Swine veterinarians gathered for the 2022 American Association of Swine Veterinarians (AASV) annual meeting on Feb. 28 in Indianapolis, Ind. Here are a few quotable moments from Monday’s line-up of speakers covering topics ranging from PRRS to diversity, equity and inclusion in veterinary medicine.
“The most comforting words I have heard in my life are ‘me too.’ In that moment, you find out that your struggle is also someone else’s struggle. You are not alone. Someone needs you!” -Angela Baysinger, DVM, animal welfare lead, North America, for Merck Animal Health in Howard Dunne Memorial Lecture “Leaping Into the Future: Sit down, buckle up and hang on”
“Accept that unintentional bias is inherent. Be open to feedback to develop a culture of growth. Be courageous to have tough conversations. Recognize the diversity of our veterinary student population and welcome them to the profession. Actively participate in inclusivity in your organization.” – Fred Gingrich, executive director of the American Association of Bovine Practitioners in “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine”
“2022 is a transition year for producers, compliance regulations and California itself. Early Prop 12 compliant barns show competitive reproductive performance. Losing 3-5% farrowing rate may have been overstated.” – Hyatt Frobose, USA commercial director and nutritionist for JYGA Technologies in “Prop 12: The Slat-Level Experience”
“Reconnect with your mentors. Try to stay in touch with them. Consider mentorship a lifelong endeavor, not just a point in time.” – Jim Kober, DVM, independent consultant and contract hog finisher, in Alex Hogg Memorial Lecture “Learning for the Future”
“Bio-containment is the forgotten part of biosecurity. We have to figure out how to do a better job of keeping the virus on the site throughout the entire production system.” –Paul Yeske, DVM, Swine Vet Center, in “PRRSV RFLP 1-4-4: How are practitioners dealing with it and are the strains really different?”
“Respect and value each other for who we are. Our differences are what make us better and stronger. Stop labeling and start understanding the value of everyone’s story.” – Alex Ramirez, DVM, Senior Associate Dean, Academic Program and Faculty Affairs at the University of Arizona College of Veterinary Medicine, in “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine: An Academia Perspective”
“Bacterial and viral pneumonia should be thought of in terms of management + environment + pathogens ->Mitigation.” -Dyneah Classen, DVM, Carthage Veterinary Service, in “Mitigating the Downstream Effects of PRRSV and Secondary Infections”
“I’m sure I have an inherent bias regarding skin color, we all do. I am not claiming to be color blind; color matters, I just don’t want it to be a factor for biases against someone who is not like me.” -Lisa Tokach, DVM, Abilene Animal Hospital in “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Veterinary Medicine: A Business Perspective”
More coverage from AASV to follow:
Here’s Why Boehringer Ingelheim is Expanding Research Funding Program Focus
