The current VIN date & time: Eastern

VIN Medicinal Plants (ALTM401-2021) Self-Study

This course is a self-paced, non-interactive course.

Presenter: Sandra Mitchell, DVM, ABVP Feline, ABVP ECM
Course Open: July 1, 2021-June 30, 2022
Total CE Credit: 3
RACE Category: 3 hours Non-Medical

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Course Information:
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 aid in the identification of medicinal plants, proper preparation, their chemical properties and potential indications.

To earn a certificate of completion the participant must complete all learning modules and score 80% or better on the end-of-course test. Completion of the course will take a minimum of 182 minutes. Participants must complete the participation requirements by June 30, 2022 to be eligible for a certificate.

To learn more about the requirements for earning a non-interactive CE certificate, please refer to Non-Interactive CE Certificate Requirements.

Learning Objectives:
Upon completion of the course, 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.
  • understand how to prepare the gathered plant.
  • understand the basics of harvesting, identification, and properties of plants in each of the Medicinal Plant Families (Mint/Lamiaceae, Parsley/Apiaceae, Mustard/Brassicaceae, Pea/Fabaceae, Rose/Rosaceae, Aster/Asteraceae, Buttercup/Ranunculaceae, and St. Johnswort/Hypericaceae)
  • list the potential uses of the gathered plant.

Level and Prerequisites: This basic VIN CE non-interactive course is open to VIN and VSPN members actively interested in wild medicinal plants.
RACE Accreditation: This non-interactive course is approved for 3 hours of continuing education credit by RACE for veterinarians and veterinary technicians/technologists. (RACE 22-42169)

Course Agenda:

Module 1: Introduction, Identification and Terminology
Total Time: 86 minutes
Video: 86 minutes
Polls: 5

Module 2: Plant Families and Their Medicinal Properties
Total Time: 76 minutes
Video: 76 minutes
Polls: 8

Module 3: End of Course Test
Total Time: 15 minutes
Successful completion (scoring 80% or better) on the end-of-course test is required to earn a certificate of completion for the course.

Module 4: Course Evaluation

To learn more about the requirements for earning a non-interactive self-study CE certificate, please refer to Non-Interactive CE Certificate Requirements.


Enrollment is closed.


Tuition: VIN/VSPN Member $69
Prices are listed in US dollars.

*For more information on how online CE works, see the Participant Resource Center.

  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. For further assistance call 800-846-0028 ext. 797 or email . Please include the course title, your full name, and contact information in your correspondence.

Course withdrawal and refund policy: A complete refund of the paid course price will be issued when your withdrawal request is received prior to starting the course. If you wish to withdraw after you have started this self-study course, please contact the VSPN office 800-846-0028, ext. 797 to discuss eligibility for a pro-rated refund.

*For more information on VIN's upcoming CE courses, check the VIN Course Catalog.

Katherine James, DVM, PhD, DACVIM (SAIM)
VIN Education Director

VIN CE Services:
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