Historic, Archive Document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. USDA Reserve aSF756 .35 United States Department of Agriculture . S28 Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service 2009 Program Aid No. 1534 The Saul T. Wilson, Jr, Scholarship Program in Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences The Veterinary Services staff of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is proud to sponsor the Saul T. Wilson, Jr., Scholarship Program for graduate students in veterinary medicine and undergraduate students in the biomedical sciences. Dr. Saul T. Wilson, Jr. Veterinary Services: Taking the Lead in Safeguarding Animal Health V eterinary Services (VS), a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS), is responsible for protecting and improving the health, quality, and marketability of the Nation's agricultural animals, animal products, and veterinary biologies. VS veterinarians practice preventive veterinary medicine on a broad scale, dealing with animal health problems of statewide, regional, national, and international importance. These broad responsibilities can have a profound effect on many aspects of American agriculture and animal health, especially the success of U.S. agricultural exports in world trade. APHIS veterinarians also ensure that animals protected under the Animal Welfare Act and the Horse Protection Act receive adequate care. In recent years, the scope of VS' protection function has expanded beyond disease manage¬ ment to a commercial protection role. Now the agency must respond to other countries' animal and plant health import requirements and negotiate science-based standards that ensure America's agricultural exports, worth over $50 billion annually, are protected from unjustified trade restrictions. Many VS activities have international significance through import-export and emergency response programs. VS supports the livestock industry in the prevention and control of animal diseases that could otherwise be devastating. VS employees also ascertain that all licensed animal biological products distributed interstate, like vaccines, are pure, safe, potent, and effective. As a regulatory agency, APHIS is moving to a more broad-based public service role in order to better serve stakeholders and constituents and meet the demand for increased services. Dr. Wilson with students at Tuskegee University. VS is eager to identify and recruit a technologi¬ cally advanced workforce to meet APHIS' changing needs in a broad array of nontraditional fields that require more specialized training. Epidemiology, computerized disease surveillance, biotechnology, and educational support for procedures are only a few of the vital areas where APHIS expertise is needed in making significant and exciting contributions to animal health. Saul T. Wilson, Jr. Dr. Wilson dedicated his professional career to public veterinary medicine within APHIS and at Tuskegee University since his retirement from Government service. He has made outstanding contributions to the health of the Nation's live¬ stock and poultry industries through an illustrious Federal career and has inspired hundreds of veterinary students to consider practicing in the public sector. VS is pleased to sponsor this scholarship in the name of one of its most distinguished veterinarians. A Career Choice That Can Make a Difference A career in public veterinary health would afford you the opportunity to be involved with the health of major animal populations in many activity areas. Veterinarians have a responsibility for the health of the Nation's animals, and public health veterinarians can have a broad and lasting impact on animal health issues. A hallmark of VS is its multidisciplinary approach to working on animal health problems. VS has employment opportunities in the public veterinary field for professionals from a variety of disciplines. Additionally, APHIS employs veteri¬ narians in its Animal Care and Plant Protection and Quarantine programs. Employment opportu¬ nities are located throughout the United States. What Does the Saul T. Wilson Scholarship Program Offer You? • Up to $5,000 per year for undergraduate studies and up to $10,000 per year for graduate studies, for tuition, books, tutors, and laboratory fees. • Paid employment during summers and school breaks as a Veterinary Student Trainee, participa¬ tion in the Federal Employees Retirement System and in the Thrift Savings Plan (40IK), and paid vacation and sick leave. Based on the length of the work periods, compensation may also include life and health insurance benefits. • The possibility of conversion, without further competition, to a permanent appointment with the agency. The career experience program agree¬ ment requires 640 hours of study-related work with APHIS in order to be considered for this con¬ version and successful completion of the program and graduation with a D.V.M. degree. Wilson scholarship students do hands-on, paid work for APHIS during summer and holiday periods and have the opportunity for full-time employment after receiving their terminal degree. • A job with APHIS after successfully completing the career experience program and receiving the D.V.M. degree. At APHIS' option, upon graduation the student must become a full-time agency employee for at least 1 calendar year (12 months) for each school year (2 semesters, 3 quarters or the equivalent) that the student was covered by the Wilson scholarship. If the scholarship recipient does not accept an APHIS employment offer, he or she must reimburse APHIS for all financial assistance received under the Wilson scholarship program. If the recipient fails to serve the entire length of the mandatory APHIS employment period, he or she must reimburse the agency a prorated share of the scholarship funds awarded. VS supports the livestock industry in the prevention and control of animal diseases that could otherwise be devastating. What Kinds of Work Do Wilson Scholars Do for APHIS? The work assigned to scholarship winners during the career experience program exposes them to real-world problems that face Federal regulatory veterinarians every day. VS work experience may include veterinary technical assistance work associated with controlling livestock and/or poultry diseases, such as brucellosis, tuberculosis, or pseudorabies. Tasks may include observing and/or performing routine medical procedures, contacting owners to schedule testing, attaching tags to animals, completing identification records, branding reactor animals, and/or helping supervise the cleaning of infected premises. Laboratory tasks may include conducting routine laboratory tests, logging in samples and tracking test results, and preparing specimens. Animal disease program management and/or ani¬ mal health information system duties may include information gathering and data collection, docu¬ ment review and literature searches, technical computer assistance, and computer, statistical, or qualitative analysis. How To Apply Qualifications Students interested in the Saul T. Wilson, Jr., Scholarship should apply directly to USDA-APHIS by March 1. (See the next panel of this leaflet for the address.) To apply, you must: • Be a United States citizen. • Be enrolled in an accredited college or university within the United States as a full-time student in good academic standing. — Undergraduate student applicants must have completed at least 2 years (60 semester or 90 quarter hours) of a 4-year preveterinary medicine or other biomedical science curriculum. — Graduate student applicants must have completed not more than 1 year (18 semester or 27 quarter hours) of study in veterinary medicine. • Agree to work for the agency during school breaks (both summer and holiday periods). Your duty station will be determined by VS. To be considered, your application must contain the following items: • Your resume, including current and summer addresses and telephone numbers. • Transcripts of all college courses completed to date.