AASV News

Call for papers -- AASV 2008 student seminar and veterinary student scholarships

The AASV announces an opportunity for up to 15 veterinary students to make scientific presentations during the student seminar at the AASV Annual Meeting on Sunday, March 9, 2008, in San Diego, California. Interested students are invited to submit a one-page abstract of a research paper, clinical case study, or literature review for consideration. Abstracts and supplementary materials must be received by Dr Alex Ramirez by midnight on Friday, September 21, 2007 (firm deadline). Faxes are acceptable. Late abstracts will not be considered. The abstracts will be reviewed by an unbiased, professional panel consisting of a private practitioner, an academician at a school from which no students have submitted an abstract, and an industry veterinarian. Students whose papers are selected for presentation at the meeting will be notified by October 15, 2007, and will be expected to provide the complete paper or abstract for publication by November 15, 2007.

To help defray the costs of attending the AASV meeting, Alpharma Animal Health provides a $750 honorarium to the student presenter of each paper selected for the seminar.

Veterinary students whose papers are selected for presentation at the meeting will be eligible to compete for one of several veterinary student scholarships awarded through the AASV Foundation. The oral presentations will be judged to determine the amount of the scholarship awarded.

Alpharma Animal Health funds a $5000 scholarship for the student whose paper, oral presentation, and supporting information are judged best overall.

The Eli Lilly & Company Foundation, on behalf of Elanco Animal Health, has provided $20,000 in additional funding enabling the AASV Foundation to provide awards of $2500 each for 2^nd through 5^th place, $1500 each for 6^th through 10^th place, and $500 each for 11^th through 15^th place.

Students whose papers are not selected for oral presentation in the student seminar will be eligible to be considered for participation in a poster session at the annual meeting. Up to 15 posters will be selected through a competitive process. Alpharma funds a stipend of $250 for each student who is selected and participates in the poster presentation.

Complete information for preparing and submitting abstracts is available on the AASV website (http://www.aasv.org/annmtg/2008/studentseminar.htm). Please note: the rules for submission should be followed carefully. For more information, contact the AASV office (Tel: 515-465-5255; Fax: 515-465-3832; E-mail: aasv@aasv.org).

Swine externship grants now available to all veterinary students

In an effort to encourage veterinary students to consider swine medicine as a career option early in their training, the AASV Foundation is opening the Swine Externship Grant Program to all veterinary students. Formerly, the grants were available only to students in their senior year. For the sixth consecutive year, the AASV Foundation will provide $200 grants to veterinary students who participate in a swine externship. Students who complete an externship of at least 2 weeks’ duration in a swine practice or a mixed practice with a considerable swine component may apply for the grant. Both the student and at least one member of the hosting practice must be members of the AASV.

Applications are now available for students who will participate in swine externships during the 2007–2008 academic year.

In addition to student information, the grant application requests a letter from the hosting practice containing details of the planned externship. After the externship has been completed and the practice has confirmed the student’s participation, the student sends a brief report of his or her experiences to the AASV Foundation before the funds are disbursed. More than 40 students from the United States and Canada have benefited from the grant program since its inception in 2002.

Grants are awarded on a first-come, first-served basis to those successfully completing the requirements. Students are encouraged to submit their grant applications as soon as they have confirmed their externship dates. The grants are limited to one per student.

To obtain grant application materials, go to www.aasv.org/students/externgrant.htm, or contact the AASV office: 902 1^st Avenue, Perry, IA 50220-1703; Tel: 515-465-5255; Fax: 515-465-3832; E-mail: aasv@aasv.org.

Call for abstracts – Industrial Partners

The AASV invites submissions for the Industrial Partners portion of the 39^th AASV Annual Meeting, to be held March 8 to 11, 2008, in San Diego, California. This is an opportunity for commercial companies to make brief presentations of a technical, educational nature to members of the AASV.

As in the past, the oral sessions will consist of a series of 15-minute presentations scheduled from 1:00 to 5:30 pm on Sunday afternoon, March 9. A poster session will take place on the same day. Poster authors will be required to be stationed with their posters from 12:00 noon until 1:00 pm, and the posters will remain on display throughout the afternoon for viewing by meeting attendees. All presentations – oral and poster – will be published in the proceedings of the meeting.

Restricted program space necessitates a limit on the number of presentations per company. Companies that are members of the Journal of Swine Health and Production Industry Support Council (listed on the inside front cover of JSHAP) may submit two topics for oral presentation. All other companies may submit one topic for oral presentation. Each company may submit one additional topic for poster presentation. All topics must represent information not previously presented at the AASV annual meeting or published in the meeting proceedings.

Topic titles, a brief description or abstract of the presentation content, and presenter information (name, address, telephone and fax numbers, e-mail address) must be received in the AASV office by October 1, 2007. Please identify whether the submission is intended for oral or poster presentation. Send to: Commercial Sessions, AASV, 902 1^st Avenue, Perry, IA, 50220-1703; Fax: 515-465-3832; E-mail: aasv@aasv.org.

Authors will be notified of their acceptance by October 15, 2007, and must submit the complete paper for publication in the meeting proceedings by November 15, 2007. Companies failing to submit papers in a timely manner will not be eligible for future participation in these sessions.

Trichinae Certification Program

The USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is proposing to establish a voluntary trichinae certification program for US pork that has been produced under disease-prevention conditions.

Under the proposed program, APHIS would certify pork production sites that follow prescribed good production practices that reduce, eliminate, or avoid the risk of exposure of animals to the zoonotic swine parasite Trichinella spiralis. Such a program is expected to enhance the ability of producers to export pork and pork products to overseas markets.

The proposed program, which would be funded by program fees, has been developed as a cooperative effort by the US Department of Agriculture, the National Pork Board, and the pork processing industry. If adopted, this program will include producers who choose to participate, slaughter facilities, and other facilities handling or processing swine from pork production sites that are under the program.

APHIS will consider all comments submitted on or before July 16, 2007. The entire program and instructions describing how to submit comments can be reviewed online at www.regulations.gov/fdmspublic/component/main. Under “Agency,” select “Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service” and submit, then select “Docket APHIS-2006-0089.”

Reserve your lodging room now for the 2008 AASV Annual Meeting

AASV members planning to attend the 2008 AASV Annual Meeting in San Diego are encouraged to make hotel reservations now to be assured of obtaining a room in the conference hotel. The meeting will be held March 8 to 11, 2008, at the Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina. Since March is peak season in San Diego, those who delay making their lodging reservations may be unable to secure a room in the Sheraton.

Please note: the Sheraton guest rooms are divided between east and west towers located some distance from each other. AASV conference attendees should request rooms in the EAST tower, which is conveniently located near the meeting space.

The Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina is located near the airport and enjoys a waterfront location on San Diego Bay. It is only a short drive from several popular attractions, including San Diego Zoo, Gaslight Quarter, and Sea World Park. The AASV room block rate is $229 (US) per single or double room. The hotel contact information is provided below. Reservations may also be made online at www.aasv.org/annmtg.

Sheraton San Diego Hotel and Marina
1380 Harbor Island Drive
San Diego, CA 92101
Tel: 619-291-2900; Fax: 619-692-2337