External providers

Processing time is approximately 4-6 weeks from the date of receipt of the application. Programs cannot be reviewed or approved retrospectively and therefore it is recommended that providers apply at least 8-12 weeks in advance to ensure the review process can be completed and any potential issues addressed before the program starts.

Once approved, the event will be listed on the AVA online learning and events page. 

VetEd approval is annual and is on a calendar-year basis; applications for renewal should also be submitted online and marked 'repeat' in the name of activity or program field.

VetEd-approved activities or events can be repeated at different venues and/or on different dates, within the one-year approval period from the original approval date, provided the topic, presenter(s) and method of delivery remain the same.

Fees current as at 1^st December 2019.

To ensure that certain minimum standards are met, the AVA has guidelines for CPD providers who want their educational activities recognised for AVA VetEd points.

All educational activities which are relevant to the scope of the veterinary profession and help to maintain and develop knowledge, technical skills or professional performance standards will be considered for review.

VetEd points are not awarded for commercially sponsored events that are intended for the purpose of promoting a specific drug, product or service, or are primarily promotional in nature (e.g. product launches).

Applications for events which clash with the time of similar AVA events or are in competition with similar AVA events will not be approved.

The provider shall disclose any relationships there may exist with the speaker(s) that may cause potential conflicts of interest.

Each application must include:

• a detailed program agenda outlining topic, speaker/presenter name and duration of each session (draft promotional materials e.g. event flyers, can be attached to your application if these include a detailed agenda)
• clearly identified any hands-on practical sessions
• for distance education and self-study programs, the program outline, a description of learning materials and a brief explanation of how the study time has been determined
• clearly identified program content that is intended for the purpose of promoting a specific drug, product or service. Time devoted to promotional content is not eligible for VetEd points.

The Education team may request actual CPD materials or content (e.g. proceedings or presentation slides) when reviewing applications for approval. These materials are for the reviewing committee use only and will not be disclosed to third parties.

Presenters for clinical topics should have a degree in veterinary science, as well as have advanced expertise in the topic being addressed. Expertise may be based on further education/training, further qualifications, clinical experience or specialist knowledge of the subject.

Presenters for non-clinical and non-scientific topics (e.g. practice management) should be presented by individuals who can provide evidence of sufficient education and special knowledge in the topic being addressed.

For distance or online CPD, a brief explanation of how the attendance is going to be monitored and how participants are going to be assessed should be provided.

An attendance list template will be provided by AVA upon VetEd approval. The Provider is responsible for filling in the template correctly and submitting it via email to the VetEd team (veted@ava.com.au) within 2 weeks of completion of the program or as otherwise agreed with the AVA. For online programs that are continuously available, a monthly attendance report may be suitable and this will be discussed with the provider at the time of approval.

All CPD providers must provide a Certificate of Attendance/Achievement to all registrants, including:

• name of participant
• name, method of delivery and date of CPD program
• main speaker / presenter(s) name(s)
• provider name
• AVA VetEd logo and number of VetEd points allocated.

CPD activities can be either structured or unstructured, and grouped into face-to-face or written/distance learning. Structured activities tend to be organised by a CPD provider, with a defined purpose and duration, e.g. conferences, courses or workshops.

Unstructured activities are less formally defined, e.g. reading a journal or mentoring. AVA members need to add these points to their own VetEd record.

For more examples of CPD activities by category, please see the below tables.

Structured face-to-face

Structured hands-on practical

Structured written/distance learning

Unstructured face-to-face

Unstructured written/distance learning

Unstructured points allocation table (UN)