The AVA Chartered Veterinary PractitionerTM
Designed by veterinarians for veterinarians, the AVA Chartered Veterinary Practitioner™ (AVA CVP) develops and recognises excellence in small animal general practitioners and delivers the practical skills needed to work in or run a successful veterinary practice.
It’s the only veterinary CPD in Australia that provides well-rounded coverage of topics not traditionally covered in undergraduate programs.
About this professional accreditation
The AVA CVP is a professional accreditation program offered by the AVA to signify you have undertaken further education and small training to become a well-rounded general practitioner. This accreditation is currently offered for small animal practitioners.
Complete your CPD point requirements for veterinary registration while achieving professional accreditation and public recognition through use of post nominals.
You can complete the requirements for accreditation in as little as 12 months (studying full-time). You can also choose to study part-time, completing the four courses that make up the AVA CVP over 20 months. Fit your Continuing Professional Development (CPD) component choices alongside or after the AVA courses and take up to 5 years from admission. You may be able to get CPD credit for eligible veterinary training you have completed in the 5 years prior to admission, so you can complete your accreditation requirements quicker!
You should allow 6 to 8 hours per week to engage with the online module content, attend the teacher-led fortnightly interactive session (via Zoom), and prepare and submit your assessment tasks. This may require you to log in to the My Learning platform at least twice per week.
Course content has been developed by vets for vets, and included bite-sized chunks that allow you to log in and complete a mini-lecture or activity in as little as 15 mins. Track your progress to easily pick up where you left-off.
Enrol and pay as you go!
There are two components you will complete for AVA Chartered Veterinary Practitioner™ accreditation.
The first step is to complete 4 AVA courses. The AVA course prices range from $1,320 to $3,960 (inc GST) per course. Completing all 4 courses will cost $10,560 (inc GST).
For the Continuing Professional Development (CPD) component, you enrol directly with the education provider of your choice and pay market price for the course or activity. You may also be eligible for credit toward this component for veterinary education already completed.
Step 1 - AVA Courses
CVP1010 Veterinary personal and professional effectiveness | 22 weeks | 160 CPD Points | Starts January each year - $3,960 (inc GST)
This course provides advanced training across three themes: Understanding yourself, understanding others, and professional effectiveness.
In understanding yourself, you will learn about mindset and the personal and workplace determinants of well-being, and explore strategies to improve wellbeing, and develop a personal wellbeing plan.
In understanding others, you will learn about communication strategies, consulting frameworks and decision-making theory and negotiation.
In professional effectiveness, you will explore topics related to work ethic and workplace culture, risk management, the ethical and legal aspects of veterinary practice, One Health and one welfare. You will be given practical and applied knowledge, skills, and abilities in professional veterinary practice, and will integrate published literature on individual wellbeing, effective workplace relationships and professional integrity to enhance their professional effectiveness.
Course teachers: Dr Cheryl Fry, Dr Nathan Koch, Dr David Lee, Dr Matthew Munro, Dr Leonie Richardson, Dr Tanya Stephens.
CVP1020 Essential veterinary clinical skills | 22 weeks | 160 CPD Points | Starts July each year - $3,960 (inc GST)
This course provides advanced training in the foundational clinical skills required for high quality small animal veterinary practice. The focus is on practical and applied aspects of disease diagnoses, disease treatment, anaesthesia and emergency medicine.
Diagnostic skills covered include clinical reasoning, clinical pathology, clinical nutrition and diagnostic imaging relevant to the small animal veterinary practitioner, with case-based pathophysiology, diagnostic plans and core practical skills emphasised.
Therapeutic skills covered include core principles of medicine and surgery, pharmacology, and nutrition relevant to the small animal veterinary practitioner with case-based diagnostic and treatment plans emphasised along with core surgical principles.
Anaesthesia and emergency medicine skills covered include core principles of anaesthesia and emergency medicine as well as more advanced skills in fluid therapy, emergency patient assessment, triage and management. Case-based diagnostic and treatment plans in the emergency room are emphasised along with core pain management and anaesthesia skills.
Course teachers: A/Prof Natalie Courtman, Dr Chelsea Beale, Dr Matthew Kopke, Dr Ryan Leong, Dr Caitlin Mack, Dr Katie Nash, Dr Joanne Rainger
CVP1030 Veterinary evidence-based medicine: Evaluation and communication | 8 weeks | 50 CPD Points | Starts January each year - $1,320 (inc GST)
Develop your skills in sourcing, appraising and reporting on the best current evidence about veterinary treatment. Apply this evidence to individual patients according to their circumstances, owners’ preferences and regulatory requirements.
Course teachers: Dr Charles Caraguel and team.
CVP1040 Understanding our role in society: Professional responsibilities and One Health | 8 weeks | 50 CPD Points | Starts July each year - $1,320 (inc GST)
Critically review the role of veterinarians in the wider society, including your obligations within the legal and regulatory environment and your role in One Health. Areas of animal and public health protection skills covered include an awareness and understanding of biosecurity, epidemiology, and management.
Course teachers: Dr Kirsten Bailey, Dr Glenn Bronwing, Dr Angela Frimberger, Prof James Gilkerson, Dr Laura Hardefeldt, Dr Susan Hazel, and Dr Jeremy Watson.
Step 2 - Meeting CPD requirements
150 CPD points of veterinary education:
1. Small animal medicine | 60 CPD Points | Any eligible course(s)*
2. Small animal electives | 90 CPD Points | Any eligible course(s)*
This component is completed via CPD credit from veterinary training you have/will undertake from any AVA recognised veterinary education provider. If you have completed eligible veterinary training in the 5 years prior to your admission, you are encouraged to apply for CPD credit.
*Course eligibility and timeline criteria apply.
If you have completed eligible veterinary training in the 5 years prior to your admission, you may seek CPD credit. This allows you to get your professional accreditation faster and focus on the remaining accreditation requirements.
Speak to a member of our friendly AVA CVP team today to discuss the course eligibility and timeline criteria.
You can apply for credit at the time of admission.