Are you a veterinarian or vet tech? Make sure to take full advance of online technology to get your CE requirements! More importantly, is the CE approved by your state licensing board? Remember, not all veterinary continuing education online is equal in either the quality of the training or the credit you will get for participation.
Is it RACE Approved?
The first and most important consideration that you should make before taking any veterinary continuing education online is to make sure it is RACE approved and that the CE credit is accepted by your state. In most cases, the website will clearly state this in the content on the website. However, there may be variations from state to state as to how much passive or inactive (e.g., non-interactive) training you can count towards your requirement for CE a year When in doubt, check with your state licensing board.
In addition to being RACE approved, you should also look at the quality and qualifications of the presenters to the podcasts and webinars. Are the presenters board-certified veterinary specialists or experts in their field? Is it practical, clinically relevant information that is up-to-date?
Try a Sample
The top websites offering veterinary continuing education online will provide veterinarians and vet techs with a sample of their training programs. This may include a free trial membership that allows you access to sample podcasts or webinars to allow you to try out the website and to get a feel for what the training includes.
Typically you will also have access to past topics that have been provided and, once you join the membership, you will be able to view these online videos, webinars and podcasts, take a short quiz, and get RACE-approved CE credit for your effort. Typically most live webinars are held in the evenings so that they don’t interfere with your busy work schedule.
Actual Time and Content
One important feature to look for when you are contemplating veterinary continuing education online is the actual number of CE hours you can achieve for each feature of the program. Typically podcasts are relatively short while webinars tend to be much longer. Often one webinar can count towards 2 hours of CE credit hours, which really will add up quickly. As most veterinarians need 20 hours of veterinary continuing education hours a year, you can get all your CE for a year with just a few webinars!
Obviously, more content is provided in the webinar when compared to a shorter podcast (which averages 6-10 minutes long). That said, if you’re too busy to read your veterinary journals and stay up to date on veterinary literature, the veterinary podcasts offer a great way of being able to get clinically relevant, practical tips while commuting, running, or multi-tasking!
