Prof. Ann Martens
Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Ghent University
Thursday, 3rd April 2025, 13.30-15.00
KEYNOTE SESSION III
Engagement of Universities in Veterinary Specialization
Lecture "What needs to be changed for a sustainable engagement of Universities in Veterinary specialization"
ABSTRACT
Historically Universities have played a critical role in the establishment of veterinary specialization worldwide and the vast majority of the first ‘de facto’ diplomates were university professors. Presently however, Universities face many challenges in continuing to play a prominent role in the education of the specialists of the future.
One of the main issues is to retain veterinary specialists in a University environment, certainly in some critical disciplines such as medical imaging and small animal surgery. The high wages offered by private clinics or corporates are often blamed for the drain to private practice, but most likely other factors also play a role.
Universities should be encouraged to improve both the ‘work appreciation’ and ‘work circumstances’ in order to retain their specialists and attract residents. If wages cannot be increases, work appreciation can be improved by a diversification of University profiles allowing clinical specialists to be promoted to the higher University degrees not only based on their research performances, but also by taking their teaching and clinical performance into account.
The creation of optimal working circumstances implies a combination of adequate infrastructure and specialized equipment, together with the presence of fellow specialists with whom consultation is possible, interesting teaching opportunities and a cut-down of needless administrative tasks.
To retain veterinary specialists Universities will be required to investment in the professionalization of their VTH and to embrace a policy aimed at attracting patients (investment in branding and client communication). Indeed, many specialists consider a large and varied case-load essential for their professional well-being, for the development of their skills and to perform interesting research.
BIOSKETCH
Prof. Ann Martens obtained her degree in Veterinary Medicine at the Ghent University in 1993 and worked since then as an assistant at the department of Surgery and Anaesthesiology of the Ghent University, to qualify as an equine and bovine surgeon. Her PhD degree was obtained in 2000 with a thesis on the diagnosis and treatment of equine sarcoids. She became a Diplomate of the European College of Veterinary Surgeons in 2002 and has occupied several functions within ECVS (program and examination committee, board of regents, president and chair of the board, presently ECVS treasurer)
Prof. Martens's present research interests are equine sarcoids, equine wound management and minimal invasive surgical techniques (arthroscopy and laparoscopy). She is author or co-author of more than 150 publications in peer-reviewed journals and has been the promotor of several PhD theses.
At University level she has been a member of the faculty council since 1996. From 2014 till 2022 she has represented the faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the Board of Governors of Ghent University. She has been head of Department from 2018 till 2022 and since October 2022 she is the Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine.