Improve International

Improve International, which also trades as Improve Veterinary Education, is a postgraduate continuing education provider for veterinarians and veterinary technicians. Its German site says the Improve International Group was founded in 1998 and describes it as "ein international führendes Unternehmen für postgraduale Fortbildungen, Qualifikationen und Bildungsressourcen für die Tierärzt*innenschaft" (an internationally leading company for postgraduate training, qualifications and educational resources for the veterinary profession). The US online learning page puts it more loudly: "Learn with THE leading global provider!"

For a vet or a vet tech, the offer is a structured certificate program rather than a single webinar. The German site sums it up: learners "können aus Online- und Präsenzkursen zu vielen klinischen Themen in acht verschiedenen Sprachen wählen" (can choose from online and in-person courses on many clinical subjects in eight languages), can be certified internationally, and have daily access to current resources. The US page gives the online scale: "Over 6,000 online learning lessons, across 8 different languages."

How the online courses are built

The US online learning page, headed "No ordinary online learning experience," is the clearest account of the format. It says its courses are designed for four learning styles (visual, listening and discussion, read and write, and kinesthetic) and that the content is "meticulously created by a team of educational and veterinary experts with clearly defined learning objectives." Dan Jeffries, the company's Head of Digital Learning, introduces the lessons in videos on the page, and an example lesson sits further down for anyone who wants to see one before enrolling.

The page then lists what a course contains:

• video lessons
• interactive knowledge checks
• facilitated forum discussions
• live case study webinars
• pre-recorded webinars
• supporting study notes

The detail behind that list is specific. Content is released in stages, and the page says that "Through structured content releases, learners have ample opportunities for self-assessment and reflection." Exercises include "quizzes, drag-and-drop activities, and fill-in-the-blank exercises," and "Weekly summary videos highlight crucial facts for enhanced retention." For discussion, the platform offers "a forum guided by specialized tutors and live webinars that dissect complex clinical cases."

The page makes its case against thinner formats directly. It says the course is "not just recorded lectures and PDF’s," and that "many other CE providers" offer "only" pre-recorded webinars or online reading documents, while Improve aims for "a more effective and enjoyable educational experience." It also gives the reader a fair piece of advice: "Prior to enrolling in any online course, it’s essential to evaluate how it will be delivered and if it fits with your learning style."

Programs for veterinarians

The US menu sorts the veterinarian programs into four tiers: Focus 20 Programs (FCert), Accelerated Programs (Cert), Postgraduate Programs (GPCert/PgC) and Advanced Programs (GPAdvCert).

The German course list shows what sits inside those tiers. The advanced programs lead to the ISVPS General Practitioner Advanced Certificate in small animal medicine, small animal orthopedic surgery and small animal soft tissue surgery. The postgraduate programs, the ISVPS General Practitioner Certificate and the Postgraduate Certificate (PgC), cover a long list of subjects: small animal medicine, feline practice, emergency medicine and surgery, physiotherapy, dentistry and oral surgery, small animal surgery, small mammal practice, cardiology, neurology, computed tomography, diagnostic imaging, ophthalmology, oncology, and anesthesia and analgesia. A Focus 20 program covers geriatric medicine in dogs and cats, and an intensive course teaches dental surgical techniques in dogs and cats.

Programs for veterinary technicians

Vet techs have their own track. The US menu lists Postgraduate Programs (VTCert) and Advanced Programs (VTAdvCert). On the German site, the advanced level is the ISVPS Nurse Advanced Certificate (NAdvCert), with a Veterinary Technician Advanced Certificate in anesthesia, and the standard level covers the ISVPS Nurse Certificate (NCert) and the ISVPS Veterinary Paraprofessional Certificate (VPPCert), with technician certificates in anesthesia, dentistry, laboratory techniques and nutrition.

ISVPS qualifications

The certificates are awarded through the International School of Veterinary Postgraduate Studies (ISVPS), which the site lists under Qualifications. The German site says ISVPS "vergibt international anerkannte postgraduale veterinärmedizinische Qualifikationen" (awards internationally recognized postgraduate veterinary qualifications) and has had "über 5 700 Absolvent*innen" (over 5,700 graduates) since 2003. It adds that vets can earn qualifications in many clinical subjects, with both remote and in-person exams possible in eight languages. The US menu names the ISVPS qualifications as the General Practitioner Advanced Certificate, the General Practitioner Certificate and the Foundation Certificate for vets, and the Veterinary Technician Advanced Certificate and the Veterinary Technician Certificate for vet techs.

Online and in person

Not everything happens on screen. The menus list venues, speakers and, on the German site, an Improve training center, and several testimonials describe practical days. One graduate writes: "I have recently completed the GP Certificate in endoscopy and endosurgery. I studied for this with Improve International attending 2 day courses at regular intervals throughout an 18 month period." A veterinary nurse, Ellie Parry, RVN, writes: "I thoroughly enjoyed the course and the practical skills of the day." For a vet weighing a certificate, that means planning for travel as well as screen time on some programs.

What learners say

The testimonials come from named vets and nurses with their post-nominals. Robyn Farquhar, BVSc GPCert(SAM) MRCVS: "I chose Improve International as they are an established company, they’ve got a good reputation and I have done a number of courses with them previously and had access to top qualified speakers." Georgina Little, RVN NCert(A&CC): "I have developed new skills, techniques and become more confident in taking these back to use in practice straight away." Ben Gamsa, BVM&S GPCert(SAS) MRCVS, writes in German that thanks to the teaching he can perform operations in his own practice and no longer has to refer patients to other practices.

Access, resources and contact

Enrolled learners use MyImprove, which the German site says has replaced the old customer area as the central platform for participants, with all its functions and resources moved across. Courses are added to a cart on the site. Neither the home page nor the online learning page lists course prices. Beyond the courses, the site carries a blog with articles, webinars, pocket guides and posters for vets and vet nurses, plus books, brochures, FAQs and a newsletter.

The US page invites learners to "schedule a meeting or contact us by your preferred method," at info.us@improveinternational.com or 786 231 1301. Its footer names Improve International Inc. at 251 Little Falls Drive, Wilmington, DE 19808, while the German site names Improve International GmbH in Neu-Isenburg, and a country selector switches between the national sites.

Who it suits

Improve International suits veterinarians who want a recognized postgraduate certificate in a defined clinical area, from feline practice or cardiology to soft tissue surgery, and who are ready for a structured program with staged content, tutors and live case webinars rather than a loose set of recorded talks. Vet techs and veterinary nurses get a parallel track in anesthesia, dentistry, laboratory techniques and nutrition. The choice of eight languages helps vets who would rather study in their own language.

The caveat is commitment. These are multi-part programs, some with in-person practical days, and the online learning page itself tells learners to check how a course is delivered before enrolling. A vet looking for a single quick hour of CE will find the format more than they need.