Group photo from the 2012 AAVMC Veterinary Educator Collaborative Symposium (click for larger version with list of group members).
In late July, several AAVA members attended the 2012 AAVMC Veterinary Educator Collaborative Symposium at Colorado State University in Fort Collins. This year’s symposium theme was titled From Novices to Experts: Supporting Students’ Development of Professional Skills. Each day’s concurrent tracks featured nationally and internationally renowned veterinary educators describing their work in the classroom and clinics. Keynote speaker Dr. Sarah Baillie addressed the question Simulation: The answer to all our problems? On the first conference day, the sessions were grouped under two theme tracks: How People Learn – Designing Effective Instruction and Spotlight on Professional Skills. On the second day, the theme tracks were Focus on Large Groups and Teaching in the Clinical Curriculum. Prior to the conference, Dr. Ray Whalen presented his popular Virtual Canine Anatomy program. After the conference, many attendees participated in a surgical skills simulator lab developed at CSU’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. This conference was well attended with more than 150 registrants.