New SAVMA president puts student advocacy at the center

Spencer Stelly, a Louisiana State University veterinary student who once imagined a future on Broadway, has stepped into one of the most visible student leadership roles in organized veterinary medicine as the new president of the Student American Veterinary Medical Association, according to Vet Candy Radio’s profile and LSU- and AVMF-linked biographies. Stelly is a DVM candidate at LSU, has served as SAVMA president-elect and LSU’s senior SAVMA delegate, and has said he wants to use the role to advocate for veterinary students nationwide, including on the profession’s debate over mid-level practitioner models such as the veterinary professional associate, or VPA. Vet Candy Radio’s coverage also notes the incoming SAVMA president-elect is Cayden Smith, a second-year student at Long Island University’s Lewyt College of Veterinary Medicine whose leadership résumé includes serving as LIU’s SAVMA senior delegate, AAEP liaison, Purina student representative, American Heartworm Society student liaison, vice president of the Rehab and Integrative Medicine Club, and treasurer of SVECCS. (avmf.org)

Why it matters: SAVMA’s president doesn’t set regulation, but the role can shape how student concerns reach AVMA leadership and the broader profession. That matters at a time when workforce pressures, student wellbeing, and scope-of-practice debates are all colliding. In Colorado, voters approved Proposition 129 in November 2024 to create the VPA role, and the American Association of Veterinary State Boards later said it would help Colorado develop exam and credentialing infrastructure while stopping short of endorsing expansion to other states. A student leader taking a clear stance against the model signals that opposition to mid-level roles remains active among at least some future veterinarians, not just established practitioners. The parallel election of Smith as president-elect also matters because it shows who is next in line to help shape SAVMA’s agenda and student-facing advocacy. Vet Candy Radio portrayed Smith as a high-achieving but self-aware student leader still exploring career options ranging from small animal emergency medicine to equine racetrack medicine, while emphasizing her message to “follow your passion” as a guide for career purpose. (aavsb.org)

What to watch: Watch whether Stelly’s term translates student concerns on workforce, training, and scope of practice into formal SAVMA or AVMA advocacy as Colorado continues implementing the VPA framework. It is also worth watching how Smith’s year as president-elect positions her to influence continuity in student advocacy after Stelly’s term, especially given her broad involvement across species interests, student organizations, and industry and specialty liaisons. (aavsb.org)