As a veterinarian, you wouldn't dream of missing out on regular continuing education?even if it wasn't required. Your team members should follow your lead. Here's why.
Quick: What were the names of Christopher Columbus's three famous ships? What's the square root of pi? How many sides are there in a heptagon?
You may have learned the answers to these questions in school, but luckily, you probably don't use this kind of information in your everyday life. You do, however, need to stay up to date on the latest trends and developments in veterinary medicine, and surely you could use a refresher in client relations or practice marketing, right?
Unless you've anointed yourself the world's first perfect veterinarian, you need CE. And just like the learning never stops for you, it shouldn't for your team members either, says Dr. Jeff Rothstein, MBA, president of Progressive Pet Animal Hospitals and Management Group in Michigan.
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“When your staff is well-trained, clients can really tell the difference versus a poorly trained staff,” says Dr. Rothstein, a Veterinary Economics Editorial Advisory Board member. “It's a huge plus toward providing outstanding service and building confidence in clients.”
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Dr. Rothstein suggests setting a CE requirement each year for every team member. Use a figure that works for your practice-at Dr. Rothstein's hospitals, it's 20 hours of CE per year. Team members complete many of these CE hours at local meetings, using online or print resources, or at the practice's team meetings. And as Dr. Rothstein points out, this requirement doesn't have to be expensive-many CE courses are free.
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