The CVMA exists to make its members more successful. As a result of consistent feedback from its constituents, the CVMA continues to focus on its 3 priorities: National Issues/Government Relations; Animal Welfare; and The Successful Practice of Veterinary Medicine.
The CVMA had a total of 6307 members in 2005, including 1450 student members. The CVMA represents its members formally on 30 organizations and outside groups. This allows the profession to be constantly involved in issues such as extra label drug use, compounding of drugs, regulations for prescribing controlled substances, and drug approval. Meetings with government officials, such as the parliamentary secretary to the Minister of Agriculture & AgriFood to initiate the National Animal Health Strategic Plan, the Minister of State for Public Health to advise on the development of a Public Health Agency, or the Minister of Fisheries and Oceans resulting in an agreement to establish a National Aquatic Animal Health Plan, are essential to allow the profession to contribute to its own destiny.
The CVMA developed an Emergency Management Plan, which will provide the CVMA and its members with an emergency management policy framework and provide effective coordination with individual members, provincial and national counterparts, veterinary colleges, and government. The 2 major initiatives will be the establishment of a Veterinary Reserve and the development of an emergency communications plan providing pertinent information to veterinarians and their clients.
Participants in the December 2005 Corporate Review: Left to right; standing: Dr. Dan Quinlan, Dr. Jim Fairles, Dr. Duane Landals, Mr. Jost am Rhyn, Dr. Lynn Webster, Mr. Jean-Sébastien Palerme, Dr. Julie de Moissac, Dr. John Drake, Dr. Diane Frank, Dr. Doug Roberts, Dr. Bruce Hunter, Ms. Suzanne Lavictoire, Dr. Mike Sheridan, Dr. Bernard Vallée, Dr. Darcy Shaw, Dr. Claude Pigeon, Dr. Terry Whiting. Sitting: Dr. Keith Campbell, Dr. Wayne Hollingshead, Dr. Rob Ashburner, Dr. Paul Boutet, Dr. Lloyd Keddie. Missing from picture: Dr. Conrad L’Écuyer, Dr. Gordon Dittberner and Janice Mercer.
After Hurricane Katrina devastated parts of the United States, the American Veterinary Medical Association asked that the CVMA coordinate efforts to allow displaced American veterinarians and veterinary technicians to seek temporary work in Canada. Through the willingness of licensing bodies, the National Examination Board, and political help, the CVMA was able to establish a process within 10 days to help displaced veterinarians. This was an example of how fast such an initiative can be put into place in emergency situations.
2006 Committee Appointments
EXECUTIVE
President— Dr. Robert Ashburner (British Columbia)
President-Elect— Dr. Paul Boutet (New Brunswick)
Vice-President— Dr. John Drake (Prince Edward Island)
Executive Member— Dr. Diane Frank (FMV/AVC)
Treasurer— Dr. Conrad L’Ecuyer
Executive Director— Mr. Jost am Rhyn
COUNCIL
Dr. Lloyd Keddie (Alberta)
Dr. Julie de Moissac (Saskatchewan)
Dr. Mike Sheridan (Manitoba)
Dr. Jim Fairles (Ontario)
Dr. Jadwiga Poray-Wybranowska (Quebec)
Dr. Doug Roberts (Nova Scotia)
Dr. Daniel Quinlan (Newfoundland)
Dr. Bruce Hunter (WCVM/OVC)
