Welcome to the official web site of the Jamaica Veterinary Medical Association, a professional organization representing veterinarians across Jamaica. We invite you to explore the site and see for yourself who we are and why we do what we do.
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| DR. KEVIN WALKER is the new JVMA President |
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| Dr. Kevin Walker |
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New Executive elected at Annual General Meeting
The 2014 Annual General Meeting of the Jamaica Veterinary Medical Association was held on Sunday, July 6, 2014 at the Tree House meeting room at the Hope Zoo. The meeting saw the election of a new Executive Committee to conduct the Association’s business over the next twelve months.
The newly elected President is Dr. Kevin Walker, a 2008 graduate of the University of the West Indies School of Veterinary Medicine, St. Augustine, Trinidad. It is a historic moment for the JVMA as Dr. Walker is the first graduate from UWI-SVM – the first from any Caribbean veterinary school for that matter – to lead the Association. He works with the Jamaica Broilers Group.
Dr. Walker replaces Dr. Robert Thomas who, having led the JVMA for the past three years, had completed his term limit. Dr. Thomas automatically remains on the Executive for the coming year as Immediate Past President.
Returning to another term as Vice-President is Dr. John Josephs while former President Dr. Sarah Wilkinson-Eytle is once again in the post of Secretary, having held that position in the past. Assistant Secretary went to Dr. Julie-Ann Small and another former President, Dr. Graham Brown, took over the post of Treasurer from the long-serving Dr. Natalie Burnett.
Executive sub-committee chairpersons were elected as follows: Nominations & Membership - Dr Natalie Burnett, Rights & Welfare – Dr. Rayon Gregory, Judicial & Parliamentary – Dr. Kareen Robinson, Education & Research – Dr. Roxanne Bennett, Public Relations – Dr. Paul Cadogan. Dr. Wintorph Marsden remains as Commonwealth Veterinary Association representative.
The position of Ethics & Discipline Chairperson is vacant as the elected member subsequently indicated inability to accept the position due to personal circumstances.
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| Dr. Wendy Witbeck |
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| A mini-symposium on prophylactic practices to avoid economic losses in poultry flocks was held on Thursday July 17, 2014 at the Jamaica Pegasus Hotel in New Kingston. Sponsored by the Caribbean Broilers group, the meeting consisted of a series of presentations by poultry experts Dr. Wendy Witbeck and Dr. Carlos Gomez from IDEXX Laboratories covering the use of serological and other diagnostics for flock monitoring to aid in early detection and hopefully prevention of major disease problems.
The presentations included a review of Enzyme-linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), monitoring immunosuppressive disease (Infectious Bursal Disease, Chick Anemia Virus) and the use of the Deventer formula to devise vaccination strategies, developing a personalized baseline study for small and medium poultry enterprises, and the use of serological surveys to protect against economic losses. Brochures covering diagnostics from IDEXX Laboratories were distributed.
The primary atendees were veterinarians and laboratory technicians from the poultry industry and the Veterinary Services Division of the Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries. However a number of private veterinarians also took advantage of the opportunity for continuing education.
The symposium began at about 4:00 pm and concluded at about 8:00 pm. These hours were chosen to facilitate "after work" attendance by the participants.
Four Continuing Veterinary Medical Education credits were awarded to each of the veterinarians present.
Click here to see more photos from the symposium.
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| Dr. Carlos Gomez |
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| FALMOUTH SPAY-NEUTER CLINIC |
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A free spay & neuter clinic was held in Falmouth, Trelawny on the weekend of June 21-22, 2014. An all-local cadre of veterinarians, veterinary technicians and volunteer staff gave their time and energy to assist with the control of the population growth of dogs and cats in the area.
The clinic was held at the Ellison Wakeland Community Centre, next door to the Falmouth Hospital. 100 dogs and 41 cats were spayed or neutered over the two days, with 21 of the cats being feral, trapped from three locations (Falmouth Hospital, Duncans-Silver Sands, Sunflower Inn, Runaway Bay).
Organized by Dr. Lesley Robson (US-based Jamaican veterinarian) and Pamela Lawson (Executive Director, JSPCA) with the support of eight local vets and a number of veterinary technicians and other support staff/volunteers, the clinic was the first to be carried out entirely without temporarily registered overseas volunteers since 2008.
For a list of sponsors, participating veterinarians, technicians and staff, plus a detailed breakdown of the animals that had surgery, please click on the PDF link to the left.
