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 25th,
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.