Dr. Wayne Hollingshead (British Columbia)
Mr. Jean-Sébastien Palerme (Students of the CVMA/Étudiants de l’ACMV)
Dr. Keith Campbell (Past-President)
ANIMAL HEALTH TECHNICIAN ACCREDITATION PROGRAM
Resource Person: Max Hollins
Chair — Dr. Gavin Hamilton
Dr. Glen Jackson
Ms. Lucille Landals
Dr. Peter Stockdale
Council Liaison — Dr. Lloyd Keddie
Ex-officio: Ms. Gillian Smith, CAAHTT
ANIMAL WELFARE COMMITTEE
Resource Person — Vacant
Chair — Dr. Terry Whiting
Dr. Alan Bergen
Dr. Alice Crook
Dr. Helen Schwantje
Dr. Cate Dewey
Council Liaison — Dr. Julie de Moissac
Council Liaison — Dr. Diane Frank
Ex-officio
Dr. Gordon Doonan
Dr. Tim Zaharchuk
Dr. Gilly Griffin
Ms. Shelagh MacDonald
Dr. Carol Morgan
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE
Resource Person: Suzanne Lavictoire
Chair — Dr. Frank Richardson
Dr. Tim Zaharchuk
Dr. Dan Thompson
Dr. Lynn Webster
Dr. Joël Bergeron
Dr. Bob Bellamy
Council Liaison — Dr. Jim Fairles
COMMUNICATION COMMITTEE
Resource Person: Janice Mercer
Chair — Dr. Nancy Bruyere
Dre Louise Laliberté
Dr. Troye McPherson-Kyte
Dr. Patricia Stapley-Chase
Council Liaison — Dr. Wayne Hollingshead
Council Liaison — Dr. Dan Quinlan
CVMA INSURANCE PROGRAM
Resource Person: Vacant
Chair — Dr. Keith Schneider
EDITORIAL COMMITTEE
Resource Person: Heather Broughton
Chair — Dr. W.D.G. (Bill) Yates
Editor-in-Chief, CVJ — Dr. Doug Hare
Associate Editor, CVJ — Dr. André Blouin
Associate Editor, CVJ — Dr. Bruce Grahn
Editor, CJVR — Dr. Éva Nagy
Associate Editor, CJVR — Dr. K.R. Mittal
Council Liaison — Mr. Jean-Sébastien Palerme
Council Liaison — Dr. John Drake
NATIONAL EXAMINING BOARD
Resource Person: Max Hollins
Chair — Dre Sylvie Latour
Dr. Ed MacAulay
Dr. Mark Spiegle
Ms Karen Clifford
Dr. Mihàly Szöke
Council Liaison — Dr. Diane Frank
Registrar: Jost am Rhyn
NATIONAL ISSUES COMMITTEE
Resource Person: Suzanne Lavictoire
Chair — Dr. Bernard Vallée
Dr. Gordon Dittberner, Sr. Advisor
Dr. Shane Renwick
Dr. Brent Humphrey
Dr. Clément Lanthier
Council Liaison — Dr. Doug Roberts
Council Liaison — Dr. Mike Sheridan
PET FOOD CERTIFICATION COMMITTEE
Resource Person: Steffani MacDonald
Chair — Dr. Ray Snopek
Nutritionist — Dr. Jim Atkinson
Nutritionist — Dr. R. Glenn Brown
Dr. Jim Miller
Dr. Maria Just
Dr. Bob Sanderson
Dr. Danny Joffe
Council Liaison — Vacant
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Resource Person: Linda Huskins
Chair — Dr. Claude Pigeon
Scientific Coordinator — Dr. Jeanne Lofstedt
Chair — St. John’s 2006 — Dr. Lynn Clarke
Council Liaison — Dr. Bruce Hunter
Chair — Ottawa 2007 — Dr. Susan Kilborn
Ex-Officio Members
Ms. Alayne Brigan, CAAHTT
Ms. Becky Taylor, CAAHTT
Mr. Randy Trumpler, CAHI
STUDENTS LIAISON COMMITTEE
Resource Person: Max Hollins
Chair — Dr. Bruce Hunter (OVC)
Dr. Diane Frank (FMV)
Dr. Klaas Post (WCVM)
Dr. Darcy Shaw (AVC)
STUDENTS OF THE CVMA (SCVMA)
Resource Person: Max Hollins
President — Mr. Jean-Sébastien Palerme
Mr. Dan Cartwright
Mr. Logan Thompson
Ms. Madelaine Hill
In conjunction with its last 2005 meeting, CVMA Council conducted a Corporate Review workshop on the provision of CVMA services to its members.
The following reports provide a summary of programs that the CVMA and its committees worked on in 2005 on behalf of its members.