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| Jamaica Veterinary Board CVME Forum, May 18, 2014. |
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| Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries the Hon. Roger Clarke makes a comment at the JVB Forum |
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| THE JAMAICA VETERINARY BOARD'S special forum to update veterinarians on the 2015 implementation of mandatory Continuing Veterinary Medical Education (CVME) requirements for annual licensing took place as planned on May 18, 2014 at the Terra Nova Hotel in Kingston. It was well attended by veterinarians from across the island. Special guests were Minister of Agriculture & Fisheries, the Hon. Roger Clarke, and Professor Winston Davidson, who heads the University of Technology's School of Public Health.
Minister Clarke brought greetings and expressed his appreciation for the work being done by veterinarians in Jamaica. He pledged his support for the profession as it moved forward.
Prof. Davidson, who was guest speaker, had accompanied Board Chairman Dr. Osbil Watson and Board member Dr. Sophia Ramlal on their trip to Brazil for the OIE's conference on veterinary education late last year. He called on the veterinary profession to embrace CVME as a necessity in today's global environment. He noted that the "human" medical profession in Jamaica has had these requirements in place for several years. He also challenged us to stand up and push for the issues that are important to us and noted that we could find support from our physician colleagues.
Dr. Ramlal gave a presentation outlining the background to the implementation of the CVME requirements and explained what will be required of veterinarians. All practicing veterinarians will be issued their Annual Licensing Certificates for a given year, which are separate from the one-time Registration Certificate, based on the accumulation of at least 10 CVME credits during the previous calendar year and the payment of the appropriate fee. Non-practicing vets will not have to acquire credits, but will remain on the register. Other exceptions/exemptions may apply to categories such as new graduates, post-graduate students, and persons in academia. Details will be posted on the CE page of this website.
New Certificates of Registration and 2014 Annual Licensing Certificates were distributed at the end of the meeting to the veterinarians in attendance. To receive 2015 Annual Licensing Certificates next year, CVME credits will be required. Veterinarians who do NOT accumulate the required credits in the 2014 calendar year will NOT be able to practice legally in 2015.
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| Guest speaker Dr. Winston Davidson addresses the gathering. |
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| Veterinarians and their new registration certificates |
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DR. DAVID McKENZIE IS TUSKEGEE'S NEW VETERINARY MEDICAL TEACHING HOSPITAL DIRECTOR
Jamaican-born Dr. David McKenzie has been appointed as the new Director of the Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital at the College of Veterinary Medicine at Tuskegee University located in Alabama in the United States. Dr. McKenzie, a Tuskegee alumnus, is also an associate professor of large animal medicine and surgery in the Department of Clinical Sciences there.
Read more below:
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| Dr. David McKenzie |
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In an article in the April 2014 issue of the magazine DVM 360, he is quoted as saying “I am passionate about teaching and mentoring students and am honoured to serve as the new Director of the VMTH. I hope to help continue to move the teaching hospital forward to make sure our students are well trained to compete globally upon their completion of the veterinary medical curriculum here at Tuskegee University.”
Dr. McKenzie graduated with his DVM in 1990 and his post-graduate qualifications include a Masters in Veterinary Science (1996), a Masters in Public Health specializing in Epidemiology and International Health (University of Alabama- Birmingham, 2004) and a Doctorate in Health Education (UAB, 2012). He is Board-certified in large animal internal medicine by the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine and has a special interest in international veterinary medicine, serving in a number of capacities pertaining to international veterinary graduates. He has always maintained close ties with the Jamaican veterinary community, including membership in the Jamaica Veterinary Medical Association.
He hails from Kingston and is the son of Dr. Keith McKenzie, a paediatrician who was among Jamaica's first paediatric cardiologists and was originally from Grange Hill, Westmoreland, and his late wife Norma who was from Highgate, St. Mary.
Many Jamaican veterinarians, both home and abroad, are Tuskegee alumni and the entire veterinary community shares in their pride at Dr. McKenzie’s achievement. The JVMA salutes Dr. David McKenzie and wishes him all success in his major role in shaping and guiding the development of veterinarians of the future.
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We want this web site to be one that will make all Jamaican veterinarians proud. It's still a work in progress. If you have any advice or you want to assist us in any way please email the Secretary of the Association. Click here to send us your advice and/or comments.
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