Patterson Veterinary Academy

Patterson Veterinary Academy (PVA) is an online training library for veterinary practices. A practice subscribes for its team, picks which course libraries to open to its staff, and assigns courses and learning paths to staff from an admin dashboard. The home page sums it up as "All of the management, clinical and professional development CE you need, under one roof!" and describes "expert-led, multimedia learning experiences" that combine video, interactive content and real-world application. It adds that "Many courses also offer valuable RACE and CVPM continuing education credits."

The reader is a practice owner, hospital manager or training lead who wants one place to train veterinarians, technicians, assistants and front-desk staff, with continuing education credit where it applies.

What a practice gets

The libraries

The subscription is built from four content libraries:

• Small Animal Clinical: "Evidence-based medical, surgical & diagnostic CE for companion animals."
• Equine Clinical: "Comprehensive equine care and veterinary procedures, covering both routine husbandry and advanced clinical techniques."
• Professional Development: "Client communication, leadership & team skills."
• Practice Management: "Operations, finance, HR & growth strategies."

The home page totals "200+" courses and "140+" hours of RACE-approved CE, and lists CVPM-eligible CE hours, position-based learning paths and ongoing access to new courses. The site describes its curriculum as "RACE-approved, built by working vets."

The equine library gives the most detail. Its videos are presented and taught by Peterson and Smith, which the page describes as an equine practice and breeding facility, and with "over 60 videos" it covers administration of medications, castration, dentistry, endoscopy, foal care, hoof care, husbandry, lameness, physical exam, radiology, reproduction, restraint and ultrasound.

Learning is on demand, "On-demand lessons between appointments", and the site promotes "Role-based paths and certifications" so each position gets its own route through the content.

Admin tools

Each subscription includes 1 administrator account and an "Admin dashboard with reporting & analytics." The support center's video tutorials show what an admin does: add learners, bulk import new learners, disable a learner, preview and assign courses, assign a learning path, manage dual roles, award course completions "used for group viewing or staff meetings", and upload third-party certificates "For courses outside of PVA." That last feature lets a practice keep all of a team member's training records in one place. Support center sections also cover reporting and analytics for admins, course progress and learning paths, and certificates and exams, including pass rates.

Practice software training

Two add-on libraries train staff on practice management software: Cornerstone and AVImark. The pricing builder lists "Cornerstone $290/yr · Avimark $480/yr."

Pricing

PVA publishes its pricing and walks buyers through "Three decisions":

1. Team size. "Every PVA subscription starts with 10 seats." Extra users come in 5-user bundles at $250 each per year.
2. Libraries. $500 a year each, opening that library's content to every seat on the account. The site warns that libraries do not add seats; to add users, a practice raises its seat count. The equine page shows the same "$500 / Year" for its package.
3. Add-ons. Cornerstone, AVImark or extra seats.

The annual subscription box reads "Starting At $500 /Year Per Course Package" and includes 10 team seats, full library access, RACE and CVPM CE credits and the admin dashboard. The site states "No long-term contracts · Cancel anytime." Practices can subscribe by credit card or through an existing Patterson account, and there is a demo booking option and a refer-a-friend program.

Premium courses

Beyond the subscription, PVA sells premium programs: the Certified Veterinary Assistant Program, Certified Equine Assistant, OSHA and Safety Expert Program, Client Service Certificate Program and the Training Expert Course. The support center has a section on the CVA course and exam process, including proctoring.

The Training Expert Course is described in full. PVA says it partnered with VHMA to offer what it calls "the only veterinary specific course that teaches the most effective training methods, practical techniques and how to apply adult learning principles to become an effective trainer." The page headline calls it a "VHMA & RACE Approved Certificate" in veterinary practice training and facilitation, and says the hours awarded "meet the continuing education requirements for both the CVPM program and non-medical RACE." It contains "10 powerful modules", "Over 50 Videos", worksheets, interactive activities and a manager's toolkit, and covers how adults learn at work, needs assessment, learning techniques, delivery methods, blended learning, onboarding, brain science, assessment and evaluation, and creating a learning culture. The course page pitches the business case directly, saying the course "will pay for itself a hundred times over" for practices that value efficiency, morale and retention. Enrollment is $599, bought per person ("You must purchase one course per person"). The facilitator is Julie (Poncier) Nash, CVPM, a veterinary practice management consultant "with over twenty years of experience in the veterinary profession."

Track record and terms

Customers. The home page invites practices to "Join hundreds of practices using PVA to train, certify, and grow their teams" and says it is "Trusted by leading veterinary groups."

Reviews. Subscriber quotes come with names and roles. Sheila Henry, a Certified Veterinary Assistant, says "Each module has extensive information that is very helpful in my day to day job." Danielle Atkinson, a practice manager, says CE through PVA "provided valuable information to take back to the team." Patty Abraham, on reception, notes that "With a few simple changes you get better results from your clients." Bobby Becker, another practice manager, calls PVA's offerings "invaluable for veterinary professionals to stay up-to-date on the latest trends, research, and technologies." Rhonda Bell, CVPM, says Patterson Veterinary believes "education is crucial to improving patient outcomes."

Support. Existing subscribers submit a support ticket, and anyone with setup or technical trouble can book an appointment with customer support.

Who it suits

PVA suits a small animal or equine practice, or a veterinary group, that wants to train its whole team on a predictable annual budget and pull CE hours for veterinarians and practice managers from the same subscription. Published pricing makes it easy to cost: a practice with 10 staff and one library starts at $500 a year, and the cancel-anytime terms lower the risk. Practices running Cornerstone or AVImark can add software training, and managers who own staff training can take the Training Expert Course.

The library is built for veterinary medicine and veterinary business, so it is not a fit outside that field. Practices should check which individual courses carry RACE or CVPM credit, since the site says many, not all, do.