Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association
Dedicated to Developing Responsible Herbal Practice
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VBMA EDUCATIONAL SCHOLARSHIP FOR VETERINARY STUDENTS
The Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association currently offers an annual educational scholarship opportunity, open ONLY to veterinary students, in order to promote herbal education. International vet students with proof of vet school enrollment are encouraged to apply. This scholarship is funded in part by one of our incredibly generous VBMA members...many thanks for your support!
SCROLL DOWN TO SEE OUR 2020 WINNERS!
2021 Essay Topic:
Please choose 3 anti-viral herbs and discuss how they are used. In your essay, consider including the following:
- Evaluating suitability vs pharmaceutical alternatives.
- The sustainability of the plants.
- Choosing plants that are native or can be sustainably grown in your geographic area.
2021 Submission Requirements:
- Length requirement: essay text count between 1000 - 1500 words.
- Citations for all references used should be included and DO NOT count toward the essay length requirement.
- Submit your entry online or
- Download a submission form, fill it out, then send it along with all required documentation to office@vbma.org.
- A copy of your student ID MUST be included and your anticipated graduation date MUST be filled out for your application to be considered valid.
- A recommendation from a faculty member at the school you're attending is REQUIRED.
- Additional voluntary supporting info is encouraged, such as research papers, articles you've been involved with/contributed to, any volunteer experience, and your resume.
- Any submission sent without a completed application form (online or PDF version) will be considered invalid and will NOT be judged.
- Deadline for submissions is 7/15/2021.
- NO late submissions will be accepted.
Award Amounts, Benefits, Selection Criteria, and Essay Publication:
- Cash award, 1 at $3000 and 2 at $1000 each.
- Winners will receive free VBMA student membership for two years.
- Essays will be read and reviewed by the VBMA Board of Directors.
- Winners are determined by majority vote within 60 days of deadline for submissions.
- All award-winning essays will be published on the VBMA website.
- The first-place winning essay will also be published in the Journal of Veterinary Botanical Medicine.
Announcement of Award:
Winners will be announced at the VBMA’s annual meeting.
Funds Distribution and Usage:
- Monies will be awarded directly to the participant via check, PayPal or wire transfer.
- Use of funds is not restricted.
2020 WINNER
First Prize, $3000.00
Sarah Scott-Cruz
North Carolina State University.
Read her essay HERE.
My name is Sarah Scott-Cruz. I am currently a Second Year veterinary student at North Carolina State University. I am interested in pursuing a career in wildlife medicine. Although school has looked a little different this year, I am still learning so much and growing in my clinical skills. From pathology to pharmacology, second year encourages us to integrate our knowledge from first year and apply it to cases while continuing to build our foundational understanding of how disease processes work. When I am not studying, you will likely find me rock climbing outside with classmates, hiking with my dog, or caring for turtles presented to Turtle Rescue Team, a student run organization at the CVM. The attached photo shows Redwood, a turtle that was hit by a car. When Redwood arrived, the distal portion of her left hind limb was necrotic and maggot ridden. She also had a fractured carapace. I performed an amputation and shell repair on Redwood. Soon, she will be ready to leave our hospital and stay in the care of a rehabber as she heals. Redwood will ultimately be returned to the location where she was found, reuniting with her home habitat.
2020 WINNER
Runner Up, $1000.00
Ifteqar Hassan
Chattogram Veterinary and Animal
Sciences University
Read his essay HERE.
I am Ifteqar Hassan pursuing ‘Doctor Of Veterinary Medicine' (DVM) degree from Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at Chattogram Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU) in Bangladesh. Studying veterinary science is a dream coming true as it always amazed me how unique each creature and their behavioural approaches are! The diversity of this profession has always fascinated me to come here leaving many choices I had. As a student of Veterinary medicine, we have to comprehend various pre-clinical, Para clinical and clinical subjects as well as some basic course also. Among them, I am enthusiastic towards Pharmacology, Microbiology and public health, pathology, Medicine and so on. Bangladesh is a developing country in South Asia where livestock plays a very important role in our economy as well as food chain. I expect to be a future researcher of life science to address the present challenges we have in the field of vet science.
2020 WINNER
Runner Up, $1000.00
Kristy Herman
Michigan State University
College of Veterinary Medicine.
Read her essay HERE.
I am currently in my 4th year at MSU. My passion is geriatric care and I look forward to offering compassionate palliative and hospice services following graduation, with an emphasis on integrative medicine. I aim to incorporate acupuncture, massage, (hopefully) laser therapy, herbal therapy, nutraceuticals, and more to enhance quality of life at home from a multi-dimensional perspective.
Previous Scholarship Recipients:
2020 - THREE WINNERS!
First Prize, $3000.00:
Sarah Scott-Cruz - North Carolina State University. Read her essay HERE.
Runners-Up, $1000.00 each:
Ifteqar Hassan – Chattogram Veterinary And Animal Sciences University. Read his essay HERE.
Kristy Herman – Michigan State University College of Veterinary Medicine. Read her essay HERE.
2019 - FOUR WINNERS!
First Prize, $3000.00:
Cheyenne Bone - Oklahoma State University. Read her essay HERE.
Runners-Up, $1000.00 each:
Lillian McKinley – Washington State University. Read her essay HERE.
Alisha Mason – Washington State University. Read her essay HERE.
Jannatul Nyema Nikita - Sylhet Agricultural University, Bangladesh. Read her essay HERE.
2018 - THREE WINNERS!
First Prize: Dayna Locitzer, Cornell University, $750.00. Read her essay HERE.
Second Prize: Rebecca Haber, University of Wisconsin-Madison, $500.00. Read her essay HERE.
Honorable Mention: Ashley Shaw, University of Georgia, $250.00. Read her essay HERE.
2016 - TWO WINNERS!
Erika Ancier, read her essay HERE.
Iina Valkeisenmäki, read her essay HERE.
2014 - ONE WINNER!
Margot Mercer, read her essay HERE.
VBMA Endorses Quality Herbal Products
VBMA recognizes that the herbal product industry has faced quality control and regulatory challenges, and we recommend supporting those companies attempting to self regulate in a meaningful way. Companies that manufacture herbal products marketed for humans should be members of the American Herbal Products Association, an industry organization which explores issues, interacts with regulators, and establishes policy. Veterinary product companies should be members of the National Animal Supplement Council, an organization which develops policies and procedures on adverse event reporting and quality control.
All content © Veterinary Botanical Medicine Association (VBMA) 2021.
The VBMA is not affiliated with the American College of Veterinary Botanical Medicine (ACVBM).
Important Message For Pet Owners
The VBMA does not endorse any products sold on the internet for self prescribing to animals. We believe in the interests of safety that any herb should always be prescribed by a qualified practitioner. There are companies using our name with the suggestion that we endorse their recommendations or products. We specifically DO NOT support any website that unethically sells herbs to the public for non prescribed use in animals. If you are in any doubt as to the authenticity of a claim made on a website about VBMA, please contact us at office@vbma.org. You may use the 'find a veterinarian' link on our site menu to find a qualified practitioner near you.