What to Look for in an Online Veterinary Certificate by Lisa Coder, MS, DVM
Online veterinary certificates are a great way to improve knowledge and a useful tool for general practice veterinarians to expand their confidence in specific disciplines. They provide a record of learning, help build your resume, and help veterinarians explore new interests. They can provide a concise record of learning and demonstrate ability or knowledge beyond what is usually expected of online veterinary continuing education.
How is an online veterinary certificate different from other online Veterinary CE?
One- or two-hour veterinary CE videos offer an overview of a topic but are often somewhat superficial and serve mostly to update a single aspect of a topic, or provide a reminder about subjects previously learned. While these online courses can fill credits needed for a licensing board, and introduce or reiterate a brief amount of information, by their very nature they are limited in their ability to provide any sort of in-depth education or truly prove a veterinarian’s ability within a discipline.
Alternatively, an online veterinary certificate provides an in-depth update in a current veterinary subject. Rather than an overview of a topic, such as a single video lecture as provided by many online CE options, an online veterinary certificate allows each aspect of a category to be explored individually and thoroughly, giving a broader understanding and expertise within the subject.
But are all online certificates the same? Read below for five important questions to consider before spending time and money on an online veterinary certificate.
Where is the continuing education recognized?
It goes without saying that not all CE is created equal; you’ve probably spent an hour or more watching a truly mediocre lecture, only for the course to restate something you already know or use in practice, or worse, for your jurisdiction to not accept the credits. As a veterinarian, time is literally money and it’s important to feel confident your time spent learning is recognized no matter where you live or work.
Another important facet to consider is your long-term goals. Are you thinking of opening your own clinic? Do you have a special interest or want to reduce referrals outside of your clinic? Are you considering an international move? If the CE you do now isn’t supported or acknowledged in another location, you’ll have to spend more time and money to update your resume. Many online veterinary certificates, such as the ones provided through Improve Veterinary Education are internationally recognized via International School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ISVPS), and as such are able to maintain value in a multitude of locations throughout the world.
How important is type of learning for veterinary CE?
There are people who can hear information and immediately understand and remember it. However, for the rest of us, it takes additional time and effort to put new knowledge into practice. There are many ways in which people learn and use information. In an ideal veterinary continuing educational program, there would be diverse methods of teaching to provide tools within the session itself to help everyone, regardless of learning style, recall and use the material presented.
Interactive continuing education can mean anything from answering questions, working in breakout sessions, reflective and self-assessment tools, and even graded assignments. It may also involve working through real life cases, to allow knowledge learned to be immediately applied. All of these methods interact to help cement understanding and retention, thereby providing increased value for the time and money spent pursuing CE online.
Improve Veterinary Education provides immersive and interactive online veterinary certificates. The topics are specially designed to be comprehensive, but are also practical and participatory, ensuring the material is understood and applicable. In providing previews of their courses, you can evaluate if the way they teach is consistent with the way you learn. They understand that if the material presented is not effectively retained or efficiently practicable, it doesn’t provide much value.
What credentials do the instructors hold?
Online veterinary CE can be provided by anyone with experience in a topic. However, this does not mean they are locally or internationally recognized within the field they are presenting, or even that they hold the ability to teach well. Educators should be experts in their respective fields and approved by an accreditation board with standards recognized within the topic specialization.
Additionally, courses should be designed in concert with education specialists. Veterinary specialization does not provide guaranteed ability to design and present information in a manner that is comprehensible or absorbable, especially in an online CE format. Information is only as useful as it is understandable and applicable; make sure your online veterinary certificate has a team of experts, both in the topic being taught and in educational presentation.
Does the veterinary certificate provide defined learning objectives?
How do you know if what you learned is what was intended? Learning objectives in online veterinary certificates should provide concise and measurable goals. Understanding what you should be able to know and perform after completion of a program is vital to ascertaining if an online veterinary certificate will bring you the education you anticipate. Vague or unstated goals and objectives do not provide the measurable steps throughout the course material to know if you are on track, and provide less value for your time and money.
Improve Veterinary Education provides clear and well-defined learning objectives for every part of their RACE-approved online veterinary certificates. You will know before you begin exactly what concepts, proficiencies, and skills you should be able to master by the end of the courses. They continue to refine and evolve their curricula to meet the rigorous standards you should expect from an online veterinary certificate.
How is the production quality?
Instructors with proven aptitude to convey information, use the online platform efficiently and without undue distraction, and deliver content in a professional manner are key to the ease of learning when participating via an online course. Poor audio or video can not only lead to omitted content, but can be distracting and detract from the continuity of the learning experience. Lectures should be well designed and progress smoothly from one topic to the next. Rapid changes in video or audio quality, detail, and volume, either within or between sessions, can be disruptive and inhibit learning on many levels. Ensure you have evaluated a preview of a session to assess the value your veterinary CE provider places on production quality.
Conclusion – Online veterinary certificates are a solid investment
The RACE-approved online veterinary certificates provided by Improve Veterinary Education are internationally recognized as evidence of intensive study in a specific area of veterinary medicine. They aim to provide top-tier online veterinary education, with numerous courses and certificates that allow veterinarians (and veterinary technicians!) to set themselves apart within their industry. Remember that not all online veterinary CE may be as rigorous and meticulously created as you expect. Before you embark on an online veterinary certificate, ensure the education you are receiving is worth your time and money. That said, the benefits to your future with an online veterinary certificate may be the best investment you could choose.
Are you interested in seeing our online certificates for vets? Or perhaps you’ve not decided yet, and would like to try a Mini Module to give you some experience of how the process works? If you’re struggling to choose your veterinary CE for 2025, do give us a call – our trained CE advisors are happy to talk through your options.
