AVMA highlights policy career path through Jacey Cerda podcast

The American Veterinary Medical Association is spotlighting the Government Relations Division externship through a new My Veterinary Life podcast episode featuring Dr. Jacey Cerda, a veterinarian whose career has spanned wildlife biology, law, public health, conservation, and policy. In the episode, Cerda discusses how the AVMA Government Relations Division externship helped shape her path and highlights advocacy as a viable lane for veterinary students and early-career veterinarians interested in organized veterinary medicine. Cerda is currently listed by Colorado State University as a Biodiversity Conservation and Emergency Response postdoctoral fellow, and a 2025 CSU One Health Day program identified her as Jacey R. Cerda, JD, MPH, DVM. (linkedin.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the episode is less about a single policy change and more about workforce development in advocacy and regulation. AVMA’s Government Relations externship has longstanding roots in Washington, D.C., giving veterinary students direct exposure to Congress, federal agencies, and the policy process, while AVMA continues to frame advocacy as part of the profession’s broader role in animal, human, and environmental health. That message lands at a time when the association is actively pushing federal legislation on issues such as rural veterinary workforce shortages, underscoring how policy experience can translate into real influence on practice conditions and access to care. (avma.org)

What to watch: Expect AVMA to keep using career-focused content and student programming to build the pipeline of veterinarians interested in advocacy, organized medicine, and regulatory affairs. (linkedin.com)