National Issues
CVMA Guidelines for the Prudent Use of Antimicrobials in Food Animals
The CVMA was successful in securing funding under the Agriculture and AgriFood Canada’s Advancing Canadian Agriculture and Agrifoods Funds (ACAAF) program to continue its work over the next 3 years on the development of species-specific guidelines for the prudent use of antimicrobials in beef cattle, dairy cattle, poultry, and swine. The objectives of this 3-phase project are 1) to create general guidelines or principles for the prudent use of antimicrobials for each of the 4 species; 2) to identify specific bacterial diseases and the corresponding 1st and 2nd most appropriate antimicrobials to treat these infections; and 3) to take one common infectious disease of each species and create a decision tree on which to base treatment decisions.
CVMA Guidelines for the Legitimate Use of Compounding Drugs in Veterinary Practice
In August 2005, the CVMA published the CVMA Guidelines for the Legitimate Use of Compounded Drugs in Veterinary Practice. The Guidelines provide veterinary practitioners with information needed to make appropriate professional decisions when considering whether to use a compounded product for the treatment of a patient. The document was published electronically and can be downloaded and printed from the CVMA member Web site.
Revised CVMA position statements: Aquatic Animal Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Dentistry, and Alternative and Complementary Veterinary Medicine
The National Issues Committee (NIC) undertook the periodic review of existing CVMA general position statements and made recommendations to Council for the adoption of 3 revised position statements — Aquatic Animal Veterinary Medicine, Veterinary Dentistry, and Alternative and Complementary Veterinary Medicine. The positions were drafted by the members of the NIC with input from veterinary specialty groups and through general consultation of CVMA membership. The CVMA general positions are available on the CVMA member Web site.
Implementation of the new Canadian standard for microchip technology
In January 2005, the CVMA announced the implementation of a single international standard technology for pet identification in Canada after a long transition timetable. Following a transition period that ended August 1, 2005, a review process was established by the National Companion Animal Coalition (NCAC) that allows for the recognition of microchips, readers, and databases that meet the requirements of the new Canadian standard, based on the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) technology. Veterinarians and end users were informed that only those product models that are NCAC-recognized are acceptable for use in Canada. A list of recommended ISO microchip and dual reader models was distributed to veterinarians and updated regularly.
Advocacy and government relations
The CVMA represented the interests of the veterinary profession by its participation on the following committees: Canadian Animal Health Coalition, Canadian Coalition for Public Health in the 21st Century, Canadian On-Farm Food Safety Working Group, Canadian Aquatic Animal Health Committee, Expert Committee on Animal Health, Canadian Animal Health Consultative Committee, Veterinary Drugs Directorate’s (VDD) Extra-Label Drug Use Steering Committee, Public Health Agency of Canada’s Subcommittee on Nonenteric Zoonotic Diseases, Health Canada’s Advisory Committee for Prescribing Controlled Substances, Canadian AgriFood Research Council, VDD Stakeholder Committee, and VDD Advisory Committee on Minor Uses/Minor Species. Representatives of the CVMA also attended ad hoc meetings with numerous government officials and with Parliamentary Standing Committees.
Animal Welfare
Key initiatives of the Animal Welfare Committee included the following:
New position statements
The Committee developed the following position statements: Seal hunt, and Transportation of dogs in open vehicles.
Revised position statements
The Committee revised the following position statement: Consideration regarding the choice of a pet; Trapping of fur bearing animals; Animal abuse; Use of lead sinkers and shot in Canada (to be further revised).
Pain management poster
The Committee developed, in conjunction with the Sir James Dunn Animal Welfare Centre, Atlantic Veterinary College, a poster on “Examples of Anaesthetic and Pain Management Protocols for Healthy Cats and Dogs.” The poster was distributed in early 2006 to about 2200 small and mixed animal veterinary clinics.
Cruelty to Animals Act
Committee members continued lobbying efforts in support of the passing of the amendment of the criminal code (cruelty to animals).
Animal Welfare articles
Committee members submitted 4 animal welfare articles to The CVJ.
Animal Welfare at the 2005 Convention
The Committee developed the animal welfare continuing education component of the 2005 CVMA Convention.
Involvement of students
Students were involved in the fall Animal Welfare Committee meeting and made presentations at the conference on “Animal Abuse and Family — Building a Community Response.”
