The Bridge Club presents its 2022 Bright Minds award winners

This article was updated April 6, 2023.

At the 2022 Western Veterinary Conference (WVC) in Las Vegas, Nevada, The Bridge Club honored Ashley Bourgeois, DVM, DACVD, Fred Wininger, VMD, MS, DACVIM (Neurology), and Adam Christman, DVM, MBA, as its 2022 Bright Mind award winners.

“What an honor to win this wonderful category. I'm so proud to be in a profession that gives voices to the voiceless. Creating an educational and fun impact for colleagues, students and pet parents is what my legacy is all about and am proud to have been recognized for these efforts. Thank you to the Bridge Club for having a platform to celebrate colleagues in the profession,” expressed Christman.

For this year’s awards,¹ Christman received the Industry Influencer award for his work on social media to help promote and elevate veterinary medicine. Christman shows his followers—nearly 1 million on TikTok, 110K on Instagram, 35K on Facebook, and 12K on YouTube—the ins and outs of the profession in a way that not only entertains but educates his followers to help those not in the profession understand their pets and be able to help them live healthier and happier lives.

Bourgeois, who is known on social media as "The Derm Vet," was this year's Wellness Champion award winner for sharing her personal life stories and how a curveball thrown into her life can cause not only a dark effect on life but an opportunity to something bright.

Finally, Wininger was honored with the Game Changer award. Along with educating veterinary professionals on everything neurology, Wininger collaborates with different professionals such as behaviorists, general practitioners, veterinary technicians, ophthalmologists and more to show differences between conditions that can present with neurological signs but could actually be something else.

“Technology and change can be scary but innovation and creativity are exciting and necessary. Making neurology accessible to all practitioners and utilizing 3D printing to improve the safety and efficacy of surgeries has invigorated my love of teaching and connecting with my colleagues. I am very proud to be amongst so many ‘game changers’ trying to make our field better one step at a time,” expressed Wininger.

According to the Bridge Club, each winner will receive a $1,500 cash prize, a Bright Mind Statue, and were honored live on stage at WVC.¹

Reference

The Bridge Club Awards Veterinary Medicine’s Brightest Minds. News release. The Bridge Club. February 21, 2023. Accessed February 24, 2023.