COLLEGE OF VETERINARIANS OF ONTARIO

As I reflect back on my year as president of the College of Veterinarians of Ontario (CVO), I am truly grateful for the privilege of working with the many dedicated and capable individuals who contribute their efforts for the benefit of the public. In this message, first I express my formal thanks to the staff, council, and committees of the CVO, and then highlight some of the more noteworthy events that have occurred in Ontario.

This year's elected council members are Drs. Bryan Kennedy (Past President), Mark Spiegle, Melody Mason, Ann Bissett-Strahl, Alma Conn, Ed Doering, Dorothy Geale, Nancy Griffith, Deji Odetoyinbo, Steve Stewart, John Valsalmis, and Wendy Parker. Our current cabinet-appointed members are Messrs. Stewart Cressman, Keith Drummond, Mike Johnson, and T.G. Menen. In May 2002, Mr. Ed Clinton completed his 6-year term on council. His input and wit will be missed. Although I don't list the members of the various committees and task forces, or the individual CVO staff members, I do express my appreciation to each of these dedicated individuals for their valued input.

Council accomplishments

One of the more important tasks that council accomplished this year was the selection of a new registrar to fill the vacancy left by Dr. John Henry's departure in July 2001. After a nationwide search, Dr. Barbara Leslie was selected as registrar on February 28, 2002. Since then, she has been proved to us that our choice was correct.

For almost 2 years, the staff and council of the CVO, in conjunction with the Task Force on Board Governance, have been evaluating CVO policies and procedures with the goal of improving the organization and enhancing its role as a responsive and responsible governing body. The team effort came to fruition this year with the passing of a broad Board Governance Policy and the reorganization of internal policies and procedures. These efforts will make the organization more focused and better able to provide leadership to the profession in the 21st century.

Professional interactions:

As Ontario is one of the few provinces that has separate self-interest and public-interest bodies, members of the CVO have to ensure that they keep the lines of communication open with their counterparts at the Ontario Veterinary Medical Association (OVMA). To accomplish this, there are semiannual OVMA-CVO liaison meetings. After this year's meeting, the 2 groups consulted their respective boards and ultimately agreed to an affiliation with the Ontario Medical Association to form a Professionals Health Program. This excellent program, which is scheduled to be in place by the beginning of September, will prove to be of great assistance to individual veterinarians who are facing wellness concerns.

One of the pleasures of being president of the CVO is the chance to represent the veterinary profession at various meetings and to interact with veterinarians in similar positions in other jurisdictions. I have enjoyed my participation on the CVO's behalf at a number of veterinary conferences, especially the CVMA Summit Meeting in Halifax last July. These opportunities to promote collegiality on a national and international level are priceless.

Student events

Every year, the CVO has several opportunities to interact on a formal basis with the students at the Ontario Veterinary College (OVC). One of these occasions is the annual Student Soiree, when final year students and faculty of the OVC are invited to meet and greet the CVO Council and staff. This year, the evening was hosted at the Lifetime Learning Centre in late January; the turnout was great. Following the reception and introductions, Dr. Brian Evans, chief veterinary officer for Canada, gave a presentation entitled “Federal and International Veterinary Practice.” The crowd enjoyed his dynamic and entertaining presentation, and continued to mingle after the formal program was ended.

Another was in June: I was given the opportunity to join dignitaries from the Alumni Association, the OVMA, and the CVMA to participate in the convocation ceremonies at the OVC, when we welcomed the newest members of our profession into our ranks.

The third major event is when the 1st year veterinary students are introduced to the various veterinary associations. From my perspective, each of these opportunities represents another chance to improve the profession by promoting collegiality.

Reflections

During my years in the profession, I have been privileged to meet and work with colleagues, young and old, experienced and neophyte, who have broadened my horizons and heightened my awareness of the benefits of working with others who face similar issues. The past year has confirmed my belief that the time and energy has been well spent, and that I have become a much better person for the experience.

It appears that a lack of volunteers to assume administrative or organizational roles is a widespread problem amongst professional organizations throughout the country. Some local and regional groups, especially those involved with continuing education, are faced with the prospect of disbanding. What a loss to the profession that would be, especially when all they need is a few energetic new faces.

I confess that some days I, too, yearn for simpler days, when all I had to do was see patients and not worry about ‘big picture’ issues. After all, we do have lives outside the profession, with family and community responsibilities. But we must weigh these costs against the risk of what will happen if we don't actively participate in a constructive manner. In closing, I encourage you to get involved in our wonderful profession beyond the level of your day-to-day career. Give of your expertise by volunteering with one of your professional associations. Watch for your opportunity to run for provincial election, or offer to participate on a committee or task force. The benefits, both personal and professional, are well worth the costs in time and effort. Your profession and the public need you!

(by Dr. Cheryl Yuill, President, College of Veterinarians of Ontario, Guelph, Ontario)

Dr. Cheryl Yuill/D^re Cheryl Yuill