Obi – A better kind of veterinary CE
We’ve been building Obi with one thing in mind: making an improved veterinary continuing education platform by providing world class content in digestible microlessons. We’re incredibly excited you’ve found your way to Obi and we can’t wait to show you what we’ve been working on.
As a veterinarian, I’ve experienced first-hand the pain points that are far too common for veterinary professionals looking to fulfill their CE requirements and improve their clinical practice. And while I know there are incredible continuing education providers available, I still think we can do better. Or to steal an idiom from Ralph Waldo Emerson – we think we can build a better type of mousetrap.
Thinking about this reminded me that a couple years ago PETA released a list of “animal friendly idioms” to replace the “anti-animal language” of many common phrases. For example, instead of “beat a dead horse”, PETA would prefer we say, “feed a fed horse.” Instead of “two birds one stone,” they suggest “two birds one scone.” The merits of this linguistic reframing aside, I have found myself thinking about this over the past few days as Obi takes shape and we seek to build the better kind of mousetrap. As I went to learn more about this particular idiom, I was surprised to find that, at least according to wikipedia, the quote, often attributed to Ralph Waldo Emerson, is actually a misquote.
If a man has good corn or wood, or boards, or pigs, to sell, or can make better chairs or knives, crucibles or church organs, than anybody else, you will find a broad hard-beaten road to his house, though it be in the woods.
But no matter the product – be it mousetraps, chairs, knives, or continuing education, the sentiment remains the same. And that is our goal is at Obi: a better kind of veterinary CE.
The idea for Obi has been fermenting in my head since I was a resident in Diagnostic Imaging at North Carolina State University. Back then, and even moreso now in the face of our global pandemic, I felt that three things were true:
One - Radiology is Hard
I hear this every day from students, interns and residents, even other specialists. And they’re right. Making sense of a 2D black and white image and converting it to 3D in your mind can be a struggle.
Two - Veterinary Medicine is Getting More Complicated Every Day
I see this every day. The cases that come to our hospital are complex and the standards of care are becoming more complicated. For most of us, this is no longer the profession of James Harriet. Pets are family and the expectations of our clients are increasing in parallel with the complexity of practicing medicine. Veterinarians are left needing to be a jack of all trades in a way that seems overwhelming or impossible.
Three - There is a better way to do this
I am a strong believer that the best way to learn is through consistent short segments, every day. As an educator, it takes every ounce of energy I can muster to keep my students engaged for a full hour. And even over the course of an hour I lose people to social media, online games, or card games in the back of the room. We’re kidding ourselves if we think that we are retaining everything offered in a full length webinar or cramming it all into one mostly drunken conference weekend. The average attention span just isn’t there. Even with the most engaging topic and the most engaging speaker.
Continuing education in veterinary medicine does not have to be this way.
Complex concepts can be distilled. The format can be updated. The time commitment can be manageable.
With this in mind, Obi Veterinary Education was born. A platform for veterinary continuing education that is made for the modern world. We are building high quality content on 5 key principles.
Fun – engaging with veterinary educational content should be stimulating and remind you why you chose veterinary medicine in the first place.
Easy – lessons should be short, accessible and easy to access.
Affordable – free for veterinary students, affordable for the rest of us.
Collaborative – we’re starting with what I know best, radiology, but we want to build something that meets your needs. Joining the Obi community means connecting with fellow colleagues looking to improve the way they learn, and helping us shape what comes next.
Rewarding – Obi will help you stay motivated by gamifying your time on the site. You’ll earn pointsand badges which will earn you a higher rank – and best of all, watch your skills grow and your clinical practice improve.
That’s what Obi is all about:
High quality content delivered through digestible lessons to engage you daily. We want to build a community of learners keen on improving their clinical practice and looking to fulfill CE requirements in an enjoyable way. We hope you agree and join Obi today to find that better kind of mouse trap. Or as PETA might prefer, a better kind of mouse cap.
Hi Ryan,
This is just terrific!! I’ve always thought about the idea of having a platform like a social media, where you scroll down through knowledge, instead of selfies. Short, simple, interesting and science based! Most websites don’t have that user friendly interface like Obi, unless you use your computer you can’t do the lessons.
Thanks for bringing this idea to the veterinary industry! 🙏
Thanks Anna! We’re so thrilled you like it.
If there is ever anything you want to see on Obi please reach out. We want to build what vets need and want. Thanks for taking the time to check us out and leave us a note!!!