Become a wellbeing educator: New training dates added

Pop quiz: How can you gain new skills, create a path to becoming a peer trainer, give back to our profession, and support the wellbeing of both veterinary teams and individuals?

Answer: Become a trained workplace wellbeing educator through the AVMA’s groundbreaking Train the Trainer program.

Train the Trainer embraces the direct connections among work culture, how we communicate, our own wellbeing, and the wellbeing of our workplace colleagues. Plus: It prepares participants to facilitate training sessions to pass along communication skills that support healthy workplaces. Three new training dates have been added for 2023, so now is a perfect time to commit to your own growth in this area.

How does Train the Trainer work?

Participants attend a one-day interactive workshop focused on communication skills proven to help teams and individuals flourish and achieve their full potential. The workshops are being held virtually in 2023, so no travel is required.

Through discussion and skill-building exercises, attendees hone existing skills and have a chance to discover new communication techniques that support wellbeing. The workshop covers four foundational areas: relational communication, open-ended questions, reflective listening, and empathy. Among the topics covered:

• Elements of work culture that correlate with mental health, wellbeing, and likelihood of recommending the profession to others
• The difference between relational and transactional communication, and when to use each
• How well-intentioned efforts to “find and fix” a problem may impair rather than support connection 
• Skills to conduct communication training in a wide variety of settings, both in-person and virtual

At the end of the day, participants come away with workbooks and other course materials that reinforce the learning and can be shared with others. In addition to learning the content themselves, attendees gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to teach others. 

New training dates for 2023

The next Train the Trainer workshop takes place May 18 and will be held virtually. In addition, three more 2023 training dates have just been added: June 22, August 17, and October 17. 

These workshops usually sell out in advance, so it’s important to register early to secure your seat. Find more information about the program, along with the registration application, at avma.org/TrainTheTrainer.

The Train the Trainer program is made possible through an educational grant from Merck Animal Health.