Delegates enjoy mini-Veterinary Leadership Experience

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VLE participantsMembers of the AVMA House of Delegates recently got a crash course in the AVMA Veterinary Leadership Experience—a program designed to make today's veterinary students into tomorrow's leaders.

The VLE is a five-day course conducted each June by the Washington State University College of Veterinary Medicine for veterinary students and faculty in the forests of northern Idaho. Its purpose is to strengthen the intrinsic leadership potential of all participants through an interactive curriculum designed to encourage and promote personal transformation.

On July 13 in Hawaii, just prior to the annual session of the HOD and AVMA Annual Convention, the VLE was condensed into a four-hour program for approximately 50 HOD members. Delegates sat through a series of presentations and participated in exercises meant to promote personal and professional growth.

The AVMA has committed to contributing $75,000 annually for four years to the VLE, allowing organizers to focus on developing the curriculum rather than raising money.

Along with the AVMA, the following organizations sponsor the VLE: American Animal Hospital Association; AVMA Group Health & Life Insurance Trust; AVMA PLIT; Banfield, The Pet Hospital; Cutting Edge Products; Fort Dodge Animal Health; Hill's Pet Nutrition Inc.; Novartis Animal Health; Pets Best Insurance; Pfizer Animal Health; Simmons Educational Fund; U.S. Army Veterinary Corps; VCA Antech; Washington State University; and Washington State VMA.