Innovetive Petcare Attends VMX For Its 40th Anniversary Conference

Doral Centre Animal Hospital Shares Their Team’s First-Hand Experience

Many annual veterinary conferences offer excellent continuing education (“CE”) opportunities, providing courses and first-hand interactions with industry experts. But, there’s just something special about Veterinary Meeting & Expo (“VMX”), hosted by the North American Veterinary Community (“NAVC”). With over 1,200 hours of CE, VMX is recognized for its variety of content and formats, cutting-edge product exhibits, and next-level entertainment for DVMs, veterinary technicians, practice managers, and veterinary professionals alike, all who unanimously agree they return to their practices feeling reinvigorated by the new ideas they’ve learned.

This January, as part of our company’s commitment to training and development, Innovetive Petcare was excited to send Doral Centre Animal Hospital’s Brittany Pinto (Patient Care Coordinator), Karla Locon-Rios (Lead Veterinary Technician), Leinad Gonzalez (Certified Veterinary Technician), and Jans Dorta (Veterinary Technician) to VMX in Orlando, Florida. With varying roles and responsibilities, VMX was the perfect opportunity for them to select courses that align with their professional development goals and help pave the way for future veterinary leaders upon returning to their hospital.

As first-time attendees, we asked Doral Centre Animal Hospital’s team members to share their experiences on what they enjoyed most at VMX. After all, it was a notable year for the NAVC, with nearly 29,000 attendees participating, including several dozen Innovetive Petcare veterinary practitioners.

What were you looking forward to most at VMX?

Leinad: “There were classes I was really excited to take, such as transfusion, but also neurology. I was really happy to learn that neurology was offered because it’s not an area we see since it’s a specialty.”

Brittany: “I was looking forward to VMX exceeding my expectations and it did. I graduated from Florida International University in 2020 and being at VMX felt like college again—running back and forth to all the different lectures offered by the hour in other buildings. It was exhausting but exciting all at once. I took full advantage of lectures from 6:30am to 5:00pm. The Expo was a whole other experience. Seeing the many company booths, whether it was food, instruments, or online tools, in one building and taking in all that knowledge was amazing (and the free gear and goodies were also a plus!)”

What was your favorite part of VMX?

Jans:  “”VMX was truly a gathering of current advancements in every aspect of the veterinary field. VMX gave doctors, technicians, practice managers, and others the ability to expand and question new and developing ideas. My favorite part was attending lectures on practical, evolving concepts on becoming a better technician. Additionally, I had the opportunity to listen in on many other topics regarding different species that veterinarians have the privilege to care for.”

Karla: “All of it. The lectures were excellent, the Expo was so much fun, and the community was so welcoming. VMX was a great learning experience because the courses offered were limitless and were able to expand your knowledge in all aspects.”

Would you recommend VMX to other veterinary professionals?

Leinad: “I would 100% recommend this experience. I feel it doesn’t matter the area of the veterinary field you are currently in; a conference of this magnitude helps open your mindset and inject you with some energy to fight the burnout that work sometimes brings.”

Jans: “I strongly recommend any individual with a deep passion for this profession experience this conference at least once.”

 

Do you see yourself attending next year?

Brittany: “From my current role as a patient care coordinator to becoming a veterinarian myself, I definitely see myself going to VMX every year (if possible) and any other conferences available to me!”

Karla: “I’d love to get the opportunity to attend again, enrich myself with more knowledge, and enjoy the Expo to its fullest potential.”

It is evident Innovetive Petcare’s firm commitment to continuing education is one of many areas that set our mission apart from other veterinary companies. We believe that if you are an individual who is always learning, you’re one who is always growing.

Thank you, Leinad, Jans, Karla, and Brittany, for sharing your experience and to the North American Veterinary Community for hosting another exciting year of VMX, complete with stimulating conversations, exhibits, industry-leading workshops, and new relationships that will last a lifetime.