VITA: Schedule
At Texas A&M, we are breathing new life into veterinary continuing education (CE). VITA will give you the opportunity to learn new and innovative skills that you can take back to your clinic on Monday morning. Through interactive lectures, wet-labs, small group discussions, and social opportunities, our goal is to help you discover knowledge and tools that will continue your growth as a veterinarian or veterinary technician. We hope you’ll join us for this annual conference full of reimagined CE opportunities! (Note: Scheduled sessions and activities are subject to change or cancellation.)
Friday, May 19, 2023
6:00 p.m.
Texas A&M Hotel and Conference Center
Outstanding Alumni & Rising Star Awards Celebration
Limited seating is available. Additional registration by Friday, May 12, 2023, is required. $50 per person.
Learn more…
Saturday, May 20, 2023
7:00 – 8:00 a.m.
Registration & Continental Breakfast
Morning Sessions
VENI 106B
Small Animal Track
8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Reading Intraoral
Radiographs
Part 1
Dr. Bert Dodd
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Reading Intraoral
Radiographs
Part 2
Dr. Bert Dodd
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Dysbiosis:
Pathophysiology
and Diagnosis
Dr. Rachel Pilla
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Types of Dysbiosis
and Their Treatment
in Clinical Practice
Dr. Rachel Pilla
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch & Learn:
Resident Case Presentations
Dr. Abby Ostronic, Dr. Courtney Meason,
& Dr. Jessica Herman
VENI 106A
Special Sessions
8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Digital Physical
Exams (Telemedicine)
Dr. Cherice Roth
(Class of 2013)
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Access to
Veterinary Care
Dr. Cherice Roth
(Class of 2013)
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Urinalysis & Beyond
(Best Practices & Specialty
Diagnostics Beyond Urinalysis)
Dr. Jessica Hokamp
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Don’t Ignore the Blood Smear
(The Hematology Analyzer
Can’t Tell You Everything)
Dr. Jessica Hokamp
VENI 101B
Large Animal Track
8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Like I Need a Hole in the Head:
Newer Surgical Approaches
to the Equine Sinus & Guttural Pouch
Dr. Dustin Major
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Surgery “How To”
Sessions
TBD
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Equine Podiatry
Topic TBD
Dr. Scott Fleming
(Class of 2013)
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Equine Podiatry
Topic TBD
Dr. Scott Fleming
(Class of 2013)
Other Morning Opportunities
Emergency & Critical Care
VICI 315/316
8:00 – 10:00 a.m.
RECOVER Veterinary CPR Basic Life Support
Group 1
Dr. Justin Heinz
Additional registration and fees apply.
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
RECOVER Veterinary CPR Basic Life Support
Group 2
Dr. Justin Heinz
Additional registration and fees apply.
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch
Afternoon Sessions
VENI 106B
Small Animal Track
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Soft Tissue
Surgery Topic
TBD
Dr. Vanna Dickerson
2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Soft Tissue
Surgery Topic
TBD
Dr. Vanna Dickerson
VENI 106A
Special Sessions
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Common Exotic
Animal Emergencies
Part 1
Dr. Lauren Thielen
(Class of 2013)
2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Common Exotic
Animal Emergencies
Part 2
Dr. Lauren Thielen
(Class of 2013)
3:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Veterinary Opioids
(Meets TBVME
Requirements)
Dr. Carly Patterson
& Dr. Amy Savarino
VENI 101B
Large Animal Track
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
A Practitioner’s Guide to
Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD)
Regulations in Texas
Dr. J. Hunter Reed
2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Emerging Wildlife
Health Topics in Texas
Dr. J. Hunter Reed
Other Afternoon Opportunities
1:00 – 4:00 p.m.
VICI 123
Feline Dental Extractions Lab
This hands-on learning session, led by Dr. Bert Dodd, a small animal dentistry faculty member from the Texas A&M Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital (VMTH), will provide attendees the opportunity to practice feline dental skills, with a low instructor-to-attendee ratio.
