Pulse - May 2024 - 3

PULSE PERSPECTIVE
The Power of Live Events
A
s we emerged from the COVID pandemic, there was questioning whether SCVMA
members would be interested in returning to in person continuing education. Would
we ever get back to pre-pandemic attendance levels? If recent events are a barometer,
I can confidently say the demand is there and so are the benefits. I'm not knocking
virtual events - they are convenient for busy schedules and they are still popular - our
lunchtime events continue to garner excellent support and interest.
After attending two in person events in April - the SCVMA San Gabriel Chapter
Monthly Meeting and the SCVMA Weekend CE event with Hill's Pet Nutrition - I'm
convinced these live events have an undeniable strength in fostering engagement and
learning, and it was great to see full houses for them both.
For the San Gabriel event, local dermatologist Dr. Megan Frazer gave a highly
practical lecture on topical treatments with the catchy title, " Shampoos, Mousses and
Sprays, Oh My " at the chapter's regular location, Mimi's Café in Monrovia. Approximately
30 members joined for the evening talk which was sponsored by Vetoquinol.
This event exemplified the value of our monthly chapter meetings - providing relevant
CE in an intimate setting and offering a perfect chance to be able to meet and catch-up
with colleagues that work and live in the area.
Contrasting with our monthly chapter meetings, our Sunday CE events offer a
different experience - they are larger events, typically have multiple speakers, and pull
attendees from across the region since navigating SoCal traffic on the weekend is a
much more manageable feat. For our April event, three local specialists, veterinary dentist,
Dr. Cindy Vaca, dermatologist Dr. Charli Dong, and nutritionist Dr. Lisa Weeth
delivered stellar talks in their respective areas to an enthusiastic audience of approximately
100 attendees. The event was sponsored by Hill's Pet Nutrition and held at the
Knott's Berry Farm Hotel. The crowd brought their competitive spirit too and enjoyed
a Kahoot quiz utilized by Dr. Dong. Another component of our weekend CE events
is there is usually something fun members can participate in post education, and this
event was no different. Members could purchase discounted tickets to the Knott's Berry
Farm Theme Park and enjoy the rest of the day with friends and family.
I was excited to write about both events because they demonstrated that members
are ready and excited to attend in person CE, whether it's our chapter events or weekend
events. It also gives me the opportunity to highlight the high-quality education
SCVMA works so hard to provide. If it's been some time since you've ventured out to
one of our events, I'm hoping this column motivates you to join an upcoming one. It's so
healthy to give our digital devices and platforms a break, get out of our bubble, reconnect
with colleagues and meet new ones, and learn together. Genuinely hoping to see
you at one of our next events!
Adam Gerstein
SCVMA President
Hills Pet Nutrition Team
PULSE
MAY 2024
3
Dr. Lisa Weeth at Knotts
Dr. Charli Dong and Jennifer Hawkins

Pulse - May 2024

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pulse - May 2024