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American Veterinary Medical Association
 
 
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The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), founded in 1863, is a not-for-profit association representing more than 76,000 U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 veterinarian
Veterinarian

A veterinarian or a veterinary surgeon , often shortened to vet, is a physician for animals and a practitioner of veterinary medicine....
s working in private and corporate practice, government, industry, academia, and uniformed services.

The AVMA provides information resources, continuing education opportunities, publications, and discounts on personal and professional products, programs, and services.






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The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA), founded in 1863, is a not-for-profit association representing more than 76,000 U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 veterinarian
Veterinarian

A veterinarian or a veterinary surgeon , often shortened to vet, is a physician for animals and a practitioner of veterinary medicine....
s working in private and corporate practice, government, industry, academia, and uniformed services.

The AVMA provides information resources, continuing education opportunities, publications, and discounts on personal and professional products, programs, and services. The AVMA indicates that it lobbies
Lobbying

Lobbying is the practice of influencing decisions made by government. It includes all attempts to influence legislators and officials, whether by other legislators, constituent or organized groups....
 for animal friendly legislation within a framework that supports the use of animals for human purposes (e.g., food, fiber, research, companionship).

The United States Department of Education
United States Department of Education

The United States Department of Education is a United States Cabinet-level department of the United States government of the United States. Created by the Department of Education Organization Act , it was signed into law by President Jimmy Carter on October 17, 1979 and began operating on May 4, 1980....
 has designated the AVMA as the accrediting body for the 28 schools of veterinary medicine in the United States. In this capacity, the AVMA develops and maintains educational standards for these institutions to ensure the qualifications and competency of graduates of veterinary schools.

The AVMA publishes the and the .



The AVMA's veterinary student organization is the Student American Veterinary Medical Association
Student American Veterinary Medical Association

The Student American Veterinary Medical Association is a national association of student chapters of the American Veterinary Medical Association at schools and colleges of veterinary medicine in the United States, Canada and the Caribbean....
 (SAVMA).

History

The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) was founded in 1863, when 40 delegates representing seven states met for a convention in New York. Originally named the United States Veterinary Medical Association, the USVMA was renamed the AVMA in 1889.

By 1913, the AVMA consisted of 1,650 members, with membership open only to graduates of accredited veterinary schools.

Today, the AVMA has more than 76,000 members engaged in a wide variety of work. In addition to treating pets, veterinarians work in a number of fields, such as public health, agriculture, food safety, academics, and the military .

AVMA policy


The AVMA produces policy statements in response to member requests and public interest. These statements are general and aim to encourage improvement based on the best available scientific evidence.

In 2005, the AVMA changed its gestation crates policy and acknowledged that gestation crates cause animal welfare
Animal welfare

Animal welfare refers to the viewpoint that it is morally acceptable for humans to use nonhuman animals for food, in Animal testing, as clothing, and in entertainment, so long as unnecessary suffering is avoided....
 problems. Still, the AVMA is not asking that factory farms stop using gestation crates.

Recently the AVMA has voted on several proposals to take a formal stand against the force-feeding of birds to make foie gras
Foie gras

Foie gras is a food product made of the liver of a Domestic duck or Domestic goose that has been specially fattened. This fattening is typically achieved through Force-feeding corn, according to French law, though outside of France it is also produced using natural feeding....
. Although foie gras
Foie gras

Foie gras is a food product made of the liver of a Domestic duck or Domestic goose that has been specially fattened. This fattening is typically achieved through Force-feeding corn, according to French law, though outside of France it is also produced using natural feeding....
 has been banned in many countries in Europe as well as California, the AVMA has refused to take a stand either for or against foie gras
Foie gras

Foie gras is a food product made of the liver of a Domestic duck or Domestic goose that has been specially fattened. This fattening is typically achieved through Force-feeding corn, according to French law, though outside of France it is also produced using natural feeding....
.

Specialists in veterinary medicine

"A veterinary specialist, as recognized by the AVMA, is a graduate veterinarian who has successfully completed the process of board certification in an AVMA-recognized veterinary specialty organization (ie, board or college). To become board certified, a veterinarian must have extensive post-graduate training and experience and pass a credential review and examinations set by the given specialty organization."

The AVMA recognizes the following 20 veterinary specialty organizations:
  • American College of Zoological Medicine
    American College of Zoological Medicine

    American College of Zoological Medicine was established in 1983 as an international specialty organization of veterinarians with special expertise in zoological medicine....


See also


External links