AASV Veterinary Student Activities at the 2016 Annual Meeting
Feb 27-March 1, 2016 - New Orleans, Louisiana

It is part of the mission of the American Association of Swine Veterinarians to "mentor students, encouraging life-long careers as swine veterinarians." To help fulfill this mission, the association encourages veterinary students to attend the AASV annual meeting and offers a variety of activities for student participation during the conference:

FREE REGISTRATION
Registration for the AASV annual meeting is FREE for AASV Veterinary Student Members. Student registration for the meeting includes attendance at the scientific sessions, access to electronic proceedings download, Monday luncheon ticket, Monday awards reception ticket, Tuesday breakfast ticket, and admission to the company-sponsored social events. In addition, veterinary students may register for pre-conference seminars free of charge!

$200 TRAVEL STIPEND
Each veterinary student who attends the AASV Annual Meeting receives a $200 (US$) travel stipend, courtesy of Newport Laboratories and the AASV Foundation! To qualify, you must be a current Student AASV Member AND you must pre-register for the meeting by February 5. When you register for the meeting, you will receive an email message within a few days, confirming that you qualify for the stipend. If you don’t receive the confirmation message, contact AASV prior to the meeting to make sure you are registered! Pick up your check in person at the meeting registration desk in New Orleans.

VET HUNT
This fun activity provides the opportunity to network with veterinarians at the conference. When you arrive at the meeting, look in your registration packet for the list of participating vets, then introduce yourself, visit with, and collect the business cards of at least ten of them to qualify for the prize drawing, held during the Merck Student Reception on Sunday evening.

STUDENT TRIVIA EVENT
Join us on Saturday, February 27^th for a fun-filled, interactive evening of Swine Veterinary Medicine Trivia! Come prepared with teams of 4 students, or join a team when you arrive. The competition will begin at 7:00 PM in the Rampart Room - above Walk-On's Bistreaux and Bar (offsite). Appetizers and beverages will be served, thanks to sponsor Merck Animal Health.

STUDENT BREAKFAST
Enjoy a breakfast buffet, compliments of the AASV, with fellow veterinary students and faculty advisors on Sunday, February 28 at 6:30 am in Strand 13A&B (level 2).

STUDENT PRE-CONFERENCE SEMINAR
For several years now, the AASV has offered a very popular pre-conference seminar designed especially for new and soon-to-be veterinarians: Seminar #10, Swine Medicine for Students. Registration is free for veterinary students and '14 and '15 DVM graduates.

PRE-CONFERENCE SEMINARS
Students may register for any of the numbered pre-conference seminars free-of-charge. You may register for one seminar on Saturday and one on Sunday. If registering online, the system will recognize your Student registration and allow you to select two seminars at no charge. If submitting your registration by mail, write "N/C" in the fee area for your desired seminars.

STUDENT POSTER SESSION
Veterinary students present research and case studies in poster format on Sunday, February 28. The display begins at 12:00 noon on Sunday, with the poster authors available for discussion until 1:00 pm. The posters will be available for viewing until 5:00 pm, and again on Monday from 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM. Zoetis and AASV provide a $250 stipend to each participating poster author. Additionally, posters #1 - #15 will be judged by a practitioner panel for the awarding of scholarships sponsored by Newport Laboratories.

STUDENT SEMINAR
Some say the best presentations of the meeting are made during the AASV Student Seminar on Sunday afternoon (February 28, 1:00 - 5:00 pm). On the basis of submitted abstracts, 15 students have been selected to make presentations of research, case studies, and literature reviews. Zoetis sponsors this session and provides a $750 travel stipend to each student presenter. The students' oral and written presentations are judged, and a $5,000 scholarship, funded by Zoetis, is awarded to the top presentation. Elanco Animal Health provides $20,000 to fund 14 additional scholarships of varying amounts to the runners-up.

SPEED INTERVIEWS
This opportunity for 3rd and 4th-year students provides an opportunity to practice interview skills and learn about externships and job openings, while networking with swine veterinarians. The Speed Interviews will take place Sunday, February 28 from 5:30-6:30 PM in the Strand 11 (level 2) at the conference hotel. Please contact Student Delegate Emily Mahan-Riggs ([email protected]) to sign up for this activity.

STUDENT RECEPTION
Don’t miss the Student Reception sponsored by Merck Animal Health on Sunday, February 28 from 8:30 - 11:00 pm in Great Hall North. You’ll find plenty of snacks & beverages along with truly magical entertainment. Turn in your Vet Hunt worksheet and hang around for the prize drawing. You'll want to make the most of this opportunity to interact with students, swine veterinarians, researchers, and industry representatives in an informal setting – who knows, you might line up your next externship or identify a potential job opportunity!

STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP PRESENTATION
The announcement of the recipients of the AASV Foundation Veterinary Student Scholarships, funded by Zoetis and Elanco Animal Health, and the Student Poster Competition Scholarships, takes place during the AASV Luncheon at 12:30 pm on Monday, February 29. Join the AASV in recognizing and congratulating all of the Student Seminar and Poster Competition participants!