Practice Management in Veterinary education

18.12.2015 Veterinary studies is one of the longest academic studies there is – during the up to 6 years of studies the students have to learn all necessary of several species, possess the knowledge to act as generalist veterinarian, surgeon and dentist for different species and in addition must know about animal borne diseases in humans and manage issues of safe food production. It offers the students wide possibilities to specialize and plan their future career. However, thinking about managing veterinary practice, you need to handle many other issues such as financial and human resources not to mention the client relationship management. Majority of European Veterinarians work in small business i.e. privately run practices. In the veterinary studies there are only few courses which handle these issues and the knowledge of the business has to be learned either in practice or elsewhere. Provet Cloud wants to help students of veterinary sciences and sponsors seminars around Veterinary Practice Management. This helps the students to have initial understanding what we speak about veterinary practice management before they enter their work at the clinics. One such seminar was held in Tartu 26th November where close to 50 volunteer students participated after usual study hours seminar arranged in co-operation with the Estonian Veterinary Medicine Student Association. “In Estonia, the level of practice management in the clinics varies a lot. Often it is about the knowledge of people who run the clinic. Sometimes veterinarians forget that taking care of animals is also business”, says Liis Uusaed, the chairman of the board of Estonian Veterinary Medicine Student Association. “Good example of progressive practice management is our university clinic which deploys practice management system which keeps all the information – schedules, clinical history, and so on – in one place accessible to everyone all times.” “In Veterinary studies there is not too many courses about practice management, however during the practical work we see how the doctors and other personnel interact with clients. There is also ongoing work to integrate some subjects around Practice Management into the course portfolio. We at the student’s organisation organize a Series of Practical Veterinary Medicine to offer students seminars which are not widely available in the course portfolio and are in our interest, such as Practice Management, Stress Management and Study Motivating, Zoo-Veterinary, oncology, genetics and so on. ” she continues. As Liis Uusaed says Practice Management is also finding the most suitable and smoothest ways to organize the practice processes. This needs dedication from the whole team and continuous follow up from many points of view. Practice Management Solutions help to collect, store, share and utilize the information and knowledge at the practice. It is basis for clinical, managerial and administrative decision making and for the progress of the practice. Provet Cloud is happy to share the knowledge gathered in the company during over 10 years about practice management. Would you feel like having conversation or training about practice management - contact us.