Dean Eleanor M. Green’s Thoughts on the Future of Veterinary Medicine
At College Hour on Sept. 23, I presented “The Future…” and addressed some of the current challenges and opportunities our profession will face in the future. Our future, as veterinarians, relies on relevance and resilience. Increases in global population, consumption of animal protein, prevalence of zoonotic diseases, and changes in ecosystems means that veterinarians will be more relevant than ever before. The question we must ask ourselves is “Can we be resilient?”
The exponential changes we are seeing in technology mean that we cannot stand by idly; instead, we must adapt and embrace new technologies. Virtual reality, wearable activity trackers, digitized anatomical models are just a few technologies that will transform the veterinary profession and veterinary education. While this may seem frightening, it is also an opportunity to learn, grown, and improve.
Who better to lead this change than the people of this great college? If we don’t do it someone else will. As Aggies, we can face these challenges head on, and we have to be open to risk. We have a support system like no other, making Texas A&M the ideal place to innovate and adapt. The transition will be hard, but it will be hard at Texas A&M.
