OFF AND RUNNING WITH THE FAEP . . .
Anne L. Moretta, VMD, MS
2013 FAEP President
It is an honor to serve as your 2013 FAEP President, and I am especially looking forward to the year ahead. Our council has been working diligently to create relevant and exciting programs for your continuing education with national and internationally recognized speakers. We will offer the most up-to-date, in-depth information in equine medicine, surgery, lameness and rehabilitation. How often do we stay connected with our colleagues, learn new techniques and keep up with current research? Not often enough. Our continuing education venues are chosen to promote excellence in our profession by offering smaller, more cohesive, and interactive colleague-to-colleague experiences.
Over the past several years, since our merger with the FVMA, our association has experienced exponential growth. There has been a significant increase in attendance at our meetings and a major increase in industry support. We are grateful to our educational partners for their continued support, for without their commitment our meetings would not be possible. Our conference attendees are a diverse group of veterinarians from all over the world, and they are an integral part of our efforts to provide quality veterinary education.Exactly one year ago I sat down to write my first president’s letter and I shared with each of you what we, as an organization, had accomplished. The FAEP merged with the FVMA in February of 2011 and much has happened during the course of the last 21 months. We have conducted six continuing education conferences, three wet labs and a student appreciation day that were all extremely well received. Our two most recent conferences experienced record attendance and the dentistry wet lab that Dr. Jack Easley facilitated in Ocala (on November 16 as part of the 50th Ocala Equine Conference, November 16-18) was sold out a month before it was held.
In these tougher economic times we need to reinvent our practices large and small. FAEP can help you diversify and grow your practice base, add a new revenue generating technique, find equipment ideas for greater productivity, network with colleagues, and get referrals. It is time to get creative.
It is with great pleasure that I officially invite you to come to beautiful, sunny Florida and connect with your veterinary colleagues from across the world. Experience one, or all three, of our world-class continuing education programs.
Our exciting 2013 Equine Foot Symposium will be held June 28 – 29, 2013, in Orlando,Florida. This meeting features a unique “hands-on” foot and distal limb dissection lab, led by Mitch Taylor, CJF. See further details about the Symposium in this issue.
Our flagship meeting, the 9th Annual Promoting Excellence Symposium in the Southeast, will be held October 17 – 20, 2013, at the Boca Raton Resort and Club in Boca Raton, Florida, a legendary destination in itself. Our symposium will incorporate a whole horse approach. There will be an in-depth Master Class on the Neck and Back and an in-depth Ophthalmology section. The symposium will also feature topics on the Biomechanics of Injury, Performance Horse Cardiology, Ultrasound, Surgery, Neurology, GI, and Rehabilitation. The popular Dyson and Ross News Hour will be back again this year.
In addition, do not miss our 51st Annual Ocala Equine Conference from November 15 – 18, 2013. Dr. Scott Palmer, Past President of AAEP will be our featured keynote speaker. We are offering an exciting Advanced Dentistry Wet Lab featuring dental extractions and periodontal disease, and a Field Procedures ‘How To’ Wet Lab.
We are strengthening from our core with new office facilities and additional staff for our FVMA/FAEP offices. The participation and feedback from our membership is a crucial part of what makes our programs successful. The FAEP council would like to especially thank our 2012 President Dr. Greg Bonenclark and our outgoing council member Dr. Barry David for their dedication to the FAEP. I also need to extend my special thanks to all of the FAEP council members and FVMA staff whose commitment of time, energy, and ideas make our programs a tremendous success.
Resolve To Be Involved in 2013. Serve your FAEP by joining our council community, submitting scientific articles and promoting excellence in your practice. Our entire FAEP council is looking forward to meeting you at one or all of our upcoming continuing education opportunities. Please make it a date!