RACE Approved CE: What it is, and what it means for Vets and Techs by Lisa Coder, MS, DVM 

13 June 2025 -
Articles

 

All veterinary professionals need continuing education to be able to care for our patients to the best of our abilities. We know the quality of our veterinary CE is important, but learning how to decide which courses are valuable can be a challenging task. RACE approved CE lets us know that someone has evaluated the course and decided it is beneficial to veterinary professionals. But what is RACE, how is RACE approved CE determined, and who is behind the approvals? 

 

 

RACE Overview 

RACE stands for the Registry of Approved Continuing Education. It is owned and overseen by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB). They provide guidelines and standards that veterinary continuing education must meet before they grant approval. AASVB approves programs after they have been reviewed and determined to meet quality and informational standards. They use other tracking and distribution providers to ensure that state boards, licensees, and other industry professionals have access to programs that are of merit, but they retain oversight on all courses.  

 

 

How Does RACE Maintain Quality? 

RACE monitors educational programs on a continual basis for suitability, legality, accessibility, and verifies that all courses follow any other appropriate laws in each state. This ensures veterinary CE that is functional, practical, and available to everyone.  While AAVSB reviewers are not necessarily experts in any field, they are encouraged to consult outside industry expert input and have materials reviewed prior to approval of any program.  

 

Each speaker within a RACE approved CE course must also be individually verified by the AAVSB committee. They are required to have specialized knowledge in the subject matter beyond the general knowledge level of the intended participants. RACE has the right to review CVs, certifications, educational accolades, and consider the current understanding of the subject matter within the profession as a whole.  

 

Each program must aim to offer useful knowledge not expected of the general advanced education most veterinary professionals already have. Although a portion of RACE approved veterinary CE may be review material, the program must provide additional information that is not expected to be common knowledge among viewers. Since the approval committee is composed of both veterinarians and licensed technicians, they are in a position to determine the overall quality of information presented. This ensures the veterinary technician or veterinarian is receiving useful and practical knowledge that can help them better care for their clients, patients, and veterinary clinical team. 

 

However, if RACE approved CE is in any way misrepresented, falsely advertised, or radically changed after approval, the RACE committee can withdraw approval and may take action against the provider. Misuse of RACE approval can be a serious offence.  

 

 

How Does a Veterinary Continuing Education Provider Obtain RACE Approval? 

Each program that RACE approves must be individually reviewed. If one speaker or CE contributor wants multiple courses approved, they must each be submitted and evaluated separately. Previous approval has no bearing on future approval, as each veterinary continuing education course must stand on its own merit for quality and educational content. Each provider submits their course in its entirety to be reviewed prior to RACE approval. These courses must meet requirements in several categories, including strength of information presented, suitability for veterinary professionals, as well as being reviewed by a committee of board members and volunteers from the veterinary profession. RACE does not keep a database of speakers, and each individual is screened with every application for RACE approval.  

 

 

State Requirements 

Every state in the US has different continuing education requirements for veterinary licensure. The first step is knowing what your state or jurisdiction requires every year or licensing cycle. This helps you plan for what courses would bring the most value to your practice.  RACE approved CE credits are accepted by states whose boards are members of the AAVSB, although other states that are not members may also accept these credits toward licensure obligations. For other tips regarding making the most of your veterinary CE, check out Improve International’s tips for continuing education.  

 

 

RACE Approval Means you are Getting the Most from your Continuing Education 

Overall, the AAVSB and RACE approved CE provide a great way to ensure you are making the most of your veterinary continuing education credits and meeting your licensure obligations. Their rigorous approval process lead to quality programs that meet state requirements as well as assuring accessibility, educational virtue, and practicality for veterinary professionals. 

 

 

If you liked this article, we think you’d also like…

Or, head to our Content Hub for more great articles on RACE approved CE