Business Management
Expanded Scope of the CVMA Business Management Program
Effective September 1, 2005, the CVMA expanded the scope of economic services provided to its members under the new CVMA Business Management Program. In partnership with the provincial veterinary medical associations, the CVMA will harmonize the delivery of suggested fee guides and economic reports for all provinces. Data can be collected either electronically through the online CVMA National Benchmarking Program or through paper survey. The CVMA has contracted the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association to confidentially gather and analyze the data. Economic surveying in some provinces began in the fall 2005 and the other provinces will follow in 2006. The CVMA Business Management Program is a member services provided by the CVMA and cosponsored by Hill’s Pet Nutrition Canada Inc., Petplan Insurance, Schering- Plough Animal Health, and Scotiabank.
National Benchmarking Program
In 2005, a series of benchmarking tools focused on equine practices, food animal/mixed animal practices, and support staff issues in a companion animal practice were added to the online CVMA National Benchmarking Program. These benchmark tools are intended to help veterinarians reach new levels of performance by facilitating analytically based decision-making that will drive change to produce more effective results.
Practice management articles and continuing education
Six veterinary practice management articles were published in 2005 in The CVJ. These articles provided information and resources on topics such as risk management, practice valuation, disaster recovery plans, and benchmarking.
The Business Management Committee also provided input into the development of a 3-day “Successful Practice of Veterinary Medicine” continuing education program at the 2005 CVMA conference in Victoria, British Columbia.
Economic Forum
In July the CVMA hosted an Economic Forum to which representatives of the provincial veterinary medical associations (VMAs) were invited. The CVMA and the Business Management Committee exchanged information and ideas with the VMAs regarding the uniform delivery of business management services across Canada and discussed opportunities to work together in order to best serve all members.
Communications
Some initiatives undertaken by the CVMA Communications Committee in the past year included the following:
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20th anniversary Animal Health Week campaign. With the assistance of Animal Health Week Coordinator, Steffani MacDonald, the Communications Committee planned and coordinated the annual Animal Health Week (AHW) campaign. The slogan for the 20th anniversary campaign, Your Veterinary Team: Caring for Animals, Caring for You, was selected for its inclusion of the veterinary team and emphasis of the role of the team in animal and human health. The slogan was suggested by Dr. Colette Wheler of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.
Eight specialty promotional items were developed for the campaign and a total of $35 500 in sponsorship was secured for posters, scrub shirts, T-shirts, pet bandanas, and pens. Newer AHW items like pet bandanas and embroidered scrub shirts completely sold out.
Animal Health Week was promoted to veterinarians and other members of the animal health care team through The CVJ, the annual CVMA Convention, a national clinic mailing, broadcast e-mails, and information posted on the CVMA Web site and that of the Canadian Association of Animal Health Technologists and Technicians (CAAHTT). The October issue of The CVJ featured a commemorative AHW cover, as well as a 7-page AHW retrospective.
Animal Health Week news articles appeared in the Nelson Daily News, the Cobourg Daily Star, the Daily Graphic (Portage la Prairie), the Montreal Gazette, and the Charlottetown Guardian.
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Continuing development and promotion of the CVMA’s public Web sites (www.animalhealthcare.ca and www.santeanimale.ca). In the past year, the CVMA continued to develop and update content on its public Web sites and to promote the sites through the annual AHW campaign and the CVMA’s regular column in Pets Quarterly magazine. Approximately 50 new animal health articles were developed and the word search puzzle page on www.santeanimale.ca was completed.
In order to improve positioning on the World Wide Web, text on the home pages of www.animalhealthcare.ca and www.santeanimale.ca was enhanced to better reflect site content. The CVMA continues to monitor the site rankings on Google and other popular search engines.
The year 2005 marks the 4th straight year of increased site visits to the CVMA’s public Web sites. On average, there are approximately 50 000 user sessions conducted on the public Web sites each month.
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PR Campaign Support. In order to raise awareness of the importance of maintaining overall pet health and to promote regular veterinary visits, the CVMA continued to partner with Hill’s Pet Nutrition Canada in the promotion and delivery of 3 national public relations campaigns: National Pet Dental Health Month in February, the inaugural Pet Fitness Challenge (summer 2005), and a senior pet care campaign (fall 2005).
