Dear Diplomates,

The year continues to fly by, and as summer draws to a close, I am pleased to share with you the ACVIM’s priorities for 2025. This preview of the coming year includes the new or expanded activities we’re planning to begin in 2025, which are in addition to the ongoing growth, development and quality improvement of all our existing offerings. These priorities reflect our current commitment to enhancing the member experience, elevating the standards of our profession, and fostering a community that thrives on innovation, collaboration and excellence.

Strategic Objective 1: Member Engagement and Outreach

• Advocacy Tools and Resources – Provide resources to support members in advocating for legislation or regulation that advances the interests of veterinary medicine.
• Member Needs Assessment Update – Conduct a member needs’ assessment to guide future strategic priorities and understand drivers of member satisfaction.
• Vet Specialist Perception Research – Conduct research on the perception of veterinary specialty medicine among veterinary generalists and the animal owning public so that ACVIM communications and outreach efforts speak to the views of those audiences.
• Member Assistance Program – Provide Candidates and members with complimentary face-to-face, virtual, or telephonic mental health counseling sessions in addition to work-life, legal, and financial resources and services.
• Further Resident/Candidate Engagement – Expand current efforts to redefine the relationship between ACVIM and our Candidates so that they view us as a partner and catalyst for their success and are eager to engage as members post-residency.
• Compensation and Benefits Survey and Report – Conduct a survey of veterinary specialists and provide members with complimentary access to aggregated survey and benefits data. 

Strategic Objective 2: Training and Education

• Comprehensive update to RTP requirements – Guided by the Training Optimization Task Force (TOTF), and the input of ACVIM leaders and members, update RTP requirements so that they are achievable and manageable for all stakeholders.
• Develop competencies for veterinary specialty– Actively participate in ongoing efforts to define competencies for veterinary specialty medicine.
• Continued engagement re: independent oversight – Contribute to dialogue around training program quality and the feasibility of third-party oversight of RTPs.
• Expanded educational offerings: Build new suite of educational webinars to provide members with complimentary access to virtual learning opportunities.

Strategic Objective 3: Certification

• Item Bank Development & Reference Resources – Replenish and update certification question banks and determine plan for obtaining access to needed reference materials to support item writing committees.

Strategic Objective 4: Leadership

• Develop Volunteer Leadership Competencies – Identify and offer learning opportunities that develop competencies that align with ACVIM volunteer roles.
• Expand Volunteer Recognition and Reward – Expand incentives for ACVIM members who contribute time and talent to ACVIM initiatives.

Strategic Objective 5: Research and Discovery

• Launch ACVIM Endorsed Statement (AES) program – Build on trial conducted in 2023, update an existing Consensus Statement using the new AES model.
• Deliver AI Task Force Outcomes – Publish AI Task Force expert statement on key considerations in AI deployment and deliver educational offerings on AI-related topics at the ACVIM Forum and as part of an ACVIM webinar series.
• Synthesize and share current and ongoing research – Bring together and promote ACVIM research resources to foster partnerships and broaden awareness of research in veterinary specialty medicine.

Strategic Objective 6: Implement DEI Roadmap Activities 

• Implement programs to reduce the financial barriers of becoming a Diplomate, ensure RTP programs are safe spaces for Candidates, and offer and/or disseminate DEI education and resources. 
  

It is my hope that the initiatives outlined above align with your priorities as an ACVIM Diplomate and will meet your evolving needs as a specialist of veterinary internal medicine. As always, please do not hesitate to get in touch with any questions, concerns, or feedback. I look forward to working alongside each of you as we bring these objectives to life.

Sincerely,

Sarah Gillings, DVM, MS, DACVIM (Oncology)
ACVIM President