Veterinarian Jana Morgan was presented with a unique opportunity 15 years ago to be part of a first-time gathering of young veterinarians in the swine industry. DVM Swine Academy, organized by Boehringer Ingelheim, had one simple goal: to create a peer group for new veterinarians to be able to learn from key opinion leaders in the industry, to discuss issues they were encountering in their careers, and to create a safe environment for them to open up and build their knowledge together.
“I consider many of those people in my DVM Swine Academy group good friends still today,” Morgan says. “No one is scared to call anyone or to send an email to the group. No one ever makes you feel like you’ve asked a dumb question. That’s one of the goals behind it – to form a peer group of veterinarians that get to know each other on a personal and professional level.”
Through the years, Morgan has stepped up to manage DVM Swine Academy in addition to her role as a key account veterinarian at Boehringer Ingelheim. From setting up modules to organizing speakers to working with the young veterinarians, Morgan says she really loves getting to lead DVM Swine Academy.
“Boehringer Ingelheim sees value in helping young veterinarians ask questions and learn. We hope it’s a way we can help them create their own value and bring something back to the producer, too,” she says.
Intentional Interaction
Although the swine industry is small enough that you will likely meet or see people again and again at professional meetings, Morgan believes it’s a different result when you are put into a small group together and encouraged to interact at a deeper level.
“When you know you can talk about things in a room where everyone is open for discussions, and you know you won’t be judged by bringing up whatever issue you might be seeing or dealing with, it builds confidence,” Morgan says.
DVM Swine Academy kicked off its 8th class in April. A new class forms every two years and is limited to 20 or less people by invitation or recommendation. The goal is to bring in veterinarians with less than five years of experience to form a group that works through six modules during the course of two years. The modules cover a variety of important and relevant topics from immunology and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) to conflict resolution and ventilation. Each group’s topics vary slightly as opportunities are created for participants to help select the topics of importance for the modules.
“We meet in a relaxed location without a lot of bells and whistles,” Morgan says. “We have dinner on the first evening together. We talk and get to know people on a different level. I believe the personal component helps break down walls and establish that it is a safe place to share.”
Cutting-Edge Conversations
Boehringer Ingelheim chooses top-notch experts to present, she adds. They want it to be a worthwhile learning experience for everyone involved. Daniel Linhares, professor and director of graduate education at Iowa State University, is one of the featured speakers who has presented many times over the years on PRRS management.
“That includes monitoring, response to PRRS, control and elimination strategies,” Linhares says. “PRRS virus is the single most important pathogen that impacts pigs and their ability to reach their full genetic potential. It’s a big threat in terms of domestic disease in our country.”
He values the opportunity to hear from the younger veterinarians and discover what’s working and what’s not for them in terms of PRRS management methods.
“Each participant brings their own perspectives,” Linhares says. “We always learn because we gain insight into their minds. It’s valuable to us to know what areas need further research or exploration. We discover needs and gaps.”
Cross-System Collaboration
Veterinarians often talk internally with their companies. Linhares says the ability to create cross-system peer groups offers the larger swine industry many benefits.
“Sometimes you see a problem in Clinic A and can learn from someone in Clinic B who has already dealt with it,” he points out. “It’s a nice benchmarking opportunity to learn from each other.”
That’s one of the benefits Erin Kettelkamp, a veterinarian with Swine Vet Center in Saint Peter, Minn., appreciates most about her DVM Swine Academy peer group.
“It’s a great way to create new circles – and it’s not always with people fresh out of school – it’s a range,” Kettelkamp says. “It’s nice to stratify those ages a little to create good mingling among the groups. I believe being able to collaborate and bring that back to wherever you work has a ton of value.”
She also values the customization of modules.
“Dr. Morgan has been great at listing out popular topics for us to choose from. We start with one of the most popular modules. From there, we have time to get the wheels turning and have great discussions over future topics at dinners, etc. The curriculum continues to get stronger and always stays relevant because it’s not planned in advance,” Kettelkamp says. “Things can change depending on speaker availability and the program has the ability to pull in experts, which contributes to the quality of the content we experience.”
A Dose of Fresh Perspective
Perhaps one of the greatest benefits of DVM Swine Academy is the emotional support it can provide to people in one of the most demanding careers from a mental health standpoint.
“As veterinarians, we care,” Morgan says. “We want to do the right thing. We are pulled in multiple directions and put a lot of time and focus into a lot of different things.”
In the end, that results in great pressure on an individual. Morgan says if you don’t have a group or someone you can call that is going through similar things, it makes it hard and keeps you on an island.
“I think having that group to call, to know you’ve already made a connection with someone who may be dealing with a similar issue and will listen is so helpful,” Morgan says.
Kettelkamp enjoyed the opportunity to simply get away from work for a day or two to gain a new perspective, she says.
“When we sit together and share, that eases some of the mental load for the young vet realizing they have more people to compare notes with and relate to at the time,” Kettelkamp says. “There is some venting that goes along with this life stage and pace, so it’s nice to have someone else to relate to outside of your immediate colleagues at work.”
It’s a privilege to be a part of DVM Swine Academy, she adds.
“I appreciate the opportunity to have this continuing education experience which is very valuable in order to generate some key takeaways we can then work on in the field,” Kettelkamp says.
Hear from more Kettelkamp and other alumni of the program here.
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