Continuing Education Calendar

Integrate acupuncture into your practice in 2020

Clinical evidence shows that acupuncture can be used alone or in conjunction with mainstream medicine to achieve better patient outcomes. Continue your professional development and join our experienced team of lecturers and tutors in an evidence-based and traditional approach to small animal and equine acupuncture.

This structured program combines online lectures and hands-on practical workshop sessions to allow you to rapidly integrate acupuncture into your veterinary practice.

On completion of all the course requirements, you will be eligible to receive the IVAS Certification of Veterinary Acupuncture. The IVAS Certificate is an internationally recognised standard of veterinary acupuncture training and has been facilitated by the Australian Veterinary Acupuncture Group (AVA SIG) since 1992.

Speaker/s:

• Kevin May
• Susan Peden
• Elissa Marriott
• Jennifer Robinson
• Gloria Perkovic
• Carl Muller
• Lisa Walter

Course pre-requisites

• A veterinary degree
• Registration as a veterinarian in the country of intended practice
• Minimum 2 years’ clinical experience as a veterinarian

CPD points: 211

About the organisers:

The Centre for Veterinary Education (CVE), in association with the Australian College of Veterinary Acupuncture (ACVA), is pleased to be delivering the world-renowned International Veterinary Acupuncture Society’s (IVAS) Certificate of Veterinary Acupuncture in 2020 on behalf of the Australian Veterinary Acupuncture Group (AVAG), special interest group of the Australian Veterinary Association (AVA).

Acupuncture
Monday 13 January – Saturday 5 December 2020

Workshop/s
3 x 4-Day Workshops
2-5 Apr, 2-5 Jul & 24-27 Sep 2020

Delivered Online

Massey University’s Master of Veterinary Medicine (MVM) Avian medicine course aims to develop your interest and knowledge of the medicine and surgery of birds, both wild and captive.

Lecturer:

• Brett Gartrell

Please note: Courses are revised following each offering. Details of content and assessment are subject to change between offerings.

On this course you’ll learn:

• To confidently and competently undertake avian clinical examination, radiography and anaesthesia
• Choose tests, collect diagnostic samples, and perform necropsies for any clinical presentation in bird medicine
• To identify common avian diseases and apply problem solving strategies to prioritise conditions in individual or flocks of birds
• About the choices for diagnostic, therapeutic and management procedures, including referral if indicated
• To administer treatments and perform common surgical procedures.

How the course works.

This course is taught via distance learning (you may know it as continuing education, distance education or continuing professional development) by a recognised international expert in his field.

15 Credit

Online Course: Starts February 2020 to November 2020

Behaviour problem or problem behaviour? Learn to differentiate and maximise treatment success.

Improve your ability to help your clients better understand their pets’ behaviour and learn to best manage anxiety, aggression and other common behavioural problems. Discover the latest updates in behavioural pharmacology – the when, why and which of medications.

A knowledge of behaviour is integral in maximising patient welfare. A positive experience in your practice for both patient and client will enhance satisfaction all round!

CPD points: 341

By successfully completing this course, you will:

• Significantly improve your ability to help your clients better understand their pet’s behaviour
• Further your understanding of the basics of behaviour and the intimate relationship between behaviour and organic disease
• Develop your skills in differentiating behaviour problems from problem behaviours to maximise treatment success
• Learn how to more accurately diagnose behavioural problems in most domestic species
• Improve your knowledge of psychotropic medication used to treat behavioural problems, including when to use medication, which medication to use and why
• Interact with other veterinarians who have similar interests in behavioural medicine

Tutor/s:

• Kersti Seksel
• Debbie Calnon
• Jacqui Ley

Distance Education
Saturday 1 February – Monday 30 November 2020

Workshop/s
2-Day Workshop (Date TBC)
1-Day Workshop (Date TBC)

Delivered Online

During the course you will learn how to approach the majority of emergencies seen in dogs and cats, how to perform rapid, effective stabilisation and how to plan and execute an efficient and rational diagnostic strategy. In short, it aims to teach you the essentials of how to be an effective emergency veterinarian.

Lecturer:

• Sarah Haldane

On this course you’ll learn:

• To proficiently perform triage and major body system assessment
• To stabilise the emergency patient, with or without a tentative diagnosis
• A problem-oriented approach to the common emergencies seen in clinical practice
• To utilise cost-effective diagnostic strategies in the acutely ill or traumatised patient
• To establish vascular access, instigate fluid therapy, pain relief and other aspects of supportive care
• To perceptively monitor the emergency patient and how to predict and react to commonly occurring complications
• To communicate with owners regarding the prognosis and the management options available for the care of canine and feline emergency patients.

