First thing in the morning, Chaves checks VIN’s news headline’s. “First, I questioned the need for it,” he says, “but then I realized that these were stories or perspectives on stories that are relevant to vets.” Like everything else at VIN, news stories are archived and searchable.

Mid-morning, he consults the VIN Drug and Food Recall Center to stay on top of recalled products and checks clinical updates relevant to his cases.

On his lunch break, he logs into VIN to connect with peers and keep up with conversations going on in his profession.

In the afternoon, Chaves contacts a specialist to consult about a difficult surgery. Before VIN, he would have spent hours tracking down an appropriate expert, often from among the faculty of different veterinary schools. Now, his online query to one of VIN’s specialists is answered in minutes.

Late in the day, he gets answers to questions and advice from peers who have dealt with similar issues. The discussion that his questions generate is archived and indexed, adding to the community’s ever-growing body of knowledge.

“I just couldn’t live without VIN,” he says. Shouldn’t that be the goal of every association?

[Disclosure: Dr. Colin Chaves is the author’s son.]

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