AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich is joined by the dean of the Iowa State University College of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Dan Grooms. Grooms discusses his career as a mixed animal veterinarian in Ohio after graduating from The Ohio State University (OSU) College of Veterinary Medicine and the mentors he had that encouraged him to become involved in organized veterinary medicine. He started his volunteer service to AABP as a member of the Amstutz Scholarship Committee, became president in 2014, and currently serves on the AABP Foundation Board. He returned to OSU and was on faculty at Michigan State University, and then became dean at Iowa State University. Grooms discusses the current shortage of veterinarians and how it particularly impacts rural mixed/food animal practice. He encourages veterinarians to develop young people in their community in following a path to veterinary medicine by getting them to enter college and apply to veterinary schools and think about a a career in cattle medicine. Grooms discusses the challenges with maintaining a curriculum that satisfies the Council on Education requirements for accreditation, and how veterinary school develops a foundation for students to enter the profession and continue to learn and advance their careers. Veterinary school tuition continues to increase and he outlines the budget and revenue streams at Iowa State University and how this impacts tuition fees to students. Scholarships and paid externships are important for all AABP members to participate in to encourage recruitment and retention in bovine practice. Grooms also discusses the efforts by AABP and universities to promote diversity, equity and inclusion to make sure that the profession is welcoming and supportive of everyone, regardless of their demographic backgrounds.  

The AABP Foundation continues to support veterinary students and we encourage everyone to donate to the Foundation at this link to support scholarships, research and externship programs for veterinary students. AABP members can list their externships to welcome students to bovine practice by going to this page. Are you interested in joining an AABP Committee? Visit the committee page on the AABP website and click on a committee to find information and email the committee chair!