Hello From the North American Veterinary Conference!
- posted: Jan. 20, 2015
Greetings From Sunny Florida!
I am writing this week’s blog from Orlando while attending the North American Veterinary Conference. Veterinarians are required to earn 30 hours of continuing education every two years. There are a variety of ways to earn these credits such as online seminars, local lectures and large conferences such as the NAVC. The NAVC is one of the largest in the country with around 6,000 veterinarians and over 15,000 total attendees.
I don’t get a chance to attend a big conference like this every year, but it is nice to get away from the office once in a while to reconnect with old friends, to learn about advances in the veterinary field and to see the latest equipment and medications available.
My husband and I arrived a day early in order to take in a few sights before the conference began. We managed a side trip to Homosassa Springs to see the manatees as well as birds and other wildlife. But now, it’s down to work! Most of my days are spent attending approximately 7 hours of lectures daily. It is nice, however, to enjoy lunch outdoors in the sun, to stroll around the hotel pool or to visit the turtle and alligator enclosure in the lobby of the Gaylord Palms Hotel where much of the convention is held.
This year, I was also able to meet up with an old friend, Dr. Elizabeth Thomovsky. As some of you out there may remember, Dr. Thomovsky--“Dr. T” for short--was an associate vet at Patton for several years before returning to academic life. She is currently employed as a clinician in the intensive care unit of Purdue University in Indiana and she has the distinction of speaking this year at the NAVC. I am looking forward to her lectures on pediatric medicine this Wednesday. So far I have heard some very interesting talks on emergency medicine, anesthesia, and neurology.
It is always exciting to learn new things, to see old friends and to recharge the batteries a bit in warmer climates! Though the warm weather and sunshine will be hard to leave behind, I do look forward to returning home later this week, hopefully armed with some new tips and ideas for practicing better medicine and perhaps new products or drugs on the horizon that will improve our patient care. After all, new information and staying on the cutting edge of veterinary medicine is what continuing education is all about! See you all soon!
Dr. Walters
This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving York, Red Lion, and the surrounding areas.
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Patton Veterinary Hospital
Address
425 E Broadway
Red Lion, PA 17356
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(717) 246-3611
