Texas VMA, veterinary school, veterinary clinic receive AVMA President’s Awards
Dr. Lori Teller, 2022-23 AVMA president, gave her three President’s Awards during the President’s Reception July 14 at AVMA Convention 2023 in Denver. The award recognizes individuals or groups for making a positive impact on health, veterinary organizations, or the profession.
This year’s recipients are the Texas VMA (TVMA), Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, and Meyerland Animal Clinic (MAC) in Houston.
Texas VMA
The Texas VMA, one of the largest state veterinary medical associations in the nation, was organized in 1903. The TVMA is known for its leadership on important issues, innovative solutions, and effective representation. Dr. Teller honored the association “in recognition of and gratitude for fostering the leadership skills of a young associate veterinarian by displaying patience, wisdom, and a willingness to listen. Texas VMA saw attributes in me that I had not yet seen in myself and encouraged my passion for educating the public by affording me the privilege of attending intensive media-training workshops and communication skills conferences, instilling in me the importance of advocacy work, and allowing me the opportunity to represent the profession at many levels.”
Texas A&M School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences
Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences opened its doors in September 1916 with 13 students. Currently a major veterinary educational, medical, and research center, the veterinary college initially started as a small program and largely from a need to serve the livestock industry. Dr. Teller, a 1990 graduate, chose the veterinary school “in recognition of and gratitude for their hard work and dedication to the education of our future colleagues. It is no easy task to teach students everything they need to know to be ready for practice after graduation. The compassion, intelligence, patience, and grace of the faculty and staff at Texas A&M University School of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences continues to inspire me, and much of what they do is unrecognized and under-appreciated by the veterinary profession. Their support of my endeavors is most definitely appreciated. Because of the work that they do, the future of veterinary medicine is indeed very bright.”
Meyerland Animal Clinic
Meyerland Animal Clinic in Houston is where Dr. Teller began working at the age of 12 and practiced for several years after graduation. Founded in 1962, Drs. Thomas F. Vining Jr. and Karen Werner became co-owners in 1982 and spearheaded the growth of the clinic for the past four decades. During that time, they cared for numerous patients and helped train and develop many doctors that continue to practice at MAC. Both practitioners recently retired from the clinic. Dr. Teller chose the clinic “in recognition of and gratitude for allowing me to start my journey through veterinary medicine at the age of twelve and fostering the development of my clinical, professional, and leadership skills over the span of decades. Meyerland Animal Clinic recognized the important role that all members of the staff play in providing outstanding patient care and customer service, and taught me the value of teamwork. They encouraged everyone to practice work-life balance before that was part of the common vernacular. Because of the support I received from Meyerland Animal Clinic, I have had the opportunity to succeed both in veterinary medicine and in accomplishing personal goals.”
A version of this story appears in the August 2023 print issue of JAVMA.