EASAV and the veterinary community
Edmonton Association of Small Animal Veterinarians…
Cultivating Collegiality in Times of Change
The Edmonton Association of Small Animal Veterinarians (EASAV), a not-for-profit organization, was formed in 1971 when a small group of local veterinarians came together in order to provide the Edmonton veterinary community with relevant CE, helping many to navigate through the inevitable and ongoing changes in Veterinarian Medicine. To this end, EASAV has focused on bringing speakers, experts in their fields, to Edmonton from around the world. Today EASAV has outgrown the purview of just providing relevant CE. We added a Collegiality branch focused on promoting and maintaining a synergistic, non-competitive environment within the Edmonton veterinary community; don’t worry, our CE branch continues to grow as well! We now offer wet-labs and other opportunities to get more one-on-one time with visiting lecturers.
EASAV’s Collegiality initiative brings with it many new things: a new Facebook Page, expansion of the Dr. Milton Ness Memorial Teddy Bear Hospital, which continues to bring more and more vet clinics together under one tent at the Edmonton Zoo, annual events, such as our Badminton Tournament and BBQ, both of which turned out to be a blast this year! Soon we’ll be encouraging vets participation in a members-only “game night”, and multiple opportunities to take part in sewing bees to construct and create the ‘foreign body surgery dogs’ for our next Teddy Bear Hospital.
On January 9, 2019, EASAV will be introducing its first Peer to Peer Member Support Group, an interactive discussion group for members only, this group helps vets tackle personal, professional and/or communication problems. Though not a substitute for professional counselling, the group’s format is designed to be a safe place for veterinarians to meet and discuss their concerns on a regular basis.
Part of helping fellow veterinarians is welcoming new ones! EASAV has always extended a free membership to newly practising veterinarians in the Edmonton area, and this year EASAV is happily offering a free 2019 membership for veterinarians practising in the Edmonton area who have not previously held an EASAV membership. With this membership comes an invitation to attend the EASAV Annual General Meeting on April 11, 2019, at which members and their spouses enjoy a free formal, 4-course meal including wine and cash bar at Ernest’s Fine Dining. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Jayne Takahashi, who will perhaps answer the question “Why Don’t We See Eye to Eye” by reviewing the interesting differences that we encounter when interacting with clients, colleagues, friends and family!
If you are a practising veterinarian in the Edmonton area and are interested in learning more about EASAV, becoming a member or to see if you qualify for a free membership, please contact Smokey Walters at: easav@edmontonvetinfo.com
This article was written with collaboration between the EASAV Executive: Drs. Natasha Russell, Gurmeet Tuli, Lisa Collis, Kelti Kachur, Clare Leger, Cheryl Lewis, Christie Gingras and Mrs. Smokey Walters.