Continuing Education Regulations and Requirements

Veterinary Technicians are required to complete a total of 18 continuing education hours every two years to maintain Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT) status through the Vermont Veterinary Technician Association (VVTA). Up to six (6) of the bi-annual CE requirements may be earned through on-demand online sources. Continuing education is defined as education provided for adults outside of the formal education system, consisting of seminars, courses, lectures, or labs that bring participants up to date in a particular area of knowledge or set of skills.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a CE hour?
One CE hour is equivalent to a course that lasts 45-60 minutes in length. Courses between 30 and 44 minutes will be awarded 0.5 CE hour.  Therefore, if a course last 90 minutes it will be awarded 1.5 CE hours. Courses under 30 minutes will not be recognized as continuing education units by the VVTA. 

Where can I take a continuing education course?
Veterinary technicians may obtain CE through a variety of avenues including but not limited to: State and regional technician and medication associations, online sources, and private or corporate veterinary hospitals, and local, regional, or national conferences.

How do I show evidence of my attendance?
Proof of CE is shown by uploading a certificate of attendance. Certificates of attendance are issued by the CE host to all attendees. The CE hours printed on the certificate are what will be honored to the veterinary technician. 

Where do I submit my CE certificates?

Submitting a certificate of attendance is done via upload on the members’ portal.

Step 1: Log into your member profile on our website

Step 2: Click on the “Continuing Education” button located on the members homepage

Step 3: Click “Add Credit” and fill out the form with the required information:

Event name, event date (start and end), Category (live or on-demand) and Expiration Date: The expiration date on this form must match your “CE due date” (shown on your profile) If you are not sure what it is, click on “My Profile” to see this date. All CE submission should have this date as the CE expiration date.

Other fields on the add credit form are optional

Step 4: Hit “Save” at the bottom of the form

Step 5: Upload CE Certificate

Once you hit save, the option to “Upload Certificate” will appear at the bottom of the CE entry. Upload an image or a PDF of your certificate.

If you would like to watch a video on profile management CE uploading, click here

Members are expected to keep their own CE records. Once verification of CE has been complete for the given cycle CE certificates will not be retained by the association. Members must maintain their own copies for future use. 

Do I need to log CE obtained from a VVTA event? 

No! One of the conveniences we offer to our members is automatic logging of VVTA events. By getting your CE through us, you don't need to worry about logging these hours. The CE from our events will automatically appear in your member profile.

What is considered “Live” CE?
Live CE includes both in-person events (such as conferences, seminars, or workshops) and real-time online events (like webinars or virtual conferences) where you can ask questions or interact with the presenter.
You must complete at least 12 of your 18 CE credits through these live formats

What is considered “On-Demand” CE?
On-demand CE refers to pre-recorded webinars or online courses you can complete at any time without interacting with an instructor. These are limited to 6 of your 18 CE credits.

How can I tell if an online course counts as “Live” or “On-Demand”?
If the course is scheduled at a specific time and includes a Q&A or live chat with the presenter, it counts as Live CE. If it can be accessed and completed at any time without interaction, it is considered On-Demand CE. On-demand CE usually requires the completion of a quiz/quizzes to obtain a CE certificate, whereas live CE does not due to its interactive nature.

Do VVTA-sponsored events count as Live CE?
Yes! The VVTA may host events both in-person or virtual. These events are held in real-time with a live presenter and interaction. These count toward your Live CE hours whether you attend in-person or virtually.

What about RACE, Veterinary Technician Associations, Veterinary Medical Associations (VMAs) and AVMA-approved Continuing Education?
The VVTA will recognize courses approved by state VMAs, state VTAs, the AVMA, and RACE. Credit hours will be awarded in conjunction with the administrating body, as stated on the certificate of attendance.

Will non-clinical or non-medical courses be accepted?
Yes. The VVTA does not distinguish between medical or non-medical continuing education courses. 

Is On the Job Training considered Continuing Education?
No. On the Job Training is typically provided to staff who work at a particular practice or institution and is not accepted towards the 18 required hours.

Are In House services or “Lunch and Learns” accepted at Continuing Education Units?
Sometimes. If the in-service meeting/ Lunch and Learn host offers RACE approved CE for that event it will be accepted by the VVTA.  Otherwise, these types of meetings are not considered admissible for CE unless the event is hosted and designated as admissible by the VVTA itself.

Are Educational (College) credits accepted at Continuing Education Units?
No. Any course that is offered by an educational institution (e.g. colleges, universities, high schools, trade schools, etc.) for educational credit that leads to either a degree or certificate will not be considered Continuing Education by the VVTA.