Exposing the Elephant in the Room
By John Tait, DVM, AAHA President
AAHA is committed to providing students and new graduates with relevant current information surrounding the Elephant in the Room discussions. We have compiled content from presentations made originally at our 2009 Annual Meeting in Phoenix, as well as at North American Veterinary Conferences and presentations at veterinary schools and colleges. We are confident that the following information will help put the issues of debt, understanding the return on investment of a veterinary degree, and comprehensive financial planning into perspective.
Understanding the implications of student debt and how best to manage and respond to it are a critical part of informed financial planning during school and post graduation. Optimizing terms of employment, understanding the employee-employer relationship, investment planning, and tax management are also important areas for students and new graduates to be well versed in as they enter the workforce. There are many routes a degree in veterinary medicine can lead you, and a better understanding of the return on a degree in veterinary medicine can help facilitate improved decision making.
We hope you find this information valuable. At AAHA we are here to support and encourage you in your professional goals.
Assessing the Elephant in the Room at AAHA Phoenix 2009
This session provided the opportunity for attendees to contribute to targeted discussions about student debt, average starting salaries, debt management strategies, the investment value of a veterinary medicine degree, and what information the profession has to tackle this growing problem and how. Moderated by Anna Worth, VMD, AAHA President, with panelists John Tait, DVM, MBA CFP; Karen Felsted, DVM, CPA & Fritz Wood, CPA, this discussion was broken up into three sessions.
Click here to view descriptions and conference recordings from these sessions.
Presentations from NAVC 2009:
- Trends in Employment, Starting Salary and Educational Debt of Graduates of US Veterinary Medical Schools and Colleges
By Carla Chieffo, VMD, PhD, Alan M. Kelly, BVSc, PhD, James Ferguson, VMD
- Evaluation of the basic business knowledge of veterinary students
By Dani McVety, UF CVM class of 2009
- Family Gender Roles and Practice Ownership
By Micaela Z. Shaughnessy, VMD
- To Be Successful Economically In Private Practice You Must First Do An Internship. Myth?? Fact?? Rumor??
By Tom Kendall, D.V.M., C.V.P.M.
Articles related to student debt and trends in veterinary medicine:
- Trends in gender, employment, salary and debt of graduates of U.S. veterinary medical schools and colleges.
By Carla Chieffo, VMD, PhD; Alan M. Kelly, BVSc, PhD; James Ferguson, VMD
- Leading The Charge: The Journey Towards Financial Health for The Veterinary Profession
Results and Summary of the Summit held at the University of Missouri-Columbia College of Veterinary Medicine, March 2008.
- IMPROVING NEW GRADUATE SUCCESS AT MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF VETERINARY MEDICINE (MSU-CVM)
By Mark Russak D.V.M., Director of Student Affairs at Mississippi State University College of Veterinary Medicine
- LSU PRACTICE EVALUATION COURSE
By D. M. McCurnin, DVM, Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine