughtfully observant, Joni said, “You guys have the right approach and are on track. Now all you need to do is find answers!”

With guidance from people like Dr. Samuels and other leaders in the profession, I think we shall find answers and help move veterinary medicine forward.