Media coverage of the 2005 Pet Fitness Challenge included the following:
— Articles in print publications including the Edmonton Journal, the Hamilton Spectator, the Victoria Times- Colonist, La Presse, and the Globe and Mail.
— Spokesperson appearances on television programs including The Big Breakfast (Winnipeg), Animal House Calls (Toronto), and Le Grand Journal (Montreal).
— Messages reaching over 3 000 000 people Canada-wide.
CVMA communications
CVMA Member Web site. To ensure an effective online presence, the CVMA revamped its member Web site to allow for the launch of a new and improved site in January 2005. New components of www.canadianveterinarians.net include current news items listed chronologically on the home page; quick links, providing access to the most popular sections of the site; an online service for posting and viewing The Canadian Veterinary Journal’s classified/career ads; a discussion/consultation forum; online resource documents; and complete information on all CVMA Committees.
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Enhanced Communication with Members. In an effort to keep members informed of current veterinary issues and association initiatives, the CVMA provided regular updates to provincial VMAs for inclusion in their member publications and met its objective of delivering 4 updates per province by year’s end. In addition, the CVMA provided members with timely news and information through 5 issues of its Online from 339 E-newsletter and consulted with members regularly via e-mail. In total, approximately 30 e-mails were sent to CVMA members in 2005.
The CVMA communicated with veterinarians directly at several provincial trade shows and conferences including the annual conference of the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association, the Atlantic Provinces Veterinary Conference, the Congrès de l’Académie de médecine vétérinaire du Québec, and the Canwest Veterinary Conference.
Media Relations. The CVMA continues to respond to numerous requests from print and broadcast media. In the past year, the CVMA responded to approximately 45 media enquiries commenting on various issues, including dangerous dogs/breed bans, the dispensing of veterinary drugs, pet food packaging and labelling, dental health for pets, and canine influenza, and was referenced in almost 100 newspaper articles. Many of the news articles pertained to breed bans, the seal hunt, issues relating to public health/food safety, and the CVMA/Hill’s partnership campaigns (National Pet Dental Health Month, The Pet Fitness Challenge and a senior pet care campaign).
Professional Development
The Professional Development Committee was very pleased with the CVMA 2005 Convention held in Victoria, British Columbia, from July 13 to 16. The Convention was a great success with approximately 650 paid attendees participating in many of the different events that took place prior to and during the CVMA Convention.
There were 71 exhibit booths with 150 representatives, which was one of the busiest in a number of years.
The Wednesday, July 13, events were extremely well attended. The Annual General Meeting (AGM) had a record attendance of just over 200 people and the Open Summit almost filled the Lecture Theatre at the Victoria Conference Centre.
The Opening Reception had over 450 people in the Exhibit Hall, which made for excellent networking for everyone.
On Wednesday, the Workshop on Cranial Cruciate Repair was even more popular than ever, reaching the limit of 24 people for attendance. This workshop will be repeated in St. John’s, Newfoundland, on Wednesday, July 5.
The Scientific Sessions held on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday were at capacity with several rooms overflowing into the hallways.
The AHT/VT Program on Thursday and Friday were also well attended.
The Social Evening (Thursday) at the Royal British Columbia Museum was so well attended that many were disappointed when no more tickets were available.
An Exhibitor Passport was initiated for 2005 and proved to be quite a success with the participants and the exhibitors. The same format will be followed for the 2006 Convention.
The CVMA sincerely thanks its many sponsors and exhibitors for the very generous contributions made in order to make the 2005 CVMA Convention the outstanding success it was!
Mark your calendar now for the 58th CVMA 2006 Convention taking place from July 5 to 8 in beautiful St. John’s, Newfoundland! Caed Mille Failte!
CVMA past-president, Dr. Keith Campbell (left) accepts a gift in recognition of his time as president from CVMA incoming president, Dr. Robert Ashburner.
Editorial
Both The Canadian Veterinary Journal (CVJ) and the Canadian Journal of Veterinary Research (CJVR), both published by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, enjoyed success in 2005. The number of manuscripts submitted remained high, as was the case the year before. For The CVJ, the history is 2003: 98; 2004: 127; and 2005: 118. For the CJVR, 2003: 69; 2004: 84; and 2005: 87.
