Continuing Education and the Veterinary Oath

The Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association and Continuing Education

                All veterinarians take an oath that we strive to uphold:

The veterinarian's oath

Being admitted to the profession of veterinary medicine,
I solemnly swear to use my scientific knowledge
and skills for the benefit of society through the protection of animal health
and welfare, the prevention and relief of animal suffering, the conservation of livestock resources,
the promotion of public health, and the advancement of medical knowledge.

I will practice my profession conscientiously, with dignity,
and in keeping with the principles of veterinary medical ethics.

I accept as a lifelong obligation the continual improvement
of my professional knowledge and competence.

Part of upholding this oath is that we continue to update our knowledge with continuing education in order to retain our veterinary licenses.  This can be achieved by watching webinars online, reading journals, or by attending local or national meetings and conferences.  The Pennsylvania Veterinary Medical Association (PVMA) offers several different conferences throughout the year in different areas of the state.  The PVMA is also the state regulatory organization, an advocate for veterinarians and veterinary technicians and overseer of laws pertaining to veterinary medicine and animal welfare in the state. 

                Later this week, I will be spending four days at the Keystone Veterinary Conference in Hershey.  Veterinary conferences are a chance to learn new things, reinforce the tried and true, connect with colleagues and meet with vendors of veterinary drugs and products.  During this meeting, I hope to attend lectures on performing dental nerve blocks, on new drugs being used in the treatment of epilepsy, to extend my knowledge on pain management during surgery, and to hear about common toxins affecting cats and dogs as well as a host of other interesting topics. 

                Spending six or more hours a day in dark, chilly rooms listening to scientific lectures on a beautiful summer day is not always easy, but, it is a necessary part of being a veterinarian, and, it is always fun to learn a new tidbit to help practice better medicine or to know that treatment of patient X is right on par with what the experts in the field recommend.  All in all, it should be four days well spent recharging and brushing up on skills and information in order to better serve both our patients, and you, our clients.  Each of the doctors at Patton Veterinary Hospital betters him or herself with continuing education and we hope to pass  important knowledge to our clients so we can be partners in helping to keep your pets as healthy as possible.  Check out www.pavma.org for more information on the PVMA and great information for pet owners! 

This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding communities.