June 2009
Dear Fellow FAEP Members:
Welcome to “version II” of the president’s letter. As I did a final review of “version I” prior to sending it to our interim executive director, Dr. Craig Roberts (of course 4 days beyond the “soft” deadline he had given me), I realized it was the most sterile, politically correct, and boring document I had ever read. So, that went into file 13 and I am starting fresh. I wrote this letter in my head on a 70 mile training bike ride on Sunday. Thankfully I started working on it early in the ride before my seat or my brain were numb.
The FAEP has been very busy in 2009. We have continued to bolster our relationship with the FVMA, we have worked long and hard at understanding the “behind the scenes” operation of our organization so that we can be well informed of what we need and expect of our incoming executive director, we have given our website a new face and function (please go to www.faep.net to see this), and we have been planning, planning, planning for our upcoming symposiums. That said, all of this work has been done by our interim executive director along with the board of directors. We want to see our membership get more involved! The FAEP is YOUR organization, and we want you to be an active member of this group. If you go to our new website you will find a “member involvement” page. On this page you can sign up to be considered for our various committees or to become a member of the FAEP Officers. Time of service on the FAEP Officers is three years and we have people rotating on and off of the board each year. Please go to the website today and register to get more involved in our outstanding organization.
With the economy in the state of flux that it is, I imagine that many of us will be seeking our CEU’s close to home this year to minimize travel expenses. We are all in luck as the two symposiums that the FAEP is offering this year are both local and both outstanding. The Second Annual Promoting Excellence Foot Syjmposium is in Orlando this year on August 7th and 8th. The Foot Symposium features Dr. Kent Carter and Jason Maki from Texas A & M, Dr. Andy Parks from the University of Georgia, Mike Wildestein from Cornell University and Scott Lampert from On Track Equine. This outstanding group of clinicians and farriers will be discussing anatomy of the foot, clinical implications of various trims and will have several panel discussions.
If August is not a good month for you to get away from your practice, then please plan to attend the Fifth Annual Promoting Excellence Symposium in Marco Island on October 1st through the 3rd. The Marco Island Marriott promises an enjoyable getaway for you and your family. Here you will find beautiful beaches, a full spa, great restaurants, our annual golf and fishing tournaments, swimming pools, tennis, and much more. We have been able to negotiate a special room rate of $189 per night for 7 days before and after the symposium, so this makes an excellent opportunity to wrap your family vacation around excellent continuing education. The program committee worked very hard this year to produce an outstanding line up of speakers and topics encompassing three main categories: sports medicine (racehorse and performance), reproduction, and gastrointestinal considerations. Speakers include Dr.’s Frank Andrews, Fairfield Bain, and David Freeman in the GI portion of the program, Dr.’s Ahmad Tibary, Margo McPherson, and Karen Wolfsdorf for Reproduction, and Dr.’s Natasha Werpy, Norm Rantanen, Patty Hogan, Mary Scollay and Carter Judy for Sports Medicine. In addition, we will be having a one hour panel discussion on compounding and will also be providing two hours of pharmacy continuing education as needed for Florida licensure. For details on each of these exciting programs, please go to www.faep.net.
Although the year is only ½ over, I must say it feels like a year and a ½. Therefore, I look forward to the upcoming symposiums so that we can finally relax and enjoy some great continuing education. I hope to see each of you at one or both of our meetings. If I’m not in the lecture or exhibitors halls, you can find me swimming, biking, running or enjoying a glass of wine at the bar. I will look for you there!
Sincerely,
K. Leann Kuebelbeck, DVM, DACVS
2009 FAEP President