Jim Weisman, DVM
District 6 AVMA Board of Directors representative
Biographical sketch
Dr. Jim Weisman, a 1997 Purdue University graduate, is a small animal veterinary practitioner and a Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine faculty member and administrator. Dr. Weisman is from Evansville, Indiana, where he was born, raised, and returned to practice veterinary medicine for 11 years. He then returned to Purdue to accept a position at the College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Weisman serves the college as the assistant dean for clinical education and a clinical associate professor. He continues to practice medicine in the small animal emergency and critical care department of the Purdue University Veterinary Hospital.
At Purdue, Dr. Weisman oversees the clinical education curriculum and programming for the veterinary medical students. In this capacity, he routinely engages with a broad range of stakeholders to advance and ensure that the educational outcomes are achievable for the students. A key focus of his is to ensure that these educational outcomes are modern and relevant for today's veterinary graduates. Dr. Weisman truly believes that modern veterinary medical education must maintain a strong connection to all sectors of the veterinary profession, ensuring that key competencies of veterinary practice are embedded in modern veterinary curricula. In addition, he believes ensuring that veterinary graduates have broad exposure to personal financial wellness and practice management education is essential.
Dr. Weisman focuses his discovery efforts on veterinary student financial awareness, veterinary workforce, and innovative learning strategies. He teaches the core veterinary business management course in the Purdue veterinary medical curriculum. Key learning outcomes focus on establishing and communicating value, understanding veterinary compensation, contract development, and negotiation. In addition, he also teaches strategies for educational debt repayment, developing an understanding of staff management, effective client communication, and strategies for practice ownership.
Dr. Weisman has a strong emphasis on engagement, focusing his efforts on the veterinary profession pipeline as well as community outreach. He leads Boiler Vet Camps, which have offered in-residence, hands-on experiences for middle and high school students since 2008. His efforts have resulted in previous campers now being practicing veterinarians. Dr. Weisman expanded these pipeline efforts by establishing and administering the Indiana State Fair Vet Camps, which have been offered since 2014.
In addition, Dr. Weisman is very active in community involvement, bringing his leadership, innovation, and organizational skills together with his veterinary training to advance animal wellness and care within 4-H and fair exhibitions. He has served as the president of his home county's 4-H Council, 4-H Center Board, and County Fair Association. All these leadership commitments were integral to his commitment to serving his community and advancing young people's growth as well as his community's commitment to agricultural education.
Dr. Weisman was the first-ever veterinarian to serve on the Indiana State Fair Board. During this time, he established animal wellness and care programming that is now used across the country at many state fairs and large animal exhibitions. In addition to this programming, he led efforts to implement the animal drug testing program to elevate the level of ethical livestock exhibition.
Dr. Weisman strongly believes that service to his profession is a foundational responsibility. He fervently believes it is critical to give back and advance the veterinary medical profession. His involvement in organized veterinary medicine began in veterinary school, where he served as SAVMA delegate and then was elected national SAVMA treasurer. Shortly after graduating from veterinary school, he joined committees within the Indiana Veterinary Medical Association (IVMA). He led newly created recent graduate forums where young veterinarians in Indiana were brought together to be mentored. Programs were created that focused on expanding their skills relating to communication and financial wellness. His involvement continued when he served on the IVMA Board of Directors while also chairing multiple committees, including many years as the chair of the IVMA Annual Meeting planning committee. Dr. Weisman rose through the officer ranks, eventually serving as one of its youngest presidents. During this time, Dr. Weisman was passionate in his efforts to complete environmental scanning of the members' wishes, then leading change to advance the IVMA's programming to meet the members' expectations.
As Dr. Weisman continued to serve his state VMA, he became actively involved in the AVMA, serving on various committees, Indiana alternate delegate and then Indiana delegate. During his service in the AVMA House of Delegates, Dr. Weisman served in an inaugural position on the newly formed Early Career Development Committee (ECDC), advancing the AVMA's programs directed to recent graduates. He was appointed in 2014 to represent the AVMA HOD as a member on the Strategic Management Planning Core Team.
Dr. Weisman's work at the local, state, and national levels supports his commitment to pay it forward to his community and his profession. He considers servant leadership an essential professional trait and welcomes the opportunity to serve on behalf of his colleagues in District 6.