50th Anniversary of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons It is with distinct honor that I announce the 50th anniversary of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons (ACVS). The ACVS, founded in 1965 and recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association in 1970, proudly continues to maintain the highest standards for surgical training leading to the certification of specialists in veterinary surgery. This year, we are celebrating our collective achievements, reflecting on our founding years, and reminiscing about our progress. Establishing the College and its early growth is well documented by Dr. Ghery D. Pettit in “The American College of Veterinary Surgeons: The First Twenty-Five Years” (Veterinary Surgery, 1990;19:1, 3–13). The College is fortunate to have subsequent developments chronicled in ACVS: The Second Twenty-Five Years, written by Dr. Ann L. Johnson. She has well described the evolution and adaptations of ACVS over the past 25 years. Look for the article in the August 2015 issue of Veterinary Surgery. As ACVS recognizes its 50-year anniversary, a debt of gratitude is owed to all the Diplomates who have pushed or pulled this organization to its current respected status. Thank you to those who have volunteered their time and effort on committees and the Veterinary Surgery Editorial Review Board and to those who further contributed by serving on the Board of Regents. A note of appreciation is also due to the ACVS Chief Executive Officer, Ann Loew, and her staff. Ann has for many years quietly provided the stability and consistency necessary for our organization. Significant changes have occurred in our professional environment, from the remarkable advances in veterinary surgery and the notable migration of surgical specialists to private practice to the changing demographics of veterinarians and the importance of social media, smart phones and tablets. Who could have predicted these changes 25 years ago?

Predicting how ACVS will evolve over the next 25 years is difficult. Some of the challenges and questions ACVS is currently or likely will be facing are:

 Ensuring rigor and consistency of residency training programs.  Increasing the public’s awareness of veterinary medicine specialists and the optimum care provided by primary care veterinarians and specialists when working together with animal owners.  Remaining effective and relevant in an environment of increasing ‘sub-specialization’ and mid-level certificate programs.  Managing the growth of ACVS and the diversity of Diplomates’ expectations of services. Likewise, there are many developments that ACVS has little control over, but which certainly impact veterinary surgery: the relative increase in veterinary student debt upon graduation; the increase of seats in existing and newly accredited veterinary schools; and, the recent trend towards large corporate or corporate-like practices, just to name a few. What the ACVS does have control of is staying true to our mission: advancing the art and science of surgery and promoting excellence in animal health care through research, education and service to the public. Undoubtedly, the College’s organizing committee and Charter Diplomates would be proud of ACVS’s unwavering commitment to this mission for the past 50 years. As noted by Dr. Pettit in 1990 “I wonder if … the co-founders of ACVS had any idea of what ACVS would look like today.” This sentiment stands today. Here’s to looking forward to the next 25 years. Rolf M Embertson, DVM, Diplomate ACVS Chair, ACVS Board of Regents

Veterinary Surgery 44 (2015) 1 © Copyright 2014 by The American College of Veterinary Surgeons

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50th anniversary of the American College of Veterinary Surgeons.

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