Dr. Jen Quammen’s Strategic Vision: Future-Proofing AVMA

Dr. Jen Quammen’s Strategic Vision: Future-Proofing AVMA

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has a long history dating back to 1863 and I hope to see it continue well past the 200 year mark. I have been a member of the AVMA since graduation in 2011 and have served as a volunteer on the Council on Veterinary Service (2013-19), the Veterinary Economics Strategy Committee (2020-22), and on the Board of Directors as Vice President (2022-24). I was a member of the AVMA Future Leader Program (2015-16) where the focus of our project was workplace wellbeing. Currently, I am a Candidate for AVMA President Elect (2025-26) and am excited to see what this association can continue to grow into. We are threading a narrow eye in providing continuing education, governance, advocacy for the profession and advancing the veterinary profession in the eyes of the public as well as colleagues worldwide.

 

The AVMA today has a homebase in Schaumburg, Illinois (a Chicago suburb), has a membership of well over one hundred thousand (100,000) veterinarians, and a governing House of Delegates (HOD) representing 70 state, territorial and allied veterinary medical groups. The allied groups (collectively called the Allied Caucus) includes organizations such as the American Association of Equine Practitioners (AAEP), the American Animal Hospital Association (AAHA), the Uniformed Services of The United States (USUS), and the American Holistic Veterinary Medical Association (AHVMA). Learn more about the HOD and its members.

 

AVMA wasn’t always housed in the Chicago suburbs, its first meeting and unofficial headquarters were in New York. At inception AVMA wasn’t even AVMA – the group was founded as the United States Veterinary Medical Association (USVMA) and became the AVMA 35 years later (1898). A couple of other veterinary tidbits include that our first female veterinarians graduated from U.S. schools in 1915 and AVMA’s first female President in 1996 was Dr. Mary Beth Leininger.

 

Many have asked me why I am interested in becoming AVMA President Elect and it is difficult to express all of the reasons in a single sound bite or elevator pitch. I am eager to contribute to a profession that has enriched my journey. The AVMA President has the opportunity to share the work of AVMA, discuss and respond to public and member inquiry on topics, and to communicate the voice of the membership and board of directors on a wider scale. I have foundational skills in communication and collaboration, the knowledge to contribute within the association, an understanding of the policies and procedures and willingness to represent this association to the public and other organizations. In other words, I know I can do the job of the President Elect, President and Past President; and I want to do this job.

 

Every generation of veterinarians witness changes in practice, changes in clients, and changes in communication options/styles. Rather than using these changes as weapons of division among generations of veterinarians represented in the AVMA, I see a place where professionals can come together and have productive discourse on meaningful topics. In the current state of the profession, we could easily talk for hours on educational models, workforce issues like veterinary technician utilization, technological advancements, and the effects of private equity on veterinary medicine. I see AVMA as the “great convener” where diversity of perspectives can be heard (not just listened to) and debated, new techniques and technologies are showcased, and market research is verifiable and trusted. I don’t think AVMA is currently great at listening to neutral and detractor viewpoints, but this is something I’d like to see the association move into. If you feel this way too, please tell your delegates and other AVMA leaders. Even better yet, become a volunteer and help AVMA move the needle from the inside.

 

As candidate for President Elect I want to learn about the concerns and questions people have for the AVMA – whether you are a member now or not, I’d love to connect and discuss what matters to you, share opportunities to provide AVMA feedback, and update you on the resources AVMA has available for membership as well as the public and profession at large. Thank you for joining me on this journey as a candidate and feel free to follow me on all of the major social channels.