Here are the Summaries for the Regents Meetings from February, March, and April of 2010, along with several applicable attachments(Residency Pyramid, 2009 Financial Summary).  These summaries should have been sent to all Diplomates and placed on our ACVECC web site the month following the actual Regents Meeting but obviously that did not happen, yet.  More to come shortly and eventually we will catch up.  We hope that these Summaries will be informative and keep you apprised of College business on an ongoing basis.  Please forward any comments or recommendations to either Kathy Liard, Armelle deLaforcade or myself, should you have any.  Again I apologize for the delay.

Regards,

Dennis

Monthly summaries of Regents Meetings – This was one of the first things implemented this year and as you all know by now it started off ok but then slowly dwindled.  I apologize for this shortcoming as well but promise you after I return from IVECCS and dig out I will provide you with all back monthly summaries as well as keep you current with all upcoming meetings.  I believe the last one sent out to our membership was for the January 2010 Regents Meeting.  My hope is that these summaries will be informative and keep you apprised of College business on an ongoing basis.  Please forward any comments or recommendations to me should you have any.

Just for a little historical perspective my first official task after assuming the presidency was to appoint 3 ACVECC Diplomates, after they agreed of course, to be members of the ACVECC Advisory Panel for choosing the Next Editor in Chief (EIC) for JVECC.  Drs. Kate Hooper, Cindy Otto and Pam Wilkins graciously agreed to sit on this panel and help guide the selection of the next EIC for JVECC.  The panel reviewed the applications for the position and then made their recommendation to the VECCS Board as to who would be the best candidate for the EIC for JVECC.  The VECCS Board then formally appointed the next EIC.  Congratulations to Dr. Dan Chan.  The JVECC EIC position is critical to our College and our College recognizes that we should do what we can to continue the growth and development of “our” journal, because it is a true partnership between VECCS and ACVECC.  My sincere thanks to Kate, Cindy and Pam for your time, effort and energy in support of our College.

Due to a technicality after the general election for ACVECC Officers in September we found ourselves in need of one additional At Large Regent.  Our Bylaws state that under such circumstances the President needs to appoint one additional Regent.  After considerable thought and reflection on the subject and consulting with many experienced ACVECC Diplomates and former Regents I asked Dr. Rebecca (Becky) Syring to fill this important position.  Becky has been involved in the mentoring and/or training of over 30 residents in emergency and critical care medicine and she is a frequent speaker at both national and international meetings on E/CC topics.  Her previous involvement in ACVECC is impressive:  1) Member, Examination Committee (2003-2006), 2) Chairperson, Constitution and Bylaws Committee (2005-present) and 3) Member, Residency Training Committee (2007-present).  Becky brings a wealth of knowledge and a breath of experience to our Council or Regents.

Update from the 2009 ACVECC Certifying Examination:  A total of 59 candidates sat the exam.  32 took it for the first time, 21 took it for the second time and 6 took it for the third time.  33 candidates successfully passed the exam and became new Diplomates (an overall 56% pass rate – our highest in quite a while).  Breaking it down a little further:  Of those that took the exam for the first time 20/32 passed (63%).  Of those that took the exam for the second time 10/21 passed (48%).  And of those that took the exam for the third time 3/6 passed (50%).

For the small animal portion of the exam:  For all candidates taking all 3 sections of the exam, 22 candidates passed all 3 sections.  3 candidates failed all 3 sections, 10 candidates failed 2 of 3 sections and 11 candidates failed only 1 of 3 sections.  Only 1 candidate failed only the General Multiple Choice section of the exam, 3 candidates failed only the Species Specific Multiple Choice section of the exam and 7 candidates failed only the Clinical Examination.  All 8 candidates who took only one section of the examination passed their section.

For the large animal portion of the exam:  There were only 5 candidates taking this section of the exam, 2 first time takers and 3 second time takers.  Both first time takers passed the exam and of those taking the exam for the second time, 1 passed and 2 failed.

FAQ’s?

1.) One question that I get asked frequently, especially around annual dues time, is “What is the difference between ACVECC and VECCS and why do I need to be a member of both organizations?”

Well I can’t answer the why part for anyone but it should be obvious from my description here.  ACVECC was created in 1989 and was granted full recognition by the ABVS in 1997.  ACVECC was developed as the academic companion organization to VECCS and the two organizations have retained a very close relationship since ACVECC’s inception by collaborating on joint projects, such as IVECCS and JVECC.  ACVECC is the College and becoming/remaining a member in good standing confers your Diplomate status.  VECCS is the organization with a much broader membership base than just ACVECC Diplomates and serves the ECC community in multiple and various ways.  Two of the most significant ways in which VECCS serves the ECC community are: 1) Organizing and operationally overseeing the annual IVECCS meeting and, 2) Publishing and distributing the JVECC.  So by being a member of both “sister” organizations you maintain your Diplomate status (ACVECC) and receive our journal (JVECC) and all of the associated benefits if you attend the annual IVECCS meeting (reduced registration, opportunity to be a speaker, etc) (VECCS).

2.) Another question(s) that frequently comes up is, “What is the difference between being Board Certified and being a Diplomate and what does the term “specialist” imply?”

