This presentation will help you learn more about how Continuing Education Unites (CEU) work and what kinds of Continuing Education opportunities there are

1. Veterinary
Continuing
Education (CE):
Making the Most of It

2. Find our more in the original
article:
https://vetintegrations.com/insight
s/veterinary-continuing-education-
ce-making-the-most-of-it/

3. Why CE Is Important
Veterinary continuing education is incredibly important for
those who wish to remain legally certified to operate within
the field of veterinary medicine. In addition to ensuring your
legal status, veterinary continuing education online can
also provide you with an up-to-date skill set that makes you
an attractive candidate for positions with better pay

4. Legal Obligations
Veterinary technicians, managers, and other staffers who intend to
maintain their license to practice are often legally obligated to earn a
minimum number of hours of approved continuing education per year.
This refers to education provided for professionals outside of the formal
education system, such as a seminar or lab exercise. The topics, number
of hours and delivery methods (e.g., online or in-person) are dictated by
the state(s) where licensure is held. In the state of California, veterinary
professionals seeking license renewal are required to pursue up to 36
hours of continuing education

5. The Consolidation Side
Astute veterinary consolidators understand that continuing education is a
sensitive matter. Rather than forcing educational changes onto the
staffers of newly consolidated practices, progressive integrators such as
VIS, carefully consider the needs of the workforce before adopting
changes. As the veterinary industry continues to become driven by
consolidation, clinics and consolidators must work hand-in-hand to ensure
staffers remain up-to-date on their continuing education requirements

6. The Nature of a CEU
Continuing Education Units (CEU) are course credits which must be
earned to remain legally compliant with various veterinary practice
standards. Earning a CEU requires attending a course of a particular
length to obtain the credit. In the state of Massachusetts, for example, a
single CEU may be earned by taking a course that lasts a minimum of 45-
60 minutes. A half CEU worth 0.5 credits may be earned by taking a
shorter course that lasts about 30-44 minutes. Regulations and
requirements may differ on a state-to-state basis

7. How to Earn CEU Credits
A veterinary professional seeking to earn CEUs can pursue a number of
options, including both in-person events and digital training sessions.
Online classes such as webinars are increasingly popular in the digital era
and allow those interested in veterinary continuing education to earn
CEUs from the comfort of their homes. Attending veterinary
conferences in person can offer pre-recorded, live, and interactive
learning experiences which allow professionals to earn CE hours

8. No On-the-job Training
It is important to understand that on-the-job training does not
count as continuing education for veterinary technicians. Any
on-the-job training you receive at a particular practice will
apply to a universal work environment and be ineligible for
acceptance when it comes to earning CEUs. Veterinary
continuing education conferences or webinars are the
preferred method for earning credits

9. Types of CE

10. • Peer-reviewed veterinary journals: these journals allow technicians to read a peer-reviewed
CE article before testing what they have learned with a quiz. Passing the quiz will allow
technicians to obtain CEUs while providing them with knowledge which will prove applicable in
the field.
• National conferences: National conferences may be more expensive than other methods, as
they may require those interested in continuing veterinary education to travel long distances or
take time off. Nevertheless, they provide unparalleled learning opportunities, yield many CEUs,
and allow for networking within the industry. Practice owners may provide the means for a
technician or staffer to attend a conference as an employee benefit

11. • State conferences: State veterinary technician associations often hold annual meetings which
provide for continuing education for veterinary technicians. Veterinary assistants may also attend
these meetings, which usually focus on highly clinical subjects and provide hands-on training
opportunities. While not as high-profile as national conferences, these annual meetings are tailored
to veterinary professionals of any given state and are often more available to technicians and staffers.
• Local seminars: Regional chambers of commerce or veterinary associations may hold local
seminars which are ideal for technicians without the financial means or time needed to travel to
national conferences. Local community colleges and technical institutes may also provide valuable
hands-on learning experiences in the form of local seminars.

12. • Specialty groups: Certain specialty groups such as the Academy of Veterinary
Emergency & Critical Care Technicians (AVECCT) offer specialty tracks to technicians looking
to embrace new skills. Unique specialty areas such as surgery and equine medicine are
currently under consideration and may become specialty tracks worth pursuing in the future.
• Practice management conferences: Technicians who seek to enhance their knowledge
of practice management can attend special practice management conferences that focus on
small animal medicine. For large animal and other specialties, groups such as the American
Association of Equine Veterinary Technicians may offer more specialized training in the form of
annual events hosted in tandem with a larger organization.

13. Online Opportunities
Professionals seeking veterinary continuing education online opportunities
should consider webinars and RACE-approved courses. Organizations like
Clinician’s Brief offer both self-guided courses and webinars with industry
experts that can provide free continuing education for veterinary technicians
on a budget. Individual or enterprise subscriptions can also be purchased
from qualified providers such as VetBloom, which can offer drug diversion
courses or management strategies. While credits from a university used to
pursue a degree do not qualify as CEUs, some universities are authorized
providers of separate online continuing education courses

14. Corporate Education
While internal and corporate education opportunities may not count as
CEUs for licensing purposes, they can provide invaluable expertise to
veterinary professionals. The veterinary industry is increasingly driven by
consolidation; practices which aspire to become consolidated partners
should strive to maintain a well-educated workforce which can maximize
productivity. Corporate efforts to consolidate an existing veterinary
practice should take into consideration the internal education efforts
offered to employees

15. Post-acquisition Options
When a new business is consolidated, corporate veterinary groups should
consider introducing new internal training measures to bolster the skills of the
existing workforce. Sponsoring corporate education opportunities will also
make the newly consolidated practice more attractive to new hires. Internal
and corporate education efforts cannot be ignored simply because they fail to
generate CEUs for licensing purposes. Practices which shun efforts to upskill
the workforce will soon fall behind the competition. Video lessons and digital
training regimes can help newly consolidated practices meet the needs of the
specific corporation which acquired them

16. Never Stop Learning!