The 8th Annual American Association Bovine Practitioners Recent Graduate Conference, targeted for those AABP-member veterinarians who have graduated between 2017 and 2024, as well as any AABP-member credentialed veterinary technicians of any grad year, will take place Feb. 14-15, 2025, in Norman, Okla.
Registration for this in-person-only conference is now open at http://aabp.org/recent_grad/ (you must be an AABP member and log-in to register).
This year’s conference theme, “Be the Beginning”, embraces the idea that wherever you are in your career, for anything to be changed or advanced, you, as the veterinarian, need to be the one to initiate that change, explains 2025 Recent Graduate Program Chair Dr. Cody Sacquitne. “In veterinary medicine, there is a need for progressiveness and advancement, especially in bovine practice. By attending national conferences such as this, younger veterinarians set themselves up for a successful future in bovine practice through innovation and socialization. At times throughout our careers, we may feel stuck or struggling, but working to do something different or new can revitalize our passion for bovine veterinary medicine.”
Sacquitne adds that the keynote speaker, Dr. Michelle Schack, will start the conference by discussing “Compassion in Practice,” followed by more health-related topics to ensure we think of ourselves first in the work-life dynamic that our careers require. “This conference will provide valuable information and connections for younger graduates to bring back and advance their practices,” he says. “This opportunity provides a unique environment for bovine-interested recent graduates to learn and advance their knowledge and connect with other like-minded individuals and we hope that this will help all of the attendees ‘Be the Beginning’ of something new in their careers.”
“The AABP Recent Graduate Conference continues to increase in popularity for our newer members,” says AABP Executive Director Dr. Fred Gingrich. “The focus remains providing practical continuing education to recently graduated veterinarians. By providing this CE, we hope to further their career in rural bovine and mixed animal practice, ultimately improving retention so that veterinarians can continue to provide services in their respective rural communities.” Gingrich notes that the other benefit to this conference is providing a networking opportunity for colleagues at a similar phase of their career. “Connecting with these colleagues can help with the isolation we sometimes feel in rural practice, and the AABP Board of Directors remains committed to providing this conference to our recent graduate members.”
This year’s conference offers 15.5 hours of CE in beef, dairy, clinical skills, practice management, practice tips and mixed animal topics (see the schedule at http://aabp.org/Recent_Grad/schedule.asp).
The conference also offers four preconference seminars available on Feb. 13 (see them at https://aabp.org/Recent_Grad/preconference.asp). Preconference seminars include dystocia, beef nutrition and dairy diagnostics. Exhibitors will also be present at the conference to showcase products and services.
Conference attendance is limited to current AABP members, so make sure your dues are current when you register. Visit http://aabp.org/Recent_Grad/default.asp to see an overview, schedule and register for the conference – you must be logged onto the website to register.
