The American Association of Equine Practitioners’ (AAEP) newly formed Early Career Committee held its first meeting at the 2024 Convention, which took place Dec. 7-11 in Orlando, Florida. The Commission on Equine Veterinary Sustainability’s Internship Subcommittee has been disbanded, but with some of its members joining the Early Career Committee, the momentum will continue. Chairperson Jesse Tyma, DVM, DACVS, welcomed the attendees and reviewed the committee’s charge: “To develop resources and create networking opportunities for AAEP members early in their careers, including internship and mentorship opportunities. Actively engage recent graduates to elicit discussion and gather feedback for the AAEP.”
AAEP Early Career Committee Members
Other members of the Early Career Committee include Drs. Ty Corbiell (Board Liason), Jackie Christakos, Zach Loppnow, Ernie Martinez, Ellen Staples, Rachel Liepman, Katharine White, Matty May, Sam Parkinson, Jamie Ashbrook, Kate Kiger, Jamie Clark, Zach Bruggen, Jamie Lemus, Candace Thrift, and Lauren Fischer. AAEP Staff members supporting the group include Shelby Mosley and Nick Altwies.
Early Career Committee Goals
“The newly established AAEP Early Career Committee will continue the efforts of the internship subcommittee with the development and implementation of the Internship Hub, including a standardized application and letter of reference for the upcoming internship cycle,” said Tyma. “Ultimately, there will be a similarly structured externship hub. In addition, the committee wants to determine the unique needs of and pain points for the early-career veterinarian and hopes to develop specific resources for community, conversation, feedback, education, and support for this susceptible population of equine veterinarians.”
Suggestions From First Committee Meeting
During its first meeting, the Early Career Committee reviewed the work completed by the Internship Subcommittee over the previous few years. Then, the committee initiated a discussion of the needs and expectations of early-career equine veterinarians and the role of the AAEP. Themes of the conversation included the need for peer connection, mentoring, and education about various aspects of practice. It was noted that the Australian Veterinary Association has a separate division of membership for early-career members during their first 10 years of membership.
The Membership Engagement Committee, which had a representative at the meeting, had surveyed equine practitioners in their first decade of practice about how the AAEP could better serve them. This Young Equine Practitioners group brainstormed various ideas, which were discussed with the Early Career Committee.
Their first suggestion was to provide business education appropriate for early-career veterinarians in the areas of contract negotiation and ownership opportunities. In addition, they recommended continuing programs that reinforce basic skills and ambulatory general practice techniques and treatments. Another idea involved creating additional networking opportunities, both at the annual convention and with a dedicated listserv or other communication platform, as some young practitioners are reluctant to pose questions in a more general forum. They also recommended curating a group of resources specifically for early-career equine doctors.
Final Thoughts
The Early Career Committee discussed creating a workgroup to review and evaluate the formation of such a membership category and to determine whether all AAEP members in their first 10 years after graduation should be enrolled automatically. If you have thoughts on what you need as an early-career equine veterinarian, be sure to reach out to a member of this committee.
Related Reading
- Veterinary Sustainability: An Update on the AAEP Commission’s 5 Subcommittees
- Veterinary Sustainability: Clinics Get Creative With Equine Emergency Coverage
- AAEP Commission on Veterinary Sustainability: New AAEP Internship Hub
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