How to Balance Hands-On Training with Online Veterinary CE Lisa Coder, MS, DVM
More than ever, veterinarians have a wide variety of ways to accomplish the veterinary continuing education (CE) they need to stay up-to-date in their medical abilities and keep up with their licensing requirements. Online veterinary CE can be a quick way to fulfill your jurisdiction’s guidelines, but that does not mean there is no longer any place for in-person courses. However, not all continuing education courses in veterinary medicine are created equal – so how can you choose the right balance of courses for you?
Types of Continuing Education – It’s a Balance!
When choosing your CE, you should aim to take into account your personal learning style, your time and financial constraints, the topics in which you have interests or deficits, and your goals in your career. Keep in mind that different jurisdictions have different requirements for licensure, and always check your state requirements before committing to your veterinary continuing education as some have restrictions on online veterinary CE.
In-Person Veterinary Continuing Education
Conferences and lectures can be a great way to achieve your veterinary continuing education credits. There are often vendors, and browsing new products, learning about new services, and networking with industry representatives are all important aspects of staying current in your practice and providing great care to your patients. If the skills you are hoping to develop require additional hands-on education, in-person veterinary continuing education wet labs can be invaluable. Another great benefit is that the quality of courses is often very high, RACE- approved, and feature experts and specialists providing current topics in areas of veterinary medicine that are relevant to your clinical practice. There are often multiple opportunities to meet with presenters and have questions answered in-depth, as well as discussing clinical cases, and exploring current recommendations you can incorporate into your medical arsenal.
However, conferences can be both expensive and time consuming, making it hard to learn in all the areas that interest you. They can also have limited spaces, and this can present challenges when booking, as it takes a large amount of planning and coordination to ensure you get the most from your trip. In addition, these types of veterinary continuing education experiences cannot be taken in shorter blocks, as the lectures are live and often back-to-back. Jumping from topic to topic can be challenging for some learners, as time to pause and reflect on what you’ve learned is frequently limited.
Online Veterinary Continuing Education
Online options for veterinary continuing education continue to be popular for many reasons. These courses are significantly less expensive than traveling to a conference, but they lack the opportunity to network and meet with presenters outside of the lecture. They do offer the benefit of an a la carte approach to education, giving you the opportunity to learn about a single topic at a time, in many different categories of medicine. Keep in mind that although they all provide educational materials, many ad-hoc online options are not RACE-approved and may not be accepted in your jurisdiction.
Frequently, courses are available as pre-recorded seminars, allowing you to view them in small segments and pause to review your learning as you go. Pre-recorded lectures are also a great way to divide up your time and ensure you can complete your veterinary continuing education even if you have limited time resources. They can be viewed at any time and paused and restarted as needed.
Live webinars can be more valuable for some veterinarians because they are often interactive, and allow discussion and review as part of the course. Live lectures also have the benefit of having questions answered as they come up, or at the very least, at the end of the course immediately after the speaker has finished their presentation. They are also more likely to be accepted in your licensing requirements, but again – check your state’s requirements to be sure. However, these real-time lectures are often scheduled at a day or time when many veterinarians have other obligations that prevent attendance. For example, many are scheduled during early evening hours, which can be difficult to attend when you work overnights, have children, or have any other responsibilities at these times.
If you’re thinking of taking online veterinary CE, this article can help you make the most of taking veterinary CE online.
Online Veterinary Certificates
A great way to get many of the benefits of both in-person and online veterinary continuing education is to consider an online veterinary certificate. These certificates allow an in-depth study in a variety of interests, from internal medicine to dermatology or cardiology. There are great benefits to pursuing an online veterinary certificate, both to your medical skills and your career goals. Many of these comprehensive courses are RACE-approved and the qualifications are internationally recognized, which can set you apart from your peers. From developing more specialized care, to offering additional services, and even increasing your confidence in skills you already possess, an online veterinary certificate creates an excellent opportunity to cultivate your own education.
Online Veterinary Certificates also take into account the fact that different people learn in different ways. There are lectures in varying formats, self-assessments, case studies, and discussions to allow learning at every opportunity. Make sure you choose an online veterinary certificate that offers the best value – here’s some more information on what to look for in an online veterinary certificate to help you be confident in your investment. Although significantly more expensive than free or single-subject online veterinary CE, they are still less expensive than traveling to and attending a conference. Online veterinary certificates are an excellent option for veterinarians who do not have the resources, either in time or money, to attend a large conference, but still want to have the in-depth education within a particular facet of veterinary medicine.
Veterinary Continuing Education – The Balance is up to You
There are as many ways to complete veterinary continuing education as there are veterinarians to accomplish them. Consider your requirements, career goals, learning style, and resources when choosing what options are best for you. Each of the platforms have benefits and drawbacks, and none are necessarily better than another. Remember that not every style is the right fit for everyone, so use your critical thinking skills to plan ahead for your education, whether it is online veterinary CE, in-person CE, or online veterinary certificates. Keep your options open and consider all opportunities as they arise; you will certainly find the right balance for you, your career, and your patient care.
