AVMA, members disagree on priority of welfare, education

Schaumburg, Ill. — American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) members and leadership differ on association roles in education and animal welfare, according to a recent survey of AVMA members.

Over the past four years, AVMA leadership developed a set of five goals to guide the association into the future — legislative advocacy, workforce shortages, education, animal welfare and economic viability.

Members identified four of those five goals as being as important as AVMA believes.

Members ranked "critical shortages in veterinary workforce, infrastructure and resources" as the sixth most important goal, while the executive board ranked it third.

And members did not agree with the executive board on the AVMA's role in veterinary education. Members ranked education very low on their list of priorities.

Members and the board also differed in their views on animal-welfare issues.

Members ranked the statement "veterinarians need to be recognized as the leading resource in animal-health/animal-welfare policy" as the second most important issue, behind only economic viability. It was ranked eighth by the board.

In the survey, the executive board and members did agree on some issues. The board ranked "the economic viability and sustainability of the veterinary profession" as its top goal and concern, tied with advocacy. Members also ranked economic viability as the profession's top concern.

"Veterinary-related issues in local, state, federal and international legislation and regulation," or advocacy, was a top concern of the executive board on the survey.

Members ranked it their third highest priority.