Andy Maccabe of AAVMC Visits the CVM

The executive director of the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC), Andrew Maccabe, DVM, M.P.H., J.D., visited our college during the second week of September and spent time with numerous college students, staff, faculty, and administrators. He spent time discussing the One Health Initiative, opportunities to advance veterinary medical education, the challenges we face in veterinary medicine, and opportunities on the horizon. He also expressed his enthusiasm for the work we are doing to train the next generation of veterinarians who will lead our profession tomorrow.

Maccabe with StudentsWhile visiting with us, Maccabe discussed his passion for a college and a nation focused on improving human and animal health. Presenting to over 55 college faculty, administrators and staff, he discussed the new AAVMC strategic plan. Outlining the plan’s three goals-analyze, catalyze, and advocate-he stressed the importance of recruitment, financial literacy, core assessment, and the cost of education. “Educational debt is a complicated issue,” said Maccabe. “We live in an interdependent global world. We need to look at ways to share resources, get input from colleges, and decide how to best coordinate our efforts. There are always barriers, especially to state-supported colleges, and sometimes there are complications in sharing funds, but it’s a matter of finding ways to work together.”

Focusing on recruitment, Maccabe discussed the importance of diversifying our student body as we prepare students to lead in the global search for cures in both animal and human disease. He strongly believes that graduating classes of veterinarians with diverse perspectives and backgrounds is imperative for the future of the profession. “One of the most important things we can do to secure this profession is to increase diversity and bring awareness to underrepresented populations,” said Maccabe. “Our profession is greatly enriched by sharing education systems and models with high quality programs around the world. The schools that have sought and achieved American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accreditation promote the exchange of ideas, which is the essence of education.”

This is Dr. Maccabe’s second appointment at the AAVMC; his first, as associate executive director, followed his completion in 2002 of his J.D. degree from the James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona. He served at the AAVMC until 2007. Following that, he served as a liaison at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), coordinating policies and programs between the CDC and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

“Dr. Maccabe is leading the way by providing members with information on national trends in veterinary education, focusing on bringing people together to determine the changing face of the enrolled student body, aggressively marketing and recruiting in underrepresented neighborhoods, and developing national strategies to inspire and recruit,” said Dr. Eleanor M. Green, the Carl B. King Dean of Veterinary Medicine. “We are on our way to making positive change and to providing opportunities for advancement and success in veterinary medicine.”

Maccabe with Admins


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