Formal criteria for selecting veterinary student externs to work in the AVMA's Washington, D.C., office have been established. There previously was no policy for choosing students for the increasingly popular program.

The Executive Board approved five requirements recommended by the AVMA Governmental Relations Division.

The criteria state that an extern shall be a Student AVMA member; have completed the second year of the curriculum in an AVMA-accredited college of veterinary medicine before the externship begins; have an interest in politics or the policy-making process; have excellent interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills; and agree to advance the AVMA's congressional legislative agenda.

Externs had been accepted on a first-come basis. Demand for the program, however, has skyrocketed. Thirty-eight students applied for the 10 externship spots in 2004. Given the growing number of applicants, the GRD considered an objective selection method necessary.