Your Favorite Clubs?

[Electrophile]

Since I'm interested in mixed practice (which includes just about everything), I feel like I've joined almost all the clubs. Eek! I'm "officially" in shelter club VP, therapy dog club, VBMA, SCAVMA, raptor rehab, bovine club, and exotics and I've either been to or want to go to talks with emergency/critical care, pathology, women veterinarians, equine, and feline club. I think my favorite is raptor club so far cause it's totally different from what I've done before and we get hands on experience with the birds right away. What have you joined and what are your favorites?

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[wivet2011]

Glad to now I'm not the only one that is interested in everything and thus has joined everything! My favorite...whichever club is providing lunch today . Seriously though, my favorite is prob. WEZAM (although, Equine club: Dung and Donuts is a close second and well worth getting up at 5:00 every Friday). Anybody going to the WEZAM conference in April?

 

[PAThbrd]

SCAVMA and VBMA for sure, if for nothing else, these are great resume boosters.

Equine club for sure! Im a little biased though since Im chapter co-prez But seriously, I don't think there is any group that puts on a better annual convention than the AAEP and I dont know of any other student focused program offered by any professional organization as good as Avenues night (the meet-every-major-practice-in-the-country-for-potential-internships-and-externships night at the convention). Highly recommend SCAAEP/Equine Club for anyone remotely thinking about equine practice. Our Repro club is pretty awesome, too. Very active, lots of wetlabs, best one, I think, being the fetonomy lab we did last spring.

 

[JIKJen124]

I don't think there is any group that puts on a better annual convention than the AAEP and I dont know of any other student focused program offered by any professional organization as good as Avenues night (the meet-every-major-practice-in-the-country-for-potential-internships-and-externships night at the convention). Highly recommend SCAAEP/Equine Club for anyone remotely thinking about equine practice.

Grrr our stupid quarter system that really makes it so that the only year we can actually go to the national convention is 3rd year. (We have fall quarter finals then 1st and 2nd year).

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

We have PVPC (Public Veterinary Practice Club) that does a lot of nontraditional stuff, especially great speakers...everything from exotics to research to epidemiology....I am Aquatic Medicine Liaison for PVPC, and president of the Aquatic Medicine Club. I'm the Food Donation Coordinator for the Animal Welfare Club and am actively involved in the Pathology Club (which is AWESOME)....

Re: SCAVMA...I am probably the only person in my class NOT in SCAVMA. It perhaps is just my school, but I cannot justify the outrageous dues to sit through speakers that have no impact on my professional life, and I'm not the type to join a club just to put it on my resume. I'm not going to be a clinician, I don't need their health care program or whatever it is....SCAVMA just seems so unrelated to my life and my career direction *shrug* I'm the outsider

Plus...they told us that we would not be able to join any other clubs unless we are in SCAVMA - what a load of horse***. That's elitism at its best. I keep my positions and memberships, if they want to throw me out, then they can....

 

[sofficat]

i can see how right now scavma looks stupid, but it really is a great organization. 85% of ALL veterinarians are members, you get great benefits -100% covered at national avma symposium- normally $350, free journals/great articles, TONS of connections, great resources, etc. How much are the dues? ours were $100 for 4 years. I think almost everyone in our class in a member, and there was no pressure on us.
anyone coming to the symposium 2008? It'll be at auburn! woo!

 

[ri23]

At Ohio State, it's mandatory that everyone is in SCAVMA all four years so we really don't have a choice.

Sofficat - When is the symposium? I know last year people said it was a blast. Next year it's at OSU (so I'll expect to meet some of you!).

 

[Electrophile]

I think at Mizzou, you're kinda sorta supposed to be in it, but I am not sure about 100% *required* to be in it. It costs $20 a year and I guess there are some perks. I think every meeting once a month we get dinner plus random free stuff. We have to work the concessions stand at at least one Mizzou football game though, which I'm not looking forward to since I waited until the last minute to sign up and it's Nov 10th. Cold. *grump*

Seems like almost all the club dues are like $10 a year. But most clubs have either dinner or snacks at the meetings, so that's helpful.

 

[pressmom]

It's weird that SCAVMA and clubs cost different at different schools. Here at UTK, SCAVMA is $27 and club dues are $5 a piece. I belong to a few clubs. My favorite is the pain management club, since I'm so interested in anesthesia plus I'm the secretary!

 

[StealthDog]

Our SCAVMA chapter provides some good perks, but it's not required to be in it.

I'm a member of SCAVMA, Canine Club, ZEAW (Zoo, Exotics, Avian, and Wildlife) Club, VBMA, and am president of the Holistic Club. I was a member of the Equine Club, but alas, I don't think equines are in my future, so I dropped that one this year. VBMA membership gets you a stack of free business cards, which are so good to have at conferences. I'm also a member of my state VMA (Minnesota), which gets you free registration for the state conference.

 

[Electrophile]

I am thinking of re-starting the holistics club next year, but I am not sure if there will be enough interest, sadly. Too many people just seem to want to go with the status quo. I may have to PM you for some ideas, StealthDog!

 

[ri23]

The holistic club here was renamed integrative medicine club, and that is the club that Natura sponsors.

 

[WhtsThFrequency]

can see how right now scavma looks stupid, but it really is a great organization. 85% of ALL veterinarians are members,

1) I am not going to be a clinical veterinarian, 2) joining just because everyone else joins isn't a reason to

you get great benefits -100% covered at national avma symposium- normally $350, free journals/great articles,

I refuse to join a club just because they will benefit me financially. It's like buying me off. By the time I will be going to symposiums, or actually find one that interests me, I will probly be ok in terms of spending the money...

TONS of connections, great resources, etc

I just don't see any "connections" - I can make connections by talking to profs, talking to people who know them, talking to vets...I don't see what "special networking " ability SCAVMA gives me. Since everyone is in it....how is that any different than just talking to people normally?

Sorry....I just intensely dislike SCAVMA. I'm a "lone wolf" so to speak. Maybe its just my school, but....

 

[Electrophile]

The holistic club here was renamed integrative medicine club, and that is the club that Natura sponsors.

Ah ha! StealthDog was telling me the same of her holistics club. Sounds like it would appeal to more people that way. I'm going to meet with the associate dean this Friday to discuss it. Talked to the former adviser and she's got not problems continuing to be the adviser.

 

[alliecat44]

Interesting thread! Last year when I was applying, it would've been super cool to see all of these neat clubs--and it's just as cool to hear about them now when most of 'em are available to me. Keep it coming!

As for me, I'm a member of SCAVMA, member of the VBMA, member of the SCVECCS, am class President, and also the only student working as an ICU tech at the teaching hospital on the weekends.

And yes, there's still plenty of time for school and other stuff--in fact, I was just thinking tonight that I should really devote more time to school. Ack! It's all about having a balance between school, vet stuff, and "real me" stuff, too.