Other highlights included a record breaking number of pages published for The CVJ (1168) and a record high for advertising revenues. A new system of updating classified advertising every 24 hours on the CVMA Web site was a positive move forward and resulted in an increase of about 25% in those particular revenues as well.
The CJVR enjoyed an increased impact factor (a measure of the number of times articles are sited by other authors), which is significant in the world of scientific publishing and probably due in part to PubMed Central traffic and exposure.
A Readership Survey was sent out with the March 2005 issue of The CVJ. The purpose of the survey was to learn what readers think of the journal; to ascertain the journal’s strengths and weaknesses; to provide staff with feedback to improve the journal; and to evaluate the use of the journal in terms of a communication vehicle. A news article and editorial presented the results to readers in the December 2005 issue.
Last year witnessed some changes on the editorial committee with Bruce Grahn moving from assistant to associate editor for The CVJ, and Sally Lester being appointed assistant editor. Stephen Raverty also took over from Catherine Curtis, who resigned as editor for Cross-Canada Disease Report. The CJVR is also still looking for an assistant editor, and may be in the market for an associate editor soon.
Promotion efforts involved sending the 2005 December issue, with the survey information and the 2005 Index, to some nonmembers in Ontario and Quebec.
In terms of future endeavors, work will be done to move toward including the feature components of The CVJ on PubMed Central, and to continue research on the feasibility of electronic editorial management.
CVMA Insurance Program
At the 2005 Convention, the CVMA introduced a new Insurance Program with new partners. The program has been evaluated by veterinarians, for veterinarians. Dr. Keith Schneider (Chair), Drs. Don Pulfer (Past Chair), William Schroeder, and Tom Sanderson prepared this program, which provides pertinent coverage for veterinarians at very competitive rates.
The provider of the Program, HED Insurance, is committed to excellent service. Visit www.canadianveterinarians.net to obtain more information on the group health benefits, individual life and disability, commercial insurance, malpractice/liability insurance, and home and auto insurance. For several of these products, CVMA members can obtain on-line quotes.
Students of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (SCVMA)
The SCVMA represents the approximately 1450 veterinary students enrolled at the Canadian veterinary colleges. It serves as a forum for veterinary student leaders to meet and exchange information and views among their peers, with the profession, with their national association, and with other related organizations.
In 2005, the CVMA contributed approximately $56 000 to fund initiatives for veterinary students.
In 2005, the CVMA contributed approximately $56 000 to fund initiatives for veterinary students. This assistance takes the form of support for the meetings of the SCVMA committee, communications, the SCVMA Web site, and activities such as the CVMA Award, the annual SCVMA Symposium, a summer job directory, an annual newsletter, and laboratory coats for 1st-year students.
The 18th annual SCVMA Symposium was held at the Western College of Veterinary Medicine in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, in January 2005. The event was very well attended by students from all 4 veterinary schools, who participated in a variety of events such as seminars, wet-labs, and a hockey tournament.
The Pet Food Certification Program
The Pet Food Certification Committee has been working on several key initiatives such as developing Nutrient Standards for Premium Pet Foods.
In the past year, pet owners spent over $2 billion dollars on pet food in Canada. Over $100 million dollars of that was spent on CVMA certified pet foods. The Pet Food Certification Program certifies over 250 private labels for the following retailers across Canada: A & P, Pets Choice Distributors, Sobey’s, Pet Food Junction, Super C, Metro, Multi Menu, Nutrizoo, PetSmart, Wal-Mart, Pet Valu, Loblaws, and Zellers.
The CVMA Pet Food Certification Program continues to monitor the production of certified pet foods produced by the Program’s participating manufacturers, Champion Pet Foods, Dad’s Products, Elmira Pet Products, PLB International, Loblaw Brands Ltd, and Shur-Gain.
This monitoring process is designed to ensure the food’s nutritional quality on a continuous basis. Samples are collected throughout a 2-month period, 6 times per year. Samples collected are analyzed for macronutrients and other nutrients listed in the CVMA standards. Samples collected during 2 of these periods are submitted for digestibility testing, and all samples from all collections are monitored for heavy metals and microbials. In addition, the CVMA nutritional advisor inspects the manufacturing plant where the food is produced and conducts these inspections at least twice a year.
