The critical need for federal legislation to provide for the expansion of the veterinary workforce.

American veterinary medical education stands at a crucial point. To maintain the status quo and to meet ever-increasing societal needs within the United States and globally, it is essential that the veterinary medical profession expand its horizons and capabilities. If it does not, it will lose its current status. The profession faces a crucial shortage in the workforce it needs both to continue to perform its current functions and, more importantly, to meet its growing responsibilities. This is not a new situation, and the profession can learn from its past successes and failures. Action is necessary. The profession has the capability and expertise to meet these challenges, but it must activate these skills in order to succeed.

Veterinary medical education for modern food systems: past, present, and brainstorming a future.

Concepts presented here were derived from breakout sessions constituted by the 90 attendees of the Veterinary Medical Education for Modern Food Systems symposium, held in Kansas City, Missouri, USA, in October 2005. The attendees were food-animal educators, veterinary faculty, college deans and administrators, and veterinarians employed in government, industry, and private practice. Discussions at these breakout sessions focused on four primary areas: (1) determining the data needed to document the current demand for food-supply veterinarians (FSVs); (2) defining the information/skills/abilities needed within veterinary school curricula to address the current demands on FSVs; (3) outlining pre-DVM educational requirements needed to support FSVs; and (4) considering the role of post-DVM programs in meeting the demand for FSVs.