9:00 am - 10:00 am

KEYNOTE:  The changing face of communication – What you need to know to Catch Up
Presenter: Darren Osborne

"Veterinary Medicine has changed so much in the last few years that if you’re not keeping up, you will be left behind." When I first heard this statement, my knee jerk reaction was to refute it; service is service and dogs and cats have not changed much in the last few years. Upon deeper reflection I found myself coming around to the point where I not only agree but am preaching this statement to veterinary practices across North America. What has changed recently? Well, for starters, your clients can go on line and see how much cheaper other companies are charging for the drug you just dispensed for their pet. Your clients can get veterinary advice over the internet. Your clients are more price sensitive than ever before. Your clients have less money than ever before. The profession has to adapt to the changing consumer by improving everything from e-based communications to everyday phraseology. What worked yesterday might not work tomorrow.   

10:30 am - 12:00 pm 

Workshop: communication strategies for clients via the phone, the internet and other media
Darren Osborne

The downturn in the economy has everyone counting their pennies and that is making it harder to fill your appointment book. What do you say when a client calls for the price to get their cat “spaded?” Do you just tell them the price? Do you explain your protocols? In this lecture Darren will explore what underlying factors are making these clients behave the way they do. Once you understand why your clients are behaving the way they are, you can change the way you are presenting your services to make the same spay look and sound a lot more attractive.

10:30 am - 12:00 pm 

10:30 am - 12:00 pm

#1 - Effect of communication facilitation experience on faculty and practitioner coaches
Julie Cary, Suzanne Kurtz, Rick DeBowes

#2 - Effective team communication: a study exploring relational coordination in veterinary medicine
Irene Moore, Jacob B. Coe

#3 - Interprofessional education and perception of health professions
Elizabeth Boynton

#4 - Investigating veterinarians’ use of and experiences with the social networking site, Facebook
Jason B. Coe, Cynthia Weijs

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

1:00 pm - 2:30 pm

#1 - Communication skills teaching in veterinary education: Integrating ‘one health’ for an expanded understanding of the interrelationship between human and animal health
Cindy Adams

#2 - Assessment of communication skills in 1st year veterinary students: a comparison of two standard setting methods to determine pass/fail points           
Kent Hecker, Cindy Adams, Jason Coe

#3 - Combined orientation and leadership programmes – What impact do they have from the student perspective?
Susan Matthew, Rosanne Taylor, Imke Tammen

#4 - Clinical role models and the informal and hidden curricula: making the implicit explicit
Dan Schull, Paul Mills, Glen Coleman

#5 - Domestic violence shelter partnerships and veterinary student attitudes regarding domestic violence and animal abuse
Stephanie Shaver, Kate Creevy, Karen K. Cornell

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

3:00 pm - 4:30 pm

Effective communication of equine dentistry starts in the undergraduate veterinary curriculum
Darlene Donszelmann, Andrea Vallevand

Engaging students in ongoing development of their veterinary consultation abilities
Susan Matthew

Veterinary technology students' perceptions of an experiential client interaction workshop: enhanced self-awareness of communciation skills
Dan Schull

6:30 pm Departure

Offsite dinner - Guests welcome - must register.
(location to be determined)