The Committee was also pleased to distribute in 2005, a $2500 cash award to a veterinary student from the Atlantic Veterinary College, the Western College of Veterinary Medicine, and the Faculté de médecine vétéinaire. Provided by the participating manufacturers, the goal of this award is to further enhance the profile of the CVMA among veterinary students and raise awareness of the Pet Food Certification Program.
The Program continues to focus its efforts on educating the veterinary profession and the pet-owning public about the Pet Food Certification Program and animal health.
National Exams
NEB examination
During 2005, the National Examination Board administered the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination (NAVLE), the written portion of its examination, to 819 candidates during exam periods in April and November/December. This represents an increase of 12% over 2004. In addition, there were 266 candidates registered to appear for the NAVLE in April 2006.
With regard to the Clinical Proficiency Examination (CPE), the hands-on, practical portion of the NEB’s exam sequence, 79 candidates appeared for it in full in 2005. Candidates who failed 1 to 3 sections, during their initial attempt at the CPE in full, repeated 71 sections during the course of 2005. Thanks to the efforts of the Canadian veterinary colleges, the NEB hopes to deliver the CPE in full to as many as 94 candidates in 2006.
Relations with the United States
Members of the NEB participated in meetings of its principal counterparts in the United States, including the Council on Education (COE) and the Educational Commission for Foreign Veterinary Graduates (ECFVG), both of which are part of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), as well as the National Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners (NBVME).
Thanks to the efforts of the Canadian veterinary colleges, the NEB hopes to deliver the CPE in full to as many as 94 candidates in 2006.
As part of a sequential review of the CPE that was launched in 2003 under the direction of the ECFVG, 4 of the 7 sections have been completed and implemented since last summer. The entire review process is expected to be completed by the end of 2006. In this respect, Canadian participation and input has been and will continue to be significant.
The NEB’s Chief Examiner for the CPE, Dr. Peter Fretz, chaired the 1st joint meeting of CPE Site Coordinators of the NEB and the ECFVG. The meeting took place during the CVMA Convention in Victoria, British Columbia, in July 2005. A 2nd such meeting is scheduled to take place in July 2006 during the CVMA Convention in St. John’s, Newfoundland.
Veterinary college accreditation
The NEB/CVMA is a full, joint partner in the accreditation program operated by the COE of the AVMA. When the COE grants accreditation to a veterinary college, it does so on behalf of the CVMA and the AVMA. The NEB has a full, voting representative on the COE committee, which usually meets twice a year at the AVMA’s headquarters in Schaumburg, Illinois, to discuss and decide upon policy and the accreditation status of colleges.
In 2005, NEB representatives participated in 3 visits in the United States, 1 in Canada, and 2 overseas, namely, the University of London and the University of Sydney. There will be 8 site visits in 2006, including 5 in the United States and 3 overseas at the Universities of Melbourne, Glasgow, and Dublin. All 4 Canadian schools of veterinary medicine are currently accredited.
AHT/VT Program Accreditation
The Animal Health Technologist/Veterinary Technician Program Accreditation Committee (AHTVTPAC) identifies the minimum standards for educating and training qualified personnel who may join the veterinary health care team. The CVMA approval serves to ensure an acceptable standard of education and training for animal health technologists and veterinary technicians (AHT/VT). The graduates benefit by having their competence recognized and prospects for employment mobility enhanced.
In 2005, the CVMA pursued discussions with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) with a view to implementing a reciprocity agreement that would allow for the mutual recognition of their respective accreditation processes for AHT/VT programs.
In 2005, the CVMA pursued discussions with the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) with a view to implementing a reciprocity agreement that would allow for the mutual recognition of their respective accreditation processes for AHT/VT programs. The Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA) of the AVMA is responsible for the accreditation of such programs in the United States. In furtherance of this objective, the CVTEA sent observers to participate in 2 AHTVTPAC site visits in Canada in 2005.