How the course works.

Emergency is one of the MVM courses for postgraduate veterinarians which is taught online via distance learning and led by a recognised international expert in the field.

15 Credit

Online Course: Starts February 2020 to November 2020

Gain the skills and in-depth knowledge required for those challenging cardiorespiratory patients with this newly-revised course.

Advance your diagnostic ability with a hands-on echocardiology workshop.

The course will increase your diagnostic skills and accuracy, enabling you to develop a problem-solving framework that can be applied to all your cases. Completely updated and rewritten, recent developments in cardiorespiratory medicine and management are included.

CPD points: 334

Tutor/s:

• Niek Beijerink

By successfully completing this course, you will:

• Develop a clear and logical approach to dogs and cats presented with cardiorespiratory problems
• Broaden your knowledge base in small animal cardiorespiratory medicine
• Gain a greater understanding of key diagnostic modalities such as radiograpy, electrocardiography, and echocardiography, enabling you to diagnose more accurately
• Improve your productivity through more expedient diagnoses
• Improve the value of the service you provide to your clients
• Gain confidence in your general approach to small animal cardiorespiratory cases

Distance Education
Saturday 1 February – Monday 30 November 2020

Workshop/s
2-Day Practical Echo Workshop: Date TBC

Make the most of in-house clinical pathology and achieve accurate, rapid diagnoses.

Do you want to maximise the benefits of your bench-top analyser and in-house pathology? Achieve rapid, cost-effective diagnoses with increased confidence? Ensure that your bench-top analyser is providing accurate information?

This course will expand and refine your diagnostic skills across a range of modalities including biochemistry, haematology, acid-base balance, endocrinology, blood smear evaluation and cytology. You will be guided through a range of practical techniques that will grow your confidence and ensure you are getting the best out of your in-house machines, as well as from external pathology services.

Tutor/s:

• Sandra Forsyth

CPD points: 270

The aim of this distance education program is to provide an overview of clinical pathology and assist you in developing and refining your approach to disease diagnosis, while extending the range of tests you can perform and interpret in-house.

On successful completion of this course you will be able to:

• Develop and refine your interpretation of biochemical data, electrolyte abnormalities and acid-base parameters;
• Refine your technique in making and evaluating blood smears;
• Confidently interpret haematological data and identify and describe abnormalities in erythrocyte and leucocyte morphology;
• Undertake appropriate quality assurance for your in-house laboratory;
• Confidently undertake and interpret tests specific to haemostasis, lipids and proteins;
• Refine your ability to assess and interpret data from tests specific to renal, hepatic and exocrine pancreatic function;
• Develop and refine your skills in best-practice collection and handling of cytological samples and in the interpretation of aspirates;
• Confidently interpret the results from endocrine testing;
• Get the best results from external pathology services;

Distance Education – Delivered Online

Saturday 1 February – Wednesday 30 September 2020

Workshop/s
2-Day Workshop: Dates TBC

Improve your diagnostic skills and avoid common mistakes in thoracic diagnosis.

Thoracic radiography is one of the most useful clinical tests undertaken in clinical practice and yet one of the most frequently cited areas of confusion.

This course aims to increase your ability to take optimal thoracic radiographs and to interpret them confidently. The modules focus on radiographic interpretation, with incorporation of complementary imaging modalities, particularly CT and sonography, to assist in explanations of the radiographic pathological patterns present.

Dogs, cats and exotics are all discussed with tutor -written notes, case studies, self-assessed quizzes and individual feedback enhancing the application of your learning. Make the most of the online forum to ask questions and share cases. Get to know your tutor and colleagues at the one-day face to face workshop.

Tutor/s:

• Robert Nicoll

CPD points: 135

Diagnostic Imaging Program

This course is part of our year-long Diagnostic Imaging Program which has been broken down into 3 more manageable parts: Abdominal, Musculoskeletal and Thoracic Imaging.

Each is a discrete unit on its own but together they form a formidable Imaging educational program. The introductory imaging module^ is completed only once when you enrol in the first unit; units may be completed in any order.

