Practical CPD for vets: 3 things to look for when choosing your veterinary CPD

Investing in continuing professional development (CPD) is a wise long-term decision for veterinary professionals, but is practical CPD for vets worthwhile? How do you find good practical veterinary CPD that is going to nurture and grow your skills? Let’s take a look…

The importance of CPD for vets

Veterinary CPD isn’t just something you should do as a tick-box exercise. By staying up-to-date with the latest advancements and techniques, you can handle complex cases more effectively, grow in confidence, increase job satisfaction, and unlock new professional growth opportunities. Your commitment to lifelong learning will not only benefit your career but also enhance the quality of care you provide to your patients. 

Does veterinary CPD have to be practical?

No! Although vets in the UK have to do 35 hours of CPD each year, there’s no requirement for any of this to be practical or hands-on CPD. You can do it all as online CPD, and in your own time, which is fantastic for busy teams and stretched parents. That said, despite the advancements in remote learning and some amazing online veterinary courses, practical CPD remains essential for areas requiring hands-on skills, such as surgery, emergency medicine, and dentistry. 

The advantages of practical CPD for vets

Face-to-face or blended learning CPD courses with practical sessions allow you to actively participate, perform procedures and face clinical challenges in real-time. Hands-on veterinary workshops can allow you to:

• Gain hands-on experience in a controlled environment to solidify your understanding of veterinary concepts. 
• Develop confidence in your ability to provide quality care to patients and communicate effectively with their owners. 
• Build professional relationships by working collaboratively with a team of experienced veterinary professionals. 
• Learn from the best by working closely with renowned speakers and observing their surgical techniques and diagnostic procedures. 
• Access state-of-the-art equipment and techniques that may not be available in your clinic or local referral hospital.  

Of course, all CPD is not created equal. So how can you make sure your time is well spent? What should you be looking for when choosing a practical veterinary CPD course?

3 things to look for when choosing your practical CPD

Facilities

There’s no point doing your practical CPD in an office. You’ll be wanting hands-on practice in a wet-lab environment, otherwise you might as well be doing the course online. The same goes for the equipment – it should be good quality, with tools that enhance your learning, not inhibit it. Imagine doing a practical veterinary dentistry course with blunt tools, it would be a nightmare! Check your course provider’s facilities before you book – if they aren’t investing in their facilities, they might not be worth exploring.

Speakers

Just because the CPD is practical doesn’t mean providers can skimp on good speakers and teachers. You want your CPD to be taught by someone with advanced skills in the area you’re in, as well as a good teaching style. Find out who is teaching the course, what their experience is, and – if you can – find feedback from previous students. This will help make sure your learning experience is as valuable as possible.

Class size

For practical CPD, it’s really important that class sizes are limited. If one teacher is trying to help a class of 20 or more, the individual help they can offer you will be limited. Make sure your CPD provider is controlling class size for optimum learning.

Improve Veterinary Education’s practical CPD facilities

Our practical training facilities in Swindon and Sheffield are equipped with the best learning materials so you can practise a variety of techniques and procedures under the guidance of our expert speakers.  

New training centre in Swindon

Our new Improve Veterinary Education Clinical Excellence Centre opened this year. It spans an impressive 850 m2, and is Europe’s largest training centre for veterinary professionals, offering everything you need to excel in your careers and achieve even greater success. An optimal education environment with world-leading practical training facilities and a dedicated and supportive team, all designed for veterinary professionals like you.  

At our Clinical Excellence Centre, our mission is to inspire, educate, and help you take your veterinary skill set to new heights – and give you the confidence and abilities to make an even bigger difference to the lives of animals and their owners. 

See for yourself

We’ve just told you to be picky about your CPD provider, so instead of taking our word for it, why not see our facilities for yourself?

You can take a virtual tour of our training centre or hear what our delegates and speakers think of our facilities.

Summary

When it comes to learning the skills needed to be an exceptional vet, practical CPD is important. But it’s important to think carefully about your provider before you invest to make sure you’re getting value for money.

Thinking of taking some practical CPD to help boost your confidence in practice? Our practical CPD courses for vets and for nurses are an ideal way to maximise your practical learning while minimising time away from practice. These short courses cover a range of specific topics, including surgical techniques, diagnostic methods and cutting-edge therapeutic options.

DOWNLOAD YOUR SHORT COURSE BROCHURE HERE