BSAVA Congress programme goes live

12 January 2021

The full programme for BSAVA’s Virtual Congress is now live  and is set to deliver everything people expect of BSAVA Congress and more:  Excellent UK and International speakers, more than 130 hours of CPD and an extensive range of practice resources to take away.

With more than 100 speakers and a new format that blends clinical, practical and interactive content across a massive number of topics, Congress is highly relevant for every member of the practice. Shorter sessions and the introduction of new two-speaker sessions on day-to-day topics will focus on the information vets need to know in primary care practice with regular opportunities for delegate engagement and questions.

“Following months of meticulous planning we are thrilled that the programme is now live,” said Professor Ian Ramsey, President of the BSAVA. “The sheer range and high quality of our speakers and content, together with our new, more dynamic format takes webinar learning to a new level.”

The list of speakers is akin to an international ‘who’s who’ of the veterinary world. As a small taster of what’s in store the USA’s Ernie Ward will be speaking about recruitment and retention, including a joint session with Alan Robinson. Holger Volk from Germany will present on aspects of neurology on a shoestring, including a case-based panel discussion. Switzerland’s Bianca Hettlich will present a case-based interactive session to help general practitioners decide if a lameness case is of orthopaedic or neurological origin and will be busting some myths.

The list of UK speakers includes Rebecca Geddes on kidney medicine and nursing; Amy Newfield on IV access techniques; Rob White on brachycephalic surgery and acute abdomen surgical techniques; Penny Watson on liver disease; Dick White on the surgical team; Butty Villiers on cytology for vets and nurses; John Chitty on several rabbits, small furries and exotics topics.

Four simultaneous live streams will deliver 80+ live sessions covering 24 module topics, together with a library of 100 on-demand webinars and other resources for the practice to bring delegates more than 130 hours of CPD. Many modules have relevant presentations woven in to make them suitable for the whole practice team from clinical directors to practice nurses and managers. There will also be a dedicated exhibitor stream every day. The live and on-demand content will be available to delegates on the platform for 60 days, and then via the BSAVA Library.

“Delegates will be able to develop their skills and knowledge on topics they see regularly in practice,” said Professor Ramsey. “To make things even easier we will be providing practical resources such as client handouts for delegates to take back to their clinics. This, coupled with many speakers sharing their own notes and practical resources means less note-taking and a quicker and easier way for delegates to share what they have learnt with their colleagues.”

For Delegate Experience Committee chair Julian Hoad, programme highlights include owner engagement in chronic pain management and the ethics of managing heart disease in pets: “I particularly want to attend these sessions because these emotive and emotional issues can only really be appreciated by interactive sessions,” he said.

Andy Green who leads the Programme Committee said: “My two favourite sessions for the general practitioner are Interactive lower respiratory radiography and the Difficult dental extractions: tips and tricks. Many vets still find it a challenge to interpret chest radiographs confidently and it’s going to be one of the most interactive sessions. The dentistry sessions are going to be very helpful because these are some of the most common procedures we do in first opinion practice.”

BSAVA Congress headline sponsors include Idexx and Hill’s Pet Nutrition. There will be three keynote speakers; Jenny Campbell, a former Dragon on BBC’s Dragon’s Den, will be sharing her experiences as an entrepreneur and business leader. Two other exciting keynote names will be announced shortly.

On the social side the focus is on bringing people together on-line to share light-hearted entertainment and laughter. Delegates can exercise their taste buds with some wine and whisky appreciation, throw some shapes with a virtual disco, exercise their bodies as well as their minds with yoga and unwind with some restorative mediation practices.

“This year’s BSAVA Congress is going to be the most innovative ever and deliver like never before,” said Professor Ramsey. There is plenty of relevant and engaging CPD for every practice professional, with all the convenience of a virtual event. If you haven’t already taken a look at the programme and registered, I urge you to do so now. With prices starting at just £99 +VAT for members it represents really great value.”

To register now visit https://www.bsavaevents.com/bsavacongress2021/en/page/home

For information on how to become a BSAVA member visit https://www.bsava.com/Membership/Member-categories