Editors' Note: Get your veterinary CE fix

As we come to the close of another calendar year, awash in holiday plans and good spirits, I always think to myself, "I just renewed my license. What's my plan for getting my CE for the next year?" Many people want it in their backyards, and others want a reason to travel. Some want one smaller, laid-back course at a time, while others like the big conferences with all of their energy and options.

The CVCs offer the best of both worlds: three locations so they're not too far from anyone's backyard, along with the perks of a bigger show. When it's time to head to the CVC—the Conference for Veterinary Care—in San Diego, Kansas City, or Washington, D.C., I feel a certain kind of excitement.

There's fun to be had in every aspect, from planning out your conference to the afterglow, when you return to your clinic to share your knowledge. There's always the happy stress of trying to decide which of four riveting, simultaneous lectures to attend; planning to meet up with friends; and running into classmates, former instructors, and coworkers.

Heather Lewellen, DVM, Medical Editor

The buzz in those convention centers is contagious, as is the enthusiasm for all things progressively medical. The amount of knowledge transferred under those roofs is mind-boggling. When I am working at the ultrasonography Clinical Techniques Courses, I love watching the attendees concentrate on the screen, absorb all that information, and gain new skills.

But the best part is the feeling you get. You get fired up. You get an infusion of professional passion. You can't wait to get back to your practice to put your newfound knowledge and skills to good use and share them with others. You know that your very next patient, and the one after that, and the one after that will benefit from your CVC attendance and participation.

If you didn't get to one of the CVCs this year, this issue features highlights from all three shows with practical pointers. We also have a special section with CVC tidbits all of us editors gathered from the presentations we were able to sit in on—and these are just a few of the pearls we gathered.

Imagine if you are able to attend one of the CVCs in 2014—you can collect your own personalized tips and tricks. These conferences are where the best of the best come together: the best specialists and the best practitioners, those of us dedicated to fulfilling our responsibility to a profession rather than just a job. So take the initiative to continue your learning and your practice of good veterinary medicine, and put the CVC on your calendar next year.