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Over the past 16 years, there has been increasing recognition of the importance of properly assessing and managing pain. A fundamental part of practicing good medicine, human or veterinary, is recognizing and treating pain. Society has an increased concern for the ethical and compassionate care of humans and animals suffering from pain and distress. Making pain management a priority in your practice means that every person on the team has an important role to play in identifying pain in every animal. Relieving pain is compassionate care at its best, and compassionate care is both a quality-of-care and a quality of life issue.
The pain management team consists of veterinarians, credentialed veterinary technicians, veterinary technician assistants, kennel workers, groomers, receptionists, and practice managers. Effective management of pain requires ongoing diligence on the part of the veterinary team. Pet owners need to be educated regarding pain and what to look for and, once a pain management plan has been made, the team must maintain consistent contact with pet owners to assess the animal’s status and adjust management plans accordingly. Delegating specific tasks to each team member will help ensure this happens. Through a variety of educational modalities, the veterinary team has the opportunity to improve their understanding of pain, and to incorporate this new found knowledge into their day to day practice.
This 8-week course will focus on the physiology of pain and the development of acute pain to chronic and neuropathic pain. Recognition of pain and development of a pain scale to use in your practice or facility will be strongly reviewed. Pharmacologic management of pain for companion animals will be studied in detail. Multimodal analgesia will be discussed extensively since this has been designated as the most effective way to manage pain. Physical medicine issues such as acupuncture and rehabilitation will be briefly discussed. Cancer, Quality of Life, Hospice and Palliative Care will be topics of discussion and study. Finally, participation is detailed case studies will enable the student to be a valuable, contributing member to the veterinary health care team in the welfare of their animal patients.
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- Use and understand pain terminology
- Understand the physiology of pain
- Recognize the signs of pain
- Develop strategies for pain management
- Identify analgesic drugs, their usage, contraindications and interactions
- Describe and understand analgesic techniques
- Describe and understand pain management for specific conditions and procedures
- Describe and understand chronic pain and its management
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Handbook of Veterinary Pain Management - second edition Authored by: James Gaynor, DVM, MS, DACVA, DAAPM, Certified Veterinary Acupuncturist, International Veterinary Acupuncture Society; Director, Animal Anesthesia and Pain Management Center, Colorado Springs, CO William Muir, DVM, MSc, PhD, DACVA, DACVECC, Regional Director, American Academy of Pain Management, Veterinary Clinical Pharmacology Consulting Services, Columbus, OH
It is mandatory that each participant has access to this textbook as the content of the book is not reproduced within the course. It is up to each person to determine the best way to acquire the text. Some will already have the text in their library and therefore will not need to purchase another copy. Where to purchase and in what format is totally up to the participant. The text is not included in the fee for this course.
The text is available as a print publication and as an eBook. One option is to purchase the text from Elseiver. The following link to the text on their website is provided as a courtesy.
Purchase Text From Elsevier
Important: Regardless of which option the participant chooses, access to a copy of the textbook is mandatory. Without the text the student will not be able to complete the assignments, case studies and examinations. If enrolling close to or beyond the course start date, it is recommended that the text be purchased as an eBook to prevent text acquisition related delays. VetMedTeam has no control over shipping delays and other related problems.
Limited Quantity eBook Code Offer:
VetMedTeam has a limited number of eBook text codes available for purchase. The cost of the eBook via this option is $42.00. If you are interested in purchasing a code please email us at CE@vetmedteam.com. VetMedTeam cannot guarantee the availability of codes so please look into other options while waiting for a reply. |
...The course was comprehensive and demanded a thorough understanding of each concept. Excellent review of the pathophysiology of the pain pathway. Supplemental materials provided were a great addition to the course material. Mary Ellen provided some very helpful resources. It was a "lot" of work!!
...The physiology and neurology (first part of course) were the most challenging and also the most beneficial to me. Also, sorting out and coming to better understanding of some of the "newer" drugs such as amantadine and gabapentin was very helpful.
...The integration of the book material with the exams and case studies was good.
...I loved that fact that this course was so relevant to me being a general practitioner. Mary Ellen loves this course and is passionate, and her help was great!
