Vet Ed Info hub

Returning to practice

When you're coming back to work after a break, you'll want to catch up with the latest in your field, but will probably have a number of constraints on how you go about your continuing professional development activities.

If you're an AVA member, you might like to start by completing our online professional development plan. It will guide you through the decision making process to set professional development goals and document the steps you need to take. Completing the online professional development plan will also automatically earn you one Vet Ed point.

If you're after practical skills, workshops and events with networking opportunities, the Vet Ed calendar has all the details about upcoming social and educational events near you.

The AVA retrain and refesh program is designed to be used while volunteering in a veterinary practice and being mentored by a resident veterinarian in key competencies. The completed program qualifies for unstructured Vet Ed points.

Several AVA groups also run continuing professional development webinars that you can conveniently access from any location with an internet connection. These are listed in the Vet Ed calendar.

Once you're settled in your new role, you can use work activities to keep up your points, particularly if you are new in your job and can't get away to conferences. We have several options of continuing professional development activities at work that will earn you Vet Ed points.

Or take learning at your own pace and enrol in an online course, which can be completed in your own time from the comfort of your own home. Some providers give substantial discounts on the cost of their courses to AVA members, which is especially helpful when you’re getting established. 

And don’t forget you can test your knowledge and top-up your Vet Ed points each month by taking the Australian Veterinary Journal online quizzes.

You can also read the peer review journals, the Australian Equine Veterinarian, the Australian Veterinary Practitioner and proceedings of other special interest groups such the Australian Cattle Veterinarians, all of which are in the Vet Ed library.

Visit the Vet Ed points section to find out all about earning points, uploading your activities and points to your Vet Ed statement, and downloading your statement from the AVA website.