Pain committee vision: An empowered, motivated, and globally unified veterinary profession that effectively recognizes and minimizes pain prevalence and impact.
Pain committee mission: To raise global awareness and provide a call to action based upon an understanding that all animals are sentient and can therefore feel pain and suffer from it. Through the identification of regionally specific resources for recognizing and treating pain, and targeted education, the Pain Committee strives to elevate the level of confidence and competence in applying pain treatments.
Call for applications: “Teach the Teachers” is a program created by the WSAVA-Pain Committee that includes a scholarship competition for veterinarians and another for veterinary technicians/nurses. This proposal includes details for the competition for veterinarians.
The program is divided into two phases:
- In Phase I, the selected candidate (“Trainee”) will travel to host locations in order to be trained and educated on the subject of small animal pain management. This should be started within 6 months of acceptance of the Scholarship.
- In Phase II, the Trainee will participate in a Pain Summit in China where they will be expected to deliver 1-2 lectures in English or Chinese to a large audience of veterinarians. The program is completed at the end of Phase II when the Trainee will receive a certificate.
We are specifically looking for a veterinary surgeon from China to complete the program. If a suitable individual cannot be found, applicants from Southern Asia will be considered. Therefore, individuals from China and ASEAN countries are invited to apply. Details are provided below.
Objectives
- To enhance companion animal health care and animal welfare by providing better pain management.
- To train veterinarians from areas where pain management education is still developing.
- To train the Trainee to become Key-Opinion Leaders (KOLs) in the veterinary community so that they can propagate and disseminate knowledge in their countries.
- To establish a network of veterinary KOLs to deliver education of pain management across the world.
- To empower veterinarians to become leaders within their communities.
Eligibility Criteria
Candidates will be selected according to the following criteria:
- Be a graduate of veterinary medicine from Mainland China or ASEAN countries (Brunei Darussalam, Burma, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam).
- Have a permit/license to practice Veterinary Medicine in their country of origin.
- Be allowed to travel internationally (valid passport) with appropriate visa requirements and be available to commit to a minimum of 8-12 weeks of in-person training.
- Must have a proficient level of written and spoken English. Priority will be given to candidates who have a certification in an English examination test (e.g. TOEFL® from ETS®, B2 First® from Cambridge Assessment English®, etc.). Candidates may be interviewed by the WSAVA selection committee.
- Priority will be given to candidates with demonstrated interest in pain management (e.g. may have completed the WSAVA Pain Certificate) and previous experience in teaching or those who could become a KOL in the subject.
Application and Selection Criteria:
- Cover letter: Provide a cover letter with the candidate’s contact information including name, address, and e-mail address. Describe your career goals, background, and relevant achievements related or not to veterinary medicine (e.g. social work within the community). The potential and demonstrated leadership profile of the candidate should be included. Maximum of 1 page.
- Documents: Provide a copy of your veterinary degree and veterinary license.
- Curriculum Vitae: Provide a clear CV including relevant education, continuing education, current and past professional activities, professional achievements, teaching experience, involvement in professional organizations, etc. Maximum of 2 pages.
- Letter of reference: Provide one letter of reference from a previous mentor or colleague, or from the local veterinary association. Maximum of 1 page.
- Format: All documents should be prepared in font Times New Roman, 12pt, margins 2.54cm (1 inch) in the English language.
- Submission: The application should be submitted here
- Deadline: 1st February 2025 (EST)
Applications will not be reviewed if they are incomplete or if they do not closely follow the above guidelines.
Review Process
Teach the Teacher trainees will be selected based on merit after a competitive review process which will be performed by the WSAVA Pain Committee Members.
Notification of decision
Candidates will be notified of the decision by email no later than 6 weeks after the deadline. The successful candidate will receive a letter by email with an official invitation to participate in the “Teach the
Teachers Program”. It is the responsibility of the accepted candidate to acquire all the necessary documentation required for travel arrangements and provide the WSAVA Pain Committee members with acceptance notification via email.
The Program
Location
There will be three training centers for this specific program:
- Bristol Veterinary Specialists, Bristol UK with Dr. Jo Murrell: Bristol Veterinary Specialists is a large multi-disciplinary referral hospital based on the outskirts of Bristol. Dr. Jo Murrell will provide training in clinical management and assessment of acute and chronic pain.
- Jockey Club College of Veterinary Medicine and Life Sciences, City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, with Professor Paulo Steagall: The City University of Hong Kong is located in the heart of Hong Kong. Professor Paulo Steagall will provide didactic training in pain research methods and clinical pain management.
- Animals Asia’s Veterinary Welfare Training Program with Dr. Mandala Hunter-Ishikawa: Animals Asia (www.animalsasia.org) is a large charity organization that operates in Asia to improve the welfare of companion and wild animals, and has an established education program. The successful candidate will work with Animals Asia to learn about how to promote animal welfare to a large audience, especially in Asia.
Duration
8 to 12 weeks depending on the availability of the host and the candidate.
Training
The trainee must complete the first two modules of the WSAVA Pain Certification before the actual training, which will vary in format depending on the host and location. Training will cover the following four main topics:
- Pathophysiology of pain
- Assessment of acute and chronic pain in dogs and cats
- Treatment of acute and chronic pain in dogs and cats
- An understanding of how to approach clinical pain research
Scholarship
The Trainee will be financially supported with a scholarship of US$10,000. This scholarship will be used to reimburse the costs of visa requirements, flights, health insurance and accommodation to the Trainee. Other costs (food, transportation within the host location, etc.) are the responsibility of the Trainee. Expenses will be reimbursed upon the arrival of the trainee at the host location.
Trainee’s Commitments
The successful candidate will have the following commitments to be fulfilled:
- Give one 50-minute lecture on a topic of choice at the end of their visit in one or more of the host locations
- Contribute to the Pain Summit to be held in China (Phase II)