Since the age of 8, I've wanted to be a veterinarian. When I was 12, I began reading the James Herriot books, and that clinched it!

I am immensely proud to be a veterinarian. Veterinary medicine is a wonderful profession with many facets. Veterinarians, unlike other medical professions, have the rare opportunity to practice global medicine that touches the human community. We have a very important role in public health and affect the lives of people as well as our animal patients.

My student experiences helped form my career. Serving as the National President of the Student AVMA in 1994-5, I got the rare opportunity to see the "30,000 foot view" of veterinary medicine. I had no idea how much the AVMA did for their members. The experience as a student intern at the AVMA Governmental Relations Division (GRD), allowed me to understand how the AVMA helps protect and preserve the work that all types of veterinarians do.

The work that the Foundation did also greatly impressed me. I served on the AVMF Board of Directors from 2000-2003, representing the House of Delegates. Ironically, my first AVMF committee meeting was September 11, 2001. My involvement with AVMF changed how I viewed the AVMA, and how just how significantly we can impact lives of students, assist in disaster relief and improve animal health. I'm proud to be part of a profession that has programs in place that touch both animals and the people who care for them.

Disaster relief is probably the most tangible aspect of AVMF – it's where to begin when I discuss the AVMF story. I love educating people on how the Foundation works and what they do. It's a part of what makes the veterinary profession so exceptional. It's a "bragging" tool!

Being part of the AVMA and making a donation to the AVMF makes a difference for both people and animals.

AVMF
The American Veterinary Medical Foundation (AVMF) is the charitable arm of the AVMA and is dedicated to protecting and advancing the well-being and medical care of animals. For Dr. Bryant, AVMF's work is one of the many reasons she is proud to be an AVMA member.