In 2005, the AHTVTPAC held its annual meeting in March during the CVMA Committee Weekend to discuss policy matters and finalize recommendations for accreditation. In addition, the Committee conducted site visits of 8 programs across Canada. Currently, 17 AHT/VT programs, including 1 in the United States, are accredited, in the process of becoming accredited, or renewing their accreditation status by the CVMA.
CANADIAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
BALANCE SHEET AS AT DECEMBER 31, 2005
| 2005 | 2004 | |
|---|---|---|
| CURRENT ASSETS | ||
| Cash | $ 153 410 | $ 146 598 |
| Accounts receivable | 125 896 | 162 255 |
| Due from WVAC 2008 INC. | 63 298 | 21 301 |
| Interest receivable | 102 184 | 130 448 |
| Prepaid expenses | 36 752 | 27 413 |
| 481 540 | 488 015 | |
| INVESTMENT IN WVAC 2008 INC. (note 2) | 1 | 1 |
| INVESTMENTS (notes 3 and 4) | 1 878 369 | 1 771 129 |
| CAPITAL ASSETS (note 5) | 61 536 | 58 712 |
| ASSETS HELD IN TRUST FOR THE WORLD VETERINARY CONGRESS MEMORIAL FUND (note 6) | 155 772 | 150 376 |
| $ 2 577 218 | $ 2 468 233 | |
| CURRENT LIABILITIES | ||
| Accounts payable and accrued liabilities | $ 200 793 | $ 211 540 |
| Deferred revenue | 535 485 | 518 652 |
| Funds held for Pet Food Certification Program (note 7) | 2 299 | 35 758 |
| 738 577 | 765 950 | |
| TRUST LIABILITY FOR WORLD VETERINARY CONGRESS MEMORIAL FUND (note 6) | 155 772 | 150 376 |
| 894 349 | 916 326 | |
| NET ASSETS (note 3) | ||
| Invested in capital assets | 61 536 | 58 712 |
| Internally restricted net assets: | ||
| Operational contingency | 1 017 100 | 985 000 |
| Public Education | 200 000 | 200 000 |
| Program contingency | 404 233 | 308 195 |
| Unrestricted | – | – |
| 1 682 869 | 1 551 907 | |
| $ 2 577 218 | $ 2 468 233 | |
CANADIAN VETERINARY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION
STATEMENT OF OPERATIONS YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2005
| 2005 | 2004 | |
|---|---|---|
| REVENUE | ||
| Communications Program | $ 115 703 | $ 96 564 |
| Convention | 404 125 | 279 194 |
| Journal — CJVR | 70 464 | 74 532 |
| Journal — CVJ | 785 460 | 697 945 |
| Membership fees | 1 028 909 | 1 017 097 |
| National Examination Board | 1 381 131 | 1 228 121 |
| AHTVTP Accreditation | 30 500 | 20 400 |
| Pet Food Certification Program | 336 506 | 503 190 |
| Secretariat | 173 254 | 175 717 |
| Students Program | 11 330 | – |
| Special projects | 10 097 | – |
| Interest | 82 370 | 80 164 |
| 4 429 849 | 4 172 924 | |
| Inter-departmental revenues | (230 596) | (237 241) |
| 4 199 253 | 3 935 683 | |
| EXPENDITURE | ||
| Communications Program | 198 967 | 149 622 |
| Convention | 429 827 | 380 217 |
| Councils and committees | 385 741 | 337 160 |
| Journal — CJVR | 79 639 | 59 973 |
| Journal — CVJ | 630 877 | 609 733 |
| Membership fees | 351 476 | 380 805 |
| National Examination Board | 1 268 076 | 1 137 339 |
| AHTVTP Accreditation | 42 353 | 11 160 |
| Pet Food Certification Program | 336 506 | 503 190 |
| Secretariat | 416 853 | 383 357 |
| Students Program | 56 498 | 62 155 |
| Special projects | 102 074 | 118 127 |
| 4 298 887 | 4 132 838 | |
| Inter-departmental expenses | (230 596) | (237 241) |
| 4 068 291 | 3 895 597 | |
| EXCESS OF REVENUE OVER | ||
| EXPENDITURE FOR THE YEAR | $ 130 962 | $ 40 086 |