Practice Management and Communication Topics to be Featured at PVM’s Annual Conference

July 12, 2019

A smiling person in a blue uniform sits beside a brown and white dog against a tree.

Purdue Veterinary Medicine’s own Small Animal Hospital Veterinary Nursing Manager Megan Brashear, CVT, VTS (ECC) will speak during the 2019 Purdue Veterinary Conference September 19, sharing insights gained from 18 years of experience in emergency and critical care and technician/team management. Recognized as a leader in furthering veterinary continuing education, Megan will provide exceptional instruction related to management and communication. She speaks nationally and was named as one of the 2019 WVC Continuing Educators of the Year.

While most veterinary professionals didn’t pursue a career in the field in order to work with people, getting along with others is a necessary part of the job. Megan’s lectures aim to teach participants to shift their thinking in order to improve communication, and will provide tips on how to become a more effective leader within the practice. Megan will discuss communication styles and use case studies to illustrate the benefits of being a direct and compassionate communicator. She will also share examples of how to communicate in challenging situations, and how improved communication can help you keep your sanity. By implementing Megan’s tips, attendees will be able to communicate better with employees, peers, and clients.

Proper hospital policies, procedures, and staff training programs also are vital in successful, well-run veterinary practices. Megan will provide lectures on how to develop and implement these tools within a practice. As a technician and manager, she understands the challenges that come with training staff. Megan’s lectures will help attendees understand what policies and procedures need to be in place, how to organize staff training needs, create skill lists, and roll-out a training plan that helps the entire veterinary team. She also will provide tips for communicating change to create buy-in and compliance with the hospital training standards and protocols.

The annual Purdue Veterinary Conference is designed to provide continuing education (CE) opportunities for the entire veterinary team. Attendees can earn up to 26 CE hours at the 2019 Purdue Veterinary Conference. Content includes Small Animal, Food Animal, Equine, Exotics, Practice Management, Behavior, and topics of interest for Veterinary Technicians. All conference sessions and special events will be held on Purdue’s campus in West Lafayette, Ind.

Writer(s): Andrea Brown | pvmnews@purdue.edu

Recent Stories

DVM and Veterinary Technology students gain job opportunity insights at fall PVM Career Fair

Purdue Veterinary Medicine's Fall Career Fair brought veterinary and veterinary technology students together with employers on October 30 at the Purdue Memorial Union. Students explored career opportunities, internships and externships while meeting representatives from veterinary practices and organizations.

In Memory: Dr. Mary Beth Leininger (PU DVM ’67)

Purdue Veterinary Medicine remembers Dr. Mary Beth Leininger (DVM 1967), who died November 6, 2026, at age 83. The first woman elected president of the American Veterinary Medical Association, she spent nearly three decades in private practice and held leadership positions in veterinary medicine, industry and education.

“Paws Up” for Kayla Fuqua – brought to you by the PVM Wellness Committee

Kayla Fuqua, the day-shift Emergency and Critical Care receptionist at our veterinary hospital, is this week's Paws Up honoree. A colleague recognized her for supporting clients, coworkers and veterinary students, answering questions and helping her department during busy shifts.

MMAS Symposium at Purdue provides hands-on learning about Medicine of Mammalian and Avian Species

More than 80 participants joined Purdue Veterinary Medicine's 2026 Medicine of Mammalian and Avian Species Symposium on October 31 and November 1. Organized by the Exotic Animal Club, the two-day event combined presentations on exotic animal medicine with hands-on training in parrot handling, rabbit examinations, avian clinical pathology and other specialized topics.

Costumed characters boost Halloween spirits in Lynn Hall

Halloween brought Minions, the Lorax, Super Mario Bros. characters and plenty of other costumes to Purdue Veterinary Medicine. Students, faculty and staff celebrated with costume contests, trick-or-treating and a Halloween dessert competition in Lynn Hall, the Reed ADDL and the Veterinary Hospital.