How Does My Vet Learn New Skills?

Have you ever wondered if your Veterinarian or Registered Veterinary Technician keep up with their skills?

The answer is: they sure do!

Just like in human medicine, veterinary medicine and surgery are continually changing and evolving. New research and innovative ideas are always occurring, whether it is at veterinary teaching schools, through pharmaceutical companies, reputable veterinary pet food companies and even at non-veterinary universities – the veterinary world is constantly improving, and that’s a great thing!

Even in my 17 years as a Registered Veterinary Technician, I can think of a particular example: renal failure in cats. What was recommended back then is entirely different to current recommendations. All because of innovative science. We just keep getting better, and the quality of our pet’s lives do too!

Did you know that your Veterinarian is required to get a minimum of 50 hours of continuing education (CE) each year? And many Veterinarians exceed this! Registered Veterinary Technicians in Ontario are also held to a high standard and must maintain a minimum of 20 CE credits every two years to maintain their “Registration” status. Some of the ways this can be achieved are through reading published veterinary journals & articles, submitting articles, attending full-day learning conferences, evening & lunch hour lectures, webinars and many many more!

As we head into the winter months, many of us will take this opportunity to attend multi-day conferences where we will meet with colleagues & veterinary specialists to share the wealth of knowledge so that we can continue to improve upon what we do every day.

Next time you see your Veterinarian or Registered Veterinary Technician, ask them what they’ve learned recently because you CAN teach an old dog new tricks!

Written by Angela Noble, RVT & Practice Manager