...I liked:
Descriptions of neurotransmitter effectiveness
descriptions of COX activity
Afferent pathways and diagrams
discussions of activity of receptors with opioids, etc
discussions and additional readings about hospic care
quality of life ideas and mind-changing discussions regarding comfort for terminally ill
addressing the whole idea of whether euthanasia is the point or endpoint-proper
exchange of ideas with the instructor
concepts of pain and how to relieve it--ie:patches, infusions, pain busters, other palliative measures
rehab issues
repeated discussions about practically how to work with an individual patient
...I liked the Interaction with the course mediator, her prompt responses, her level of education in mater studied, were great help and perfect guidance which helped me learn more and continue to implement pain management modalities in my practice.
...This was an extremely strong course. One of the most important aspects of it was its length and the amount of content covered. As a 25 credit course, this was much more than a survey of the material. The textbook was excellent and the instructor was amazingly well versed in the material.
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VetMedTeam courses are asynchronous - they do not contain real time components. Students log in while a course is in session at times convenient to personal schedules. |
Students must receive a grade of 80% or higher on all examinations. In addition, students are required to submit numerous assignments and case study feedbacks designed to help the student immediately apply the course to everyday practice. Upon fulfillment of the course requirements, the student will receive a VetMedTeam certificate of completion that will document the RACE credits earned. |
This is an advanced level course. Assignments in this course are challenging, designed to bring the learning experience into your everyday practice. The instructor will guide the student to an understanding of the role of pain management, either as the diagnosing and treating veterinarian or as the practice staff involved in assisting the veterinarian with managing companion animal pain.
The average student spends 5 to 7 hours per week in order to complete all the mandatory requirements. |
Course meets the requirements for 25.00 RACE hours of continuing education credit for veterinary technicians and veterinarians in jurisdictions which recognize AAVSB's RACE approval. However, participants should be aware that some boards have limitations on the number of hours accepted in certain categories and/or restrictions on certain methods of delivery. |
Participants may enroll in this course after it has begun, up to the enrollment deadline date. Participants who enroll after the start date do not miss out on any components of the course.
There are no real time sessions.
The design of this course allows each participant to proceed based on individual schedule, as long as all assignments are submitted by the assignment submission deadline |
This course utilizes content from the Handbook of Veterinary Pain Management - second edition which is authored by James Gaynor, DVM, MS, DACVA, DAAPM and William Muir, DVM, MSc, PhD, DACVA, DACVECC.
Additional content provided by Mary Ellen Goldberg BS, VMT, LVT, CVT, SRA. |
 Mary Ellen Goldberg, BS, CVT, VMT, LAAS, SRA
Mary Ellen Goldberg graduated from Harcum College and the University of Pennsylvania. She took the Virginia state boards in June 1976 and is also licensed in the state of Florida. Mary Ellen is a Surgical Research Anesthetist certified through the Academy of Surgical Research.
She worked at the Virginia Commonwealth University in the Division of Animal Resources as a Laboratory Animal Anesthesia and Analgesia Specialist and has been the instructor of Anesthesia and Pain Management at VetMedTeam, LLC since 2003.
In addition, she is the Co-Editor of the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management’s newsletter and active in the formation of Academy credentialing for veterinary technicians and veterinarians. Mary Ellen is an elected member of the Board of Directors and Executive Secretary of the IVAPM (International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management). She is on the Exam Writing Committee and the Case Study Review Committee as part of the credentialing process for Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioner (CVPP). She is a member of the Executive Committee. She is a member of the American Academy of Pain Management, American Society of Pain Educators, and Association of Veterinary Anaesthetists.
Mary Ellen has now been appointed to the faculty at the Mannheimer Foundation, Inc., a primate facility in South Florida, to teach residents in Laboratory Animal Medicine from the University of Florida and other Veterinary Colleges about Primate Anesthesia and Analgesia. Mary Ellen is part of the faculty/staff for Canine Trigger Point Therapy Programs in The Woodlands, Texas. She does relief work as a veterinary technician for the Lion Country Safari Hospital in Loxahatchee, Florida.
Mary Ellen has worked in various aspects of veterinary medicine from small animal and equine to mixed practice, coccidiosis research for a pharmaceutical company, zoo animal medicine and laboratory animal medicine.
She lives in Boynton Beach, Florida with her husband. She has 3 grown sons. |
July 01, 2013 - Registration deadline is 11:30 PM Eastern July 14, 2013
October 15, 2013 - Registration deadline is 11:30 PM Eastern October 24, 2013
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