Vet Students: Don't Miss This Exclusive Purina Workshop at WVC Nashville

Some opportunities at veterinary conferences are easy to skip.

This isn't one of them.

At this year's WVC in Nashville, veterinary students have access to an exclusive workshop that tackles a topic many veterinarians wish they had learned earlier: how to navigate the emotional realities of practice while building a career that actually fits who they are.

And here's the catch: there are only 36 seats available.

Hosted by Purina and led by Dr. Ainsley Bone, Beyond the Exam Room: Communication, Emotional Intelligence & Career Alignment is intentionally designed as a small-group experience. This isn't a lecture hall packed with hundreds of attendees checking their phones in the back row. It's an interactive workshop where students will participate in discussions, exercises, reflection activities, and real-world case scenarios.

The limited enrollment is by design.

Veterinary medicine is a people profession. The skills that determine success often aren't clinical—they're human. Learning how to handle difficult conversations, build trust, manage emotions under pressure, and make confident career decisions requires participation, not passive listening.

What You'll Learn

During this 110-minute workshop, students will explore:

• Why people react the way they do during stressful situations, including the neuroscience behind fight, flight, and freeze responses.

• Practical communication tools for navigating emotional client interactions.

• Strategies for building trust and improving outcomes for patients, clients, and veterinary teams.

• How to identify your personal values, strengths, and sources of fulfillment.

• A framework for making career decisions that align with the veterinarian you want to become.

The Skills Nobody Grades You On—But Everyone Notices

You can be an excellent clinician and still struggle with difficult conversations.

You can graduate with outstanding grades and still feel uncertain about your career path.

The reality is that veterinary medicine requires much more than medical knowledge. Every day, veterinarians are called upon to manage emotions, communicate through conflict, support grieving clients, and make decisions that align with both professional goals and personal values.

Those skills rarely get the same attention as surgery labs or exam preparation, yet they often have the greatest impact on long-term success and career satisfaction.

Why the Small Group Matters

With only 36 participants, attendees will have the opportunity to engage directly with Dr. Bone and their peers in a way that's simply not possible in larger conference sessions.

Questions can be asked.
Ideas can be explored.
Conversations can happen.

The result is a more meaningful experience and practical takeaways that students can immediately apply during clinical rotations, externships, interviews, and throughout their careers.

Event Details

Beyond the Exam Room: Communication, Emotional Intelligence & Career Alignment
Saturday, August 15
12:00 PM – 1:50 PM
WVC Nashville
Open to Veterinary Students Only
Limited to 36 Participants

The veterinary profession will spend years teaching you how to diagnose disease.

This workshop focuses on something equally important: understanding people, understanding yourself, and building the career you want.

With only 36 seats available, this is one session students won't want to wait to register for. Students register for WVC Nashville here for free: WVC Nashville Sign Up