While it’s something that we must all undertake as part of our role as veterinary professionals, continuing professional development (CPD) can often be a last-minute admin headache, that ends up with a late-night reflection soliloquy replacing the usual evening TV binge session. The reality is, we are all learning daily (I live by the ethos that every day is a school day), so it isn’t the continuing education within our profession that bothers us, but usually the fuss of advanced planning, retaining information from the event, and then attempting to reflect on it months later. The organisation required for planning usually sets those apart who prefer to schedule their year in advance from those that find out about the “lunch and learn” on the morning of the session, wishing they knew in advance as they would have skipped bringing lunch that day. We are all guilty of being busy professionals, especially with the current job landscape, so cutting corners can prevent stress in the long-term.

In addition to this required planning, the financial aspect can add another layer of stress, especially for many of us who self-fund some of our CPD pursuits. The SPVS 2024 Salary Survey1 highlighted that only 52% of vets and 50% of nurses who took part had contributions towards their annual CPD requirements, which came as a big surprise to me when reading the survey findings. While it is important to budget efficiently, some may not even have an existing budget to begin with, so this article will aim to cover top tips for streamlining CPD planning, financing, and reflecting all at once.

 

1. Create a CPD calendar

This may sound self-explanatory or excessive but aim to treat the planning process as you would if you were going to your favourite music gig in London or a weekend mini-break somewhere remote. I prefer to keep my CPD as part of my combined personal calendar on my phone and create “alerts” ranging from 1 day to 1 hour in advance. If it is virtual CPD, this means you can plan accordingly and find a quiet place to sit and learn. If travelling to an external venue, plan your journey in advance, including how long it will take and where to park or use public transport. Having this itinerary in advance means you don’t have to panic when disaster hits, such as your last consult running late, resulting in a last-minute dash to the station (yes, it happens to us all). This will make all the difference for the mental state you will be in upon arrival and your readiness to learn.

 

2. Seek financial grants and bursaries

Many large-scale CPD events will offer educational grants and bursaries, such as the new Educational Bursary for BVA Live 2024, enabling 2,000 participants to be a part of The Vet Show’s fantastic experience. Some bursaries can be open to everyone, and others tailored to specific roles, undergraduate students, and those from low to middle-income countries, such as the ISFM Congress bursary. I was recently awarded the Royal Canin Young Professionals Grant to attend the European Emergency and Critical Care Society (EVECCS) Congress in Gothenburg, Sweden. Without this grant, it wouldn’t have been financially possible for me to explore the different streams on offer. I also received a £20 voucher to spend on the Vet Show Academy platform after providing a quick review for last year’s London Vet Show, proving that feedback really does come full circle!

 

3. Utilise the powers of social media

We all need an escape from the day-to-day life of veterinary work, so you may avoid integrating veterinary content into your social media scrolling. Platforms like LinkedIn or free email subscriptions such as ‘Vetlit’ can be the best way to have convenient, up to date, evidence-based literature hand-picked for free subscribers, streamlining your morning scroll. I have come across many in-person free CPD events advertised online that I wouldn’t have found otherwise, and these have been some of my best learning opportunities. Additionally, attending these events enables you to get out and explore other veterinary environments. Many free webinar and in-person CPD days are advertised online from specialists and leaders in their respective field, therefore a lack of financial budget doesn’t have to stop you from accessing world-class learning opportunities.

 

4. Integrate CPD into your rota

If you find that time is your biggest hindrance, consider requesting that in-house CPD be integrated into the team’s rota, with many preferring a convenient “lunch and learn”. Remember that your lunchtime is protected time for a break from the hustle and bustle of work, so try to request the session is done at another time, enabling you to be your best ‘switched-on’ self. CPD isn’t always clinical-training, and you may find that discovering how to utilise your team appropriately by undergoing in-house career coaching or learning about workplace culture with providers such as ‘Vets Stay Go Diversify’ might be the professional development you all need.

 

5. Record on the go

The RCVS promotes “outcome-focused” CPD organisation, following the “Plan”, “Do”, “Record”, “Reflect” cycle. Aiming to reduce the time between “Do” and “Record” will help you feel infinitely better the evening before the CPD logging deadline. After discovering from seasoned professionals that one solution is to record it on the go, I haven’t looked back. You can download the app and type in your recording as the event concludes, whether this be in between lectures or as the Q&A session wraps up. I also use the summary at the end of the session to base my reflections off, if I learnt anything or if I felt that I had some further training to do, and so often the inspiration for your reflection log is staring you straight in the eyes.

 

Whilst these all may sound self-explanatory, integrating these tips into your CPD planning will help promote a positive mindset towards your continuing education. Embrace the convenience available and make the most of free resources to help prioritise funds to your desired CPD, but most of all... remember that you are not alone in your logging spree!

References

• SPVS, 2024. 2024 Salary Survey - SPVS Ltd. [online] Available at: https://spvs.org.uk/2024-salary-survey/?dm_i=OES%2C8LWYV%2C6YE0QN%2CZOG2E%2C1&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0d4-uv_YPpgXuQDJvguY1grQ679vEJyGe7SjTMD6P4FUt93iTb79tyc1U_aem_AXMOCfeIhhPqy4fVuxZXIeb-_VIl9G9TkVmIUlgJBtAYfBxp9ULT4UkqTetkxWPincmRk8M5LnVO05tgNJpAPHDZ