AVMA spotlights policy career path through Jacey Cerda podcast

Version 1

AVMA is spotlighting the Government Relations Division externship through a new My Veterinary Life podcast episode featuring Dr. Jacey Cerda, whose career has spanned wildlife biology, law, veterinary medicine, and now a postdoctoral fellowship in biodiversity conservation and emergency response at Colorado State University. In the episode, Cerda discusses her time as an AVMA Government Relations Division extern and frames policy work as one of the profession’s less traditional, but increasingly visible, career pathways. The externship itself is a longstanding AVMA program designed to give veterinary students hands-on exposure to congressional and federal regulatory issues affecting the profession. The episode also fits into a broader My Veterinary Life pattern: AVMA has recently used the podcast to showcase early-career veterinarians involved in organized medicine at the national, state, and allied-organization levels, emphasizing volunteering as a way to expand networks, shape the profession’s future, and find entry points into leadership and advocacy work. (linkedin.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the episode is less about a single policy change than about workforce development in advocacy and organized veterinary medicine. AVMA has for years used the externship to introduce students to legislative and regulatory work in Washington, and the association continues to position advocacy as part of the profession’s broader leadership pipeline. That message is reinforced by other recent My Veterinary Life episodes featuring veterinarians in committee, state-association, and allied-organization roles, where volunteering is framed as a practical way to build connections, gain influence, and help shape the profession. That matters as veterinarians face a growing policy footprint across public health, animal welfare, telemedicine, workforce issues, disaster response, and One Health. Cerda’s multidisciplinary background also underscores how legal, conservation, and emergency-response experience can translate into veterinary influence beyond clinical practice. AVMA has also tied this broader engagement push to belonging and retention, arguing that stronger professional connection helps people feel valued and stay in the field. (avma.org)

What to watch: Expect AVMA to keep using student and early-career storytelling to recruit future advocates into organized veterinary medicine and policy-facing roles, while linking that work to networking, leadership development, and professional belonging. (avma.org)