AVMA spotlights advocacy career path through Dr. Jacey Cerda

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AVMA’s My Veterinary Life podcast is spotlighting career pathways in organized veterinary medicine through an episode featuring Dr. Jacey Cerda, whose résumé spans veterinary medicine, law, public health, wildlife biology, and policy work. In the episode, Cerda discusses her experience with the AVMA Government Relations Externship and how that exposure helped shape a nontraditional career that now includes postdoctoral research at Colorado State University and a 2024-2025 Fulbright-supported project in Australia focused on biodiversity conservation and emergency response. Public profiles from Colorado State University, Fulbright, and Federation University describe Cerda as a DVM, JD, and MPH whose current work centers on wildlife welfare, disaster response, and policy development. (vetmedbiosci.colostate.edu)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the episode adds to AVMA’s broader recent series on organized veterinary medicine by showing how advocacy and association involvement can open doors well beyond clinical practice alone. That’s especially relevant as the profession continues to weigh workforce pressures, public policy demands, One Health responsibilities, and the need for veterinarians who can work across government, research, and emergency management. AVMA’s student externship resources also indicate that the association continues to position externships as a formal pathway for career exploration and professional development. (myvetlife.avma.org)

What to watch: Watch for whether AVMA expands visibility around government relations and advocacy training as interest grows in nontraditional veterinary career paths and policy-facing roles. (myvetlife.avma.org)