The AVMA serves as the review system for all specialty boards or colleges. Each specialty college has specific guidelines used for approval and certification for the title of diplomatic status. In the latest AVMA Membership Directory and Research Manual, there are about 20 specialty boards listed with sub-specialties in many.  The American College of Veterinary Surgeons has taken the position that the term “specialist” be reserved for exclusive use by those veterinarians who have successfully completed a residency training program and passed a certifying examination in their claimed discipline.

The American College of Veterinary Surgeons uses the designation “Diplomate, American College of Veterinary Surgeons” or “Diplomate, ACVS” for individuals who have been approved by the specialty college and are in good standing. In certain cases, individuals may be accepted as Charter Members (founders) of the college. Some colleges also confer an honorary membership designated as “Honorary Diplomate of The American College of Veterinary (name of Specialty Board).”

Conference of the title of Diplomate of a particular college implies to the public that the person using this title has successfully completed a residency program, the credentials and application have been approved, a certifying examination has been successfully completed, and the individual is in good standing (generally meaning they have paid their dues).

Sometimes individuals use the term “Board Certified” for a particular college and this generally implies successful completion of a certifying examination. Sometimes individuals use the term “Board Certified” rather than Diplomate because of potential confusion to the public although they are in fact Diplomates.  “Board Certified” in its purest form is a status differentiated from Diplomate in that “Board Certified” individuals “may” no longer be “members in good standing” for some reason, such as failure to pay dues or resigning.  Although, as mentioned above, an individual who refers to themselves as “Board Certified” to avoid confusion to the public may in fact be a Diplomate.  I know this is confusing but it is what it is.  My suggestion would be to ultimately educate the public as to what it means to be a Diplomate and develop consistent terminology that clarifies this title (see paragraph 3 above under this question).

A clinician who has completed a residency training program but has not successfully completed the certifying examination of the college or specialty in question may use the term “limited to the practice of;” for example, surgery. This designation should not make a direct link to any specialty college.

Excerpted from the Pennsylvania State Board of Veterinary Medicine Newsletter April 2010, article by Dr. James Orsini, DVM, Associate Professor of Surgery, New Bolton Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania.

3.)  What is the ACVECC 20^th Anniversary Commemorative Book?

The book entitled “SAVED – 20 Tales of Emergency Room Heroics” is unlike any other book out there in veterinary medicine to my knowledge. It certainly is not an academic book and you wouldn’t list it on your CV necessarily.  It is more than anything else a literary and pictorial reflection on what ACVECC Diplomates do in their own words.  In addition to being an easy read it is also essentially marketing our College and its members to the public, a long desired goal for our College.  If you happen to be one of the authors of one of the “tales” than it is marketing you individually.  As a by-product it is also a fund raiser for the College as well.  My hope is that all of you also see it as such and by giving each and every ACVECC Diplomate a complimentary copy you will see it and perhaps purchase additional copies for friends, colleagues, referring veterinarians, special clients, etc.  The College decided this would be a nice gesture to all Diplomates as a remembrance of our 20th year anniversary.  Shortly you will be receiving your copy.  This is a great and relatively inexpensive way to get who we are and what we do out there.  Personally I have purchased a dozen copies already for our hospital and select friends and plan on purchasing 60 more copies for our top referring veterinarians as an upcoming holiday gift.  Just for comparison, to put a two full page add for our practice in our local area telephone book, the cost is $1500 a month.  This book by comparison is a great bargain at $40.00.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Hoping this first “blog” finds all of you well and as the Holidays approach my best wishes to each of you and your families as well.

Regards.

Dennis

The results of this year’s certifying examination have recently been released, and I’d like to thank the Examination Committee once more for all of their hard work. The next Board of Regents meeting will take place on Monday December 20, 2010. Please contact any of the Regents (listed here on the website!) if you have questions about the business of the College.

I have been blessed with the opportunity to serve as the ACVECC’s second Ombudsman. My appointment began in November 2009. The activity of my position has been light, indicating to me that our college is functioning well and communication lines are working. However, I also realize that the light activity could mean that some of you may not recognize situations where I might be of assistance. Please review what an Ombudsman is and let me know if I can help. I am cutting and pasting here the original description of the Ombudsman position:

“The ACVECC Ombudsman will serve as a neutral, independent, informal, and confidential resource for all Diplomates and trainees associated with the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. The Ombudsman will provide impartial, confidential consultation to members of the ACVECC community who are concerned about an issue. These responsibilities may include communicating suggestions and data from people who seek a confidential channel for surfacing responsible concerns; fostering communication between individuals involved in a conflict, and conducting informal fact-finding, when appropriate, to better understand an issue while maintaining confidentiality. The Ombudsman’s function in no way replaces formal avenues of addressing grievances, but provides an alternative confidential avenue for addressing issues of concern to the ACVECC community.”

As I have alluded, quiet Ombuds activity is a good sign for our college, but if you need me please do not hesitate to call or e-mail.

Sincerely,

Tony

F. A. (Tony) Mann, DVM, MS, Diplomate ACVS, Diplomate ACVECC

Director of Small Animal Emergency and Critical Care Services

Small Animal Soft Tissue Surgery Service Chief Small Animal Surgery/Neurology Instructional Leader

University of Missouri Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital
900 East Campus Drive
Columbia, MO 65211

telephone: 573-882-7821
fax: 573-884-5444
e-mail: MannF@missouri.edu