AVMA spotlights policy career path through Dr. Jacey Cerda
CURRENT BRIEF VERSION: The AVMA’s My Veterinary Life podcast is spotlighting one of the profession’s less visible career pathways: policy and advocacy. In the episode “AVMA Government Relations Externship and Beyond with Dr. Jacey Cerda,” Dr. Cerda discusses how an AVMA government relations externship helped shape a career that now spans veterinary medicine, law, conservation, disaster response, and policy-facing work. Cerda is currently a biodiversity conservation and emergency response postdoctoral fellow at Colorado State University, and she’s also a 2025 Fulbright postdoctoral scholar focused on lessons from Australia’s 2019-2020 Black Summer fires for wildlife disaster response. (jaceycerda.com)
The episode also lands within a broader My Veterinary Life push to make organized veterinary medicine feel more accessible to early-career veterinarians. In a recent three-part series, AVMA featured Dr. Karen Cross, Dr. Brennan Pittard, and Dr. Sara Verghis discussing volunteering in national, state, and allied veterinary organizations, with a common message that getting involved can expand networks, build leadership skills, and help shape the profession even when finding time or knowing where to start can feel challenging. Another recent episode with AVMA Chief of Veterinary Engagement and Belonging Dr. LaTonia Craig framed that engagement work as part of retention and professional thriving, arguing that connection, listening, and a sense of value matter if the profession wants people to stay and succeed. (myvetlife.avma.org)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the episode reinforces that organized veterinary medicine and advocacy aren’t side conversations, they’re part of how the profession influences workforce policy, public health, animal welfare, and disaster preparedness. It also fits AVMA’s wider message that volunteering and engagement can be practical career development tools, not just extra service. That’s especially relevant as AVMA continues to push federal policy priorities such as the Rural Veterinary Workforce Act, which is aimed at improving recruitment and retention in shortage areas through changes tied to the Veterinary Medicine Loan Repayment Program. (avma.org)
What to watch: Expect continued attention on advocacy pipelines, fellowships, externships, committee service, and other early-career entry points as AVMA works to connect more veterinarians with policy, leadership, and government roles. (avma.org)