Additional registration and fees apply.
1:00 – 5:00 p.m.
VICI 315/316
Emergency & Critical Care
RECOVER Veterinary CPR Advanced Life Support
Groups 1 & 2
Dr. Justin Heinz & Paula Plummer, RVT
Additional registration and fees apply.
3:00 – 6:00 p.m.
VENI Welcome Desk
VMBS Tours
Family tours of the VMBS campus led by student ambassadors.
6:00 p.m.
Big Shots Golf (at Travis Bryan Midtown Park)
VITA + VMBS Alumni Celebration
Celebrating the classes of 1998, 2013, and 2018. Learn more…
Learn more about Big Shots Golf (Bryan, TX)…
Sunday, May 21, 2023
7:00 – 8:00 a.m.
Registration & Continental Breakfast
Morning Sessions
VENI 106B
Small Animal Track
8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Approach to Adrenal
Tumor Management
Dr. Melanie Puchot
(Class of 2013)
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Hypoalbuminemia & an
Approach to Protein-Losing
Enteropathy (PLE) Management
Dr. Melanie Puchot
(Class of 2013)
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Seizure Control:
Is There Anything New?
Dr. Joseph Mankin
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Is it Ortho or Neuro?
Dr. Joseph Mankin
VENI 106A
Special Sessions
8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Zoonotic Diseases
& Biocontainment:
Managing Biorisk
in a Pandemic Era
Dr. Kurt Zuelke
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
Veterinary
Acupuncture
Dr. Dusty Nagy
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
So You Want
to Buy a Practice?
Dr. Lance Roasa
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
So You Want
to Start a Practice?
Dr. Lance Roasa
VENI 101B
Large Animal Track
8:00 – 9:00 a.m.
Lameness in
Pot-Bellied Pigs
Dr. Shannon Reed
9:00 – 10:00 a.m.
“How-To” Sessions:
Workup of the Colicky Pig
Dr. Shannon Reed
Workup of the Colicky Horse
Dr. Amanda Trimble
10:00 – 11:00 a.m.
Diarrhea in
Horses, part 1
Dr. Rudy Madrigal
(Class of 2013)
11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.
Diarrhea in
Horses, part 2
Dr. Rudy Madrigal
(Class of 2013)
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch & Learn:
Resident Case Presentations
Dr. Abigail Blanton, Dr. Alexis Jennings
& Dr. Heath Manning
12:00 – 1:00 p.m.
Lunch
Afternoon Sessions
VENI 106B
Small Animal Track
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Rays the Roof
for Novel Uses
of Radiation Therapy
Dr. Lauren Smith-Oskrochi
(Class of 2013)
2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Radiation for
Feline Gastrointestinal
Lymphoma (GI LSA):
Are You Kitten Me?!
Dr. Lauren Smith-Oskrochi
(Class of 2013)
3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Brachycephalic
Syndrome:
A Survival Guide
Dr. Lance Wheeler
4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Snake
Envenomation
Dr. Lance Wheeler
VENI 106A
Special Sessions
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Q&A with Members of the
Texas A&M DVM Selections
Committee: Considerations
for You & Your Candidate
2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
Minimally Invasive
Management
of Urolithiasis
Dr. Genna Atiee
(Class of 2013)
VENI 101B
Large Animal Track
1:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Haemonchus
Control Strategies
Dr. Isabelle Louge
2:00 – 3:00 p.m.
A Guide to Small Ruminant
Visits for the Small Animal
Practitioner
Dr. Isabelle Louge
3:00 – 4:00 p.m.
Current Therapies
for Skin Tumors
in the Horse
Dr. Leslie Easterwood
4:00 – 5:00 p.m.
Effects of Metabolic
Disorders on the
Fertility of Mares
Dr. Yatta Linhares Boakari
REGISTER NOW!
If you’re looking for an opportunity to spend some time in Aggieland with old friends while you experience cutting-edge veterinary continuing education in May 2023, then VITA is the conference for you!