The other units are:

• Musculoskeletal Imaging with Sarah Davies, commencing May 2020
• Abdominal Imaging with Zoe Lenard, commencing August 2019

By successfully completing this course, you will:

• Improve your radiological knowledge and expertise as it applies to radiography of thoracic structures
• Develop a greater understanding of the radiographic manifestations of pathological processes involving the cardiac and respiratory systems
• Improve your ability to evaluate radiographic changes that involve the mediastinal structures and the pleural space
• Understand when complementary imaging studies such as sonography and CT are useful for the diagnosis and management of systemic and cardiothoracic diseases

Distance Education – Delivered Online
Saturday 1 February – Sunday 31 May 2020

Workshop/s
1-Day Workshop, Date TBA

Develop your capacity to treat small animal emergency and critical care cases confidently and maximise your patient outcomes.

This course aims to develop your practical skills and techniques for the treatment and monitoring of critically ill animals. Triage, fluid therapy, analgesia, acute abdomen, respiratory distress and multisystem trauma are all covered with an emphasis on case-based problem solving.

Up to date theoretical information is put into practice in a cadaver-based workshop making this an essential course for veterinarians in all small animal practice situations.

Tutor/s:

• Trudi McAlees
• Sandra Forsyth

CPD points: 334

On successful completion of this course, you will be able to:

• Confidently assess and treat acute trauma cases and critically ill patients, including cases of acute dyspnoea, acute abdomen, diabetic ketoacidosis and intoxication
• Better understand the principles of, and be able to perform, emergency procedures such as thoracocentesis, tracheostomy and CPR
• Develop the ability to create appropriate fluid therapy plans to manage shock and hypovolaemia and for ongoing maintenance
• Reach competency in ‘cage side’ clinical pathology (using blood smears to assess anaemia, analysing fluid from body cavities and analysing urine sediment)
• Perform blood transfusions safely and improve optimal wound management
• Monitor critically ill animals
• Improve your ability to differentiate between cardiac and pulmonary disease

Distance Education
Saturday 1 February – Monday 30 November 2020

Workshop/s
2-Day Workshop: Dates TBA

If cats could talk, they’d be the first to tell you that they require refined, particular and focused care.

An unwell cat poses many unique challenges to the small animal practitioner and the difference between managing canine and feline patients (in both the art and the science of veterinary medicine) is well recognised.

This course is designed to reinforce, deepen and broaden your knowledge of feline medicine in a practical, interactive and enjoyable way. In addition, it will provide you with valuable information to make your practice more ‘feline friendly’. Cement your knowledge with the case-focused workshop.

This course is now delivered over 2 years to enable busy veterinarians to manage the comprehensive content.

Tutor/s:

• Carolyn O’Brien
• Katherine Briscoe
• Keshuan Chow
• Rachel Korman
• Wyane Mizon
• Lara Boland

CPD points: 348

By successfully completing this course, you will:

• Review the epidemiology, pathophysiology, diagnosis and treatment of common feline disease
• Expand your knowledge on unusual feline conditions
• Gain increased confidence in handling feline patients gained through a range of practical advice
• Review important developments in feline medicine
• Better understand key differences when dealing with certain disease conditions in cats versus dogs
• Better understand the pathophysiological responses of cats and gain the special skills needed to confidently treat your tricky feline patients.

Distance Education – Delivered Online
1 February 2020 – 30 November 2021

Workshop/s
2 x 2-Day Workshop: Dates TBC

Perennially popular tutors Jill Maddison and Sue Bennett present this course where the learning begins the way it does in the clinic: with a focus on the presenting problem.

This 8-module course will advance your problem-solving skills to develop a rational, pathophysiologically-based approach to treating internal medicine cases. An emphasis on self-analysis of the way you process and work up cases will challenge you and help you to improve your approach in practice. In this way you will be able to develop a logical problem-solving framework that will carry through into more successful and rewarding management of your patients.

Three days of face to face workshops will provide an opportunity to interrogate your methodology and discuss approaches with your peers and tutors. If you are interested in sitting the small animal medicine membership examinations for the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists (ANZCVS), this is a wonderful preparation for you.

CPD points: 277

By successfully completing this course, you will:

• Develop a clear and logical approach to clinical problems
• Broaden your knowledge base in small animal medicine
• Gain a greater understanding of evaluation of clinical pathology, enabling you to diagnose more accurately
• Improve your productivity through more expedient diagnoses
• Improve the value of the service you provide to your clients
• Gain confidence in your general approach to small animal medical cases

Distance Education – Delivered Online
Saturday 1 February – Sunday 1 November 2020

Workshop/s
1-Day Workshop – TBA
2-Day Workshop – TBA