AVMA to scrap online CE courses to veterinarians by year's end

Schaumburg, Ill.

— After three years, AVMA Ed is ending its online continuing education courses, according to the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).

The AVMA Executive Board voted in April to discontinue the program by Dec. 1. The decision was based on AVMA Ed failing to meet enrollment and revenue expectations, the national veterinary association reports.Nearly all respondents from an August 2010 survey said that AVMA should offer online CE, but most had never taken one of the AVMA Ed courses. About 40 percent said that they didn’t plan to do so in the future. One-third of the respondents were aware of what AVMA Ed had to offer, but only 10 percent had ever taken a course through the program, AVMA says.

Ultimately the program did not attract sufficient interest to justify continuing it, says Dr. Kurt Matushek, AVMA editor-in-chief, said after the April Executive Board meeting.