Course Open: January 2-September 5, 2019
Level and Prerequisites: This basic course will be open to any VIN or VSPN member actively interested in wild medicinal plants.
VIN CE Course: Open to VIN members or VSPN member. This non-interactive course is approved by RACE for veterinarians and veterinary technicians/technologists.. (RACE 22-30044) Course Description:
In this course, we will discuss some of the plants found in nature which might have medicinal applications, as well as some harvesting and preparation techniques that can be used for these plants. This course is not meant as a complete tutorial on medicinal herbs, nor does it heavily cover the diagnosis and treatment of disease entities - rather it is meant as an introduction into the plants, their identification, and proper preparation. Potential indications and chemical properties are also addressed - but this is meant as an introductory course, one to provide tools to build on. This course will consist of 3 non-interactive modules in the form of videos to be watched. Modules will include handouts to be read and an end-of-module quiz. The final module will include an end-of-course test. To earn a certificate of completion, the participant must attain a score of 80% for each module quiz and for the end-of-course test. Completion of all 3 modules (videos, reading handouts, quizzes, and end-of-course test) will take a minimum of 122 minutes to complete. Participants must complete the participation requirements by September 5, 2019 to be eligible for a certificate. Course Outline: Module 1: An Introduction to Harvesting and Use
Total Time: 45 minutes
Video: 30 minutes
Handouts: 10 minutes
Polls: 5 minutes
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
- discuss the history of using plants as medicine.
- list the basic categories of medicinal plants.
- discuss the basics of harvesting and identification.
- describe properties of some common plants in the aromatic category.
Total Time: 27 minutes
Video: 22 minutes
Polls: 5 minutes
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
- understand the basics of harvesting, identification, and properties of plants in the bitters category.
- understand the basics of harvesting, identification, and properties of plants in the tonics category.
Total Time: 50 minutes
Video: 30 minutes
Polls: 5 minutes
End of Course Test: 15 minutes
Objectives: Upon completion of this session, the participant should be able to
- understand how to prepare the gathered plant.
- list the potential uses of the gathered plant.
Sandra Mitchell is currently the owner of Animal Medical Associates in Saco, Maine and is a board certified feline specialist and exotic companion mammal specialist. Additionally, she is a licensed wildlife rehabilitator in the State of Maine and routinely treats wildlife in her area. She loves caring for companion animals, particularly dealing with geriatric patients as well as animals with difficult to diagnose or treat conditions. If it fits through the door, she will see the pet as there are no medical challenges she is unwilling to tackle. She is "owned" by her own personal tribe which includes cats, a dog, ferrets, chinchillas, bearded dragons, and whatever wildlife have decided to take up temporary residence. In her spare time, she writes for veterinary journals, gives lectures to veterinarians, veterinary staff, and owners, writes exam questions for a variety of veterinary qualification exams, and authors for animal oriented magazines and websites. In her real time off, she loves to canoe - especially whitewater. In 2011, she completed a 1,000 mile canoe race in the Yukon, finishing in only 7 days, 10 hours, and 46 minutes! She's grown, foraged, and used medicinal herbs for more than 20 years. In fact, she thinks there are more herbs in her cupboards at times than foods! Total CE Credit: 2 Tuition: $46
Prices are listed in US dollars. *Enrollment will close on August 5, 2019 at 5 pm ET (USA).
*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center. To Enroll:
- Enrollment qualifications: VIN CE courses are open to VIN member veterinarians. Veterinarians enrolling in a VSPN CE course must be a VIN member. Veterinary support staff must be a VSPN member to enroll in a VSPN CE or a VIN CE course open to VSPN member enrollment.
- Each enrollee must be able to receive emails from @vspn.org and @vin.com addresses. Email is our major form of communication with participants; personal emails are highly recommended rather than clinic/hospital email addresses.
- Each person is individually responsible for his/her own registration. To ensure that all information received is secure and correct, please do not enroll for a course on behalf of another individual.
- For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email CEonVIN. Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.
VIN Education Director VIN CE Services: CEonVIN
800-846-0028 or 530-756-4881; ext. 797
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from the United Kingdom: 01 45 222 6154
or direct line to VIN/VSPN from Australia: 02 6145 2357