AAVMC Internship Program Guidelines 2018.

Veterinary internships are common 1-year post-graduate clinical training programs that are offered both at veterinary colleges and in private practice settings. To promote the quality of these training programs, the American Association of Veterinary Medical Colleges (AAVMC) charged a working group to develop these internship guidelines, which were approved by the AAVMC in 2018 and have also been endorsed by the American Association of Veterinary Clinicians. These guidelines are intended to be applicable to all internships, in both academic and private practice settings, and they place particular emphasis on three aspects of internship training programs: competency-based education, intern well-being, and program outcome.

The Changing Fiscal Environment for Academic Veterinary Medicine.

The fiscal environment for academic veterinary medicine has changed substantially over the past 50 years. Understanding the flux of state and federal government support and the implications for student debt, academic programs, and scholarly work is critical for planning for the future. The recent precipitous decline in public funding highlights the urgent need to develop and maintain an economically sustainable model that can adapt to the changing landscape and serve societal needs.

Effects of yearling sale purchase price, exercise history, lameness, and athletic performance on purchase price of Thoroughbreds at 2-year-old in-training sales.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of yearling sale purchase price, exercise history, lameness, and athletic performance (speed) on purchase price of 2-year-old in-training Thoroughbreds and to compare the distance exercised within 60 days prior to 2-year-old in-training sales between horses with high yearling sale purchase prices versus those with low yearling sale purchase prices and between horses with lameness during training and those without lameness during training. DESIGN: Prospective study. ANIMALS: 51 Thoroughbreds. PROCEDURES: Thoroughbreds purchased at a yearling sale were trained prior to resale at 2-year-old in-training sales. Amount of exercise and lameness status during training and speed of horses at 2-year-old in-training sales were determined. Data were analyzed via the Wilcoxon rank sum test and ANOVA. RESULTS: Median purchase price of horses at 2-year-old in-training sales was $37,000. The 2-year-old in-training sale purchase price was associated with yearling sale purchase price and distance galloped within 60 days prior to and speed recorded at 2-year-old in-training sales. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Horses with high yearling sale purchase prices typically had high 2-year-old in-training sale purchase prices, had low distances galloped within 60 days prior to 2-year-old in-training sales, and were classified as fast at 2-year-old in-training sales. Lameness alone was not associated with 2-year-old in-training sales purchase price. However, lameness was associated with a low distance galloped before 2-year-old in-training sales, particularly for horses with a high yearling sale purchase price; this finding suggested that yearling sale purchase price can affect training management decisions for horses with lameness.

Effects of various presale radiographic findings for yearling Thoroughbreds on 2-year-old racing performance.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the effects of various presale radiographic findings for Thoroughbreds sold at a yearling sale on 2-year-old racing performance of those horses. ANIMALS: 397 Thoroughbreds. DESIGN: Cohort study. PROCEDURES: Thoroughbreds offered for sale at a Thoroughbred sales facility in Kentucky were selected via a randomization procedure. Effects of various presale radiographic findings on the following measures of 2-year-old racing performance were determined: having started a race and having placed (ie, finished in first, second, or third place) in a race at least once, total amount of money earned, and amount of money earned per start. RESULTS: Of the 397 horses, 192 (48%) started in at least 1 race during the 2-year-old racing year. The odds of failure to start a race as a 2-year-old were 1.78 times as great for horses with forelimb proximal sesamoid bone osteophytes or enthesophytes as for horses without this finding (95% confidence interval, 1.01 to 3.16). The odds of failure to start a race as a 2-year-old were 2.02 times as great for horses with hind limb proximal phalanx osteochondral fragments as for horses without this finding (95% confidence interval, 0.95 to 4.31), although this result was not significant. Radiographic findings did not have an effect on total amount of money earned, amount of money earned per start, or whether horses placed in a race. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Presale radiographic detection of forelimb proximal sesamoid bone osteophytes or enthesophytes or hind limb proximal phalanx osteochondral fragments in yearlings were associated with failure to start a race during the 2-year-old racing year in study horses.

Prevalence of various presale radiographic findings and association of findings with sales price in Thoroughbred yearlings sold in Kentucky.

OBJECTIVE: To estimate prevalences of various presale radiographic findings and of presale arthroscopy in horses offered for sale at the 2006 Keeneland September yearling sale and to compare sales prices between yearlings with and without various presale radiographic findings or a history of arthroscopy. ANIMALS: 397 Thoroughbred yearlings. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. PROCEDURES: Presale radiographs and health records were examined to estimate prevalences of various radiographic findings and presale arthroscopy. Sales price records were used to compare sales prices between yearlings with and without various presale radiographic findings or a history of arthroscopy. RESULTS: In the forelimbs, the most common radiographic findings were vascular channels in the proximal sesamoid bones (23%), enthesophytes or osteophytes in the radiocarpal joint (22%), and osteochondritis lesions involving the sagittal ridge of the third metacarpal bone (20%). In the hind limbs, the most common radiographic findings were enthesophytes or osteophytes involving the proximal sesamoid bones (39%), abnormalities of the distodorsal aspect of the third metatarsal bone (36%), enthesophytes or osteophytes involving the distal intertarsal joint (27%), and osteochondritis lesions involving the stifle joint (8%). Thirteen percent of horses had a history of presale arthroscopy. Median sales price was significantly lower in horses with fragments of the proximal phalanx than in horses without. Median sales price was significantly higher in horses with a history of presale arthroscopy than in horses without. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results revealed significant associations between a diagnosis of fragments of the proximal phalanx, presale arthroscopy, and sales price in Thoroughbred yearlings.

Lameness, athletic performance, and financial returns in yearling Thoroughbreds bought for the purpose of resale for profit.

OBJECTIVE: To characterize lameness during training and compare exercise variables and financial returns among yearling Thoroughbreds that were bought for the purpose of resale for profit. ANIMALS: 40 yearling Thoroughbreds. DESIGN: Prospective study. PROCEDURES: Horses purchased at yearling sales (summer 2004) were trained prior to resale at 2-year-olds in training sales (spring 2005). Horses were monitored daily for diagnosis and treatment of lameness during training. Selected variables, including sex, age, purchase price, lameness, distance (No. of furlongs) galloped during training, and financial returns, were compared among horses that had performance speeds (assessed at 2-year-olds in training sales) classified as fast, average, or slow. RESULTS: 37 of 40 horses became lame during training, most commonly because of joint injury. Eighteen of the lame horses had hind limb injuries only; 5 horses had injuries in forelimbs and hind limbs. The frequency of new cases of lameness increased as the date of the 2-year-olds in training sales approached. At the sales, 4, 21, and 15 horses were classified as fast, average, or slow, respectively; median financial return was slightly (but significantly) different among horses classified as fast ($14,000), average ($0), or slow (-$8,000). CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Incidence of lameness during training in yearling horses purchased for the purpose of resale for profit was high. Lameness more commonly affected hind limbs than forelimbs and was attributable to joint injury in most horses. Financial returns differed between horses classified as fast and average or slow at the 2-year-olds in training sales.