Review by David Liss, BA, RVT  (Click on stars for an explanation)

This book is not currently available in the VIN store.

The CVPM Preparatory Workbook promised to be an exciting acquisition in my personal pursuit of CVPM certification. In reading about the workbook, the flashcards, the reference material, it all seemed too good to be true. Well the honeymoon was over when I actually received this workbook. Needless to say, I was disappointed. I worked through the workbook to the extent I could, still being a student of management, and I found that despite my misgivings, I did learn a lot. The book is thin and pages are easily accessible. The CD-Rom is helpful for computer reference making it easy to use at home or work.

The CVPM workbook is marketed as a study tool for professionals who have achieved three years full time as a manager, fulfilled the various requirements for CVPM certification including college courses, and amassed a multitude of CE’s. The workbook is designed to help the already seasoned veterinary manager succeed at the CVPM exam. The official contents are as follows: CD-Rom with Familiar Terms, Laws and Regulations, Equations and Formulas, MyCVPMPlan (a work book with the same information as the CD), and note cards designed to assist the user with various memorization tasks. It comes in a cardboard accordion folder, making it very attractive in terms of storage.

The CD-Rom is easily accessible and friendly to any user. It contains a very helpful set of clickable data. The CVPM workbook contains a chapter on introduction to the VHMA and CVPM exam. It then outlines the various domains on which the test is based: Human Resources (HR), Law and Ethics, Marketing, Organization of Practice, and Financial. Each domain has a sub-domain, such as Recruiting under HR, and contains self-review questions for assessment. The next section has a few sample test questions, an equations reference guide, and an alphabetized list of terms and definitions.

I must say that although the book was somewhat useful, I remain highly critical of the workbook. First of all, I expected the note cards to be at least organized and labelled, but they were blank. I found the sample test quite lacking. I expected there to be at least 100 study questions to work through; I found 10. I also found the review not very helpful. Most review books I have used contain a wealth of bulleted information, followed by an assessment. It allows the user who has now studied all the disciplines to further focus their knowledge on the issues at hand and then self test afterward. There was no review except for key concepts followed by study questions. To fully work through this book, additional texts would be required in order to look up missing information. I was under the impression the purpose of a workbook like this would be to eliminate the need for the use of extraneous texts during the study period.

The CVPM Workbook is new in the development process. I hope the VHMA reviews it and buffs it up. I honestly think it should contain a larger volume of test questions, index cards that already have the domains on them with question and answers (like trivia), and add major points from each domain so grabbing an additional book to review wouldn’t be necessary. I did, however, very much appreciate the CD-Rom’s quick reference Laws section. That was very helpful. This is not a book that veterinarians and technicians would routinely use in a clinical practice. The technician or practitioner studying for CVPM certification may utilize this guide; however, they should also be prepared to consider supplemental reference material.

Publisher: Veterinary Hospital Managers Association, Inc.

ISBN: None, unregistered text

140 pages, soft cover;

VIN Store: Currently unavailable