7885849 - Companion Animal Decision Making

Course Description

A one-year subscription (from date of purchase) to online learning resources and a continuing education course on clinical reasoning and emotional resilience for veterinarians.

Strengthen clinical reasoning and emotional resilience with this immersive course. Explore four interactive, companion animal case scenarios that mirror real-world challenges in diagnosis, treatment, and client expectations. Each case offers branching decision-making exercises with varied outcomes—from recovery to euthanasia—highlighting the complexity and unpredictability of veterinary medicine.

Video reflections on the emotional toll of clinical decisions follow each scenario. Licensed counselors address the grief, guilt, and moral distress that often accompany veterinary decision-making, and provide strategies for healthy emotional processing, peer support, and maintaining a growth mindset. 

This course prepares future veterinarians not only to make sound medical decisions but also to navigate the emotional realities of their profession with empathy and resilience.

Course Outline

About this Course

Learners will explore four interactive companion animal case scenarios that mirror real-world challenges in diagnosis, treatment, and client expectations. Following each scenario, video reflections led by licensed counselors address the grief, guilt, and moral distress that often accompany veterinary decision-making. They will also provide strategies for healthy emotional processing and maintaining a growth mindset. 

Included in this Course

• Case study & video reflection: Buster Brown - 8-year-old, castrated Schnauzer presented for lethargy.
• Case study & video reflection: Gretel - 7-year-old, spayed miniature Schnauzer presented for vomiting.
• Case study & video reflection: Spunky - 4-year-old, castrated Bull Terrier presented for evaluation after ingesting chocolate
• Case study & video reflection: Betty - 12-year-old, spayed Chihuahua presented for evaluation of an ear mass.
• Embedded Assessments with feedback

Certificate of Completion

• Awarded after completing all modules and quizzes

Course Structure

• Approx. 4 hours total contact time
• Four self-paced modules
• Integrated quizzes and assessments

Learner Outcomes

Upon completion of this continuing education course, the learner will:

• Engage with AAVMC Standards: 1.1 - 1.7, 7.3, 7.5

• Practice clinical reasoning in emotionally charged scenarios

• Reflect on the ethical and psychological dimensions of veterinary care

• Gain tools for emotional resilience and professional well-being

Notes

Google Chrome is the preferred web browser for this course.  If you use another browser, such as Microsoft Edge, you could experience technical difficulties

Due to the immediate access to course materials, we have a strict no-refund policy once the course has been started. If you have any questions, please reach out to us at cethelpdesk@tamu.edu.

This course meets Section 508 accessibility requirements.