SECRETARY'S REPORT - European Veterinary Parasitology College

EVPC General Business Meeting
Leòn, September, 2012
SECRETARY’S REPORT
Now in its ninth year of intense activity, the EVPC has established all functions needed for the
ultimate and essential goal of definitive recognition from the European Board of Veterinary
Specialisation (EBVS).
Indeed, at the last meeting of the EBVS, I communicated that the EVPC would apply for
definitive approval this year. The application will be submitted in November and will be
discussed at the next EBVS General Business Meeting in April 2013. We are one year ahead of
the 10-year deadline for application and all documentation is currently being reviewed by the two
EBVS liason officers assigned to our college. Once their comments and suggestions have been
received, the application will be put onto the EVPC website for all to consult.
Among this year’s milestones is the successful attainment of diplomate status by examination of 4
excellent candidates. This is the first year that we have “gained” more new diplomates than we
have “lost”. This is no doubt due to the diligence and commitment of both supervisors and
candidates, together with the hard work of the Education, Credentials and Examination
Committees.
Another milestone for this year was the first EVPC Residents’ summer school course, organized
by EVPC Board member Domenico Otranto. The course saw the participation of 10 EVPC
Residents who spent one week in southern Italy learning all there is to know about arthropod
vectors and transmitted pathogens in the Mediterranean area. The course was partially sponsored
by the generosity of two pharmaceutical companies, confirming the growing interest of industry
in the education of future EVPC diplomates .
Maintaining this momentum is of course demanding, but I am confident that we will continue in
this way in the future.
As mentioned above, I represented the EVPC at the annual EBVS meeting in April 2012. This
year the EBVS has called for colleges to make difficult decisions regarding EBVS fees. Indeed,
the EBVS is concerned about its budget and of the possibility of continuing its work without a
full-time Executive Officer. To met this expense, two options for a new fee structure were put to
the EBVS membership and the majority of EBVS members (including the EVPC Board) voted
for option A (i.e. 1250 €/college and 25€/diplomate). For the EVPC, this has meant a doubling of
the current EBVS membership fee. For this reason, a rise in EVPC membership fee for 2013 will
be proposed and discussed at the GBM in Leòn.
The EBVS has also proposed a list of P&Ps for examination credentials and process. Even though
there was lengthy discussion among all EBVS members, there was no final consensus, and the
current requirements for examination, as outlined in the EVPC Information Brochure, are still in
effect.
Membership totals (including 154 full diplomates) are slightly up on the previous year. The
number of Residents taking the examination each year (seven for 2012), has finally built up
sufficiently to compensate for colleagues leaving due to retirement or career change.
This is my last meeting as Secretary of our college and I would like to thank the many people
who have helped make my job easier over the last three years. First of all, to outgoing (in both
senses of the word!) President Anja Joachim. I could not have worked as well without her
unwavering support and advice. Of course thanks goes to all EVPC Board members (C. Genchi,
K. Pfister, E. Claerebout, Gaudalupe Mirò, Michel Franc, Domenico Otranto) and all Committee
Chairpersons and members (Credentials Committee:Steffen Rehbein, Robert Farkas and Christian
Bauer; Education Committee: Arwid Daugschie, Smaro Sotiraki and Carlos Hermosilla;

Examination Committee: Albert Marinculic, Mark Fox and Bertrand Losson). Thanks are also
due to the Newsletter Editorial team (Donato Traversa, Cristine Strube, Eric Morgan),
coordinated by Anja, for producing the newsletter. Thanks to Mieke Godefroid for keeping tabs
on the finances and to Henriette Kissling for designing and maintaining our low-cost web-site.
Thanks still to Anja Joachim for hosting the interim Board meeting and to Paco Rojo for hosting
the Leòn meeting and for convening this year’s Scientific Symposium.
Lastly, many thanks to Dennis Jacobs, former EVPC Secretary, for teaching me all I needed to
know, and then some.
Laura Kramer