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Building Technology Confidence as a Veterinary Healthcare Professional
Aug 31, 2026
Key Takeaways
- AI adoption is outpacing understanding. Nearly half of general veterinary practices now use AI, yet many professionals report low familiarity with the technology.
- Technology confidence is about understanding, not expertise. You don’t need to become an AI expert; building a solid, practical foundation in AI can help you make smart, informed decisions in a tech-enabled practice.
- Confidence grows through hands-on practice. You can build technology confidence by learning to craft prompts, critically evaluate outputs, and apply AI to everyday workflows like documentation, client communication, and diagnostics.
- Ross Vet’s AI certificates offer an accessible entry point. With no coding background required, these entry-level certificates help veterinary students and alumni build a strong AI foundation.
Artificial intelligence is reshaping how healthcare professionals work, and veterinary medicine is no exception. From AI-assisted diagnostics to automated clinical documentation, technology is becoming part of everyday practice.
For many veterinarians and veterinary students, the challenge isn’t access to these tools; it’s building the confidence to use them well. Building technology confidence means developing a solid, practical understanding of how AI works, when it helps, and where its limits are.
The good news is, you don’t need to become an AI expert. You just need a strong foundation that helps you make smart, informed decisions in a tech-enabled practice.
Why Technology Confidence Matters in Veterinary Healthcare
Confidence with technology is quickly becoming a core professional competency in veterinary medicine. Almost half (48%) of general veterinary practices are now using artificial intelligence in some form.1 However, one study showed that while 71% of veterinary professionals had incorporated AI into their practice, nearly 45% of them reported that their familiarity with the technology was low.2
In other words, many professionals are using tools they don’t fully understand. That gap between usage and understanding is exactly what technology confidence aims to close. Confidence doesn’t come from knowing every technical detail. It comes from understanding enough to ask the right questions, recognize good and bad outputs, and decide when AI genuinely adds value.
How to Build Technology Confidence: A Practical Approach
Building confidence with AI and emerging technology is a gradual, learn-by-doing process. Here’s a step-by-step approach that can work for veterinary healthcare professionals at any stage of their career.
1. Start With the Fundamentals
Before diving into tools, build a baseline understanding of how artificial intelligence works. Learn core concepts like machine learning, generative AI, and data analysis. The goal isn’t to master computer science, but to understand in plain language what these tools do.
2. Get Hands-On With Real Tools
Reading about AI only goes so far. Confidence grows through practice. Try crafting prompts, generating outputs, and comparing the results. Notice how different phrasing produces different answers, and practice evaluating whether a result is useful, accurate, or needs refinement.
3. Learn to Critically Evaluate Outputs
This is the single most important skill for confident, responsible AI use. Ask:
Is this output accurate and complete?
Does it make sense in the clinical context?
What is the tool good at, and where does it fall short?
When does AI add value, and when does it not?
Critical evaluation is what separates confident users from passive ones.
4. Understand the Ethical and Responsible Use of AI
AI for veterinarians should always complement, not replace, human judgment. That means staying accountable when technology is wrong, being transparent with pet owners about how AI informs their animal’s care, and watching for issues like algorithmic bias and data quality. A solid foundation in AI ethics helps you use these tools in ways that protect patients, clients, and your professional integrity.
5. Apply AI to Everyday Workflows
When you see real benefits in your own work, that’s when you’ll feel true technology confidence. Practical, day-to-day applications of AI in veterinary practice include:
Clinical documentation: The most popular ways to use AI in veterinary practices are in AI-assisted scribing and SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan)note creation.1
Client communication: Drafting summaries, follow-ups, and educational materials can be done quickly with AI.
Data analysis and reporting: Turn data about your practice into actionable insights.
Diagnostic support: Interpret imaging and lab results with AI assistance.
The impact is measurable. A CoVet survey of veterinary professionals using AI showed that 54% felt more in control of their time, and 53% reported having an improved work-life balance or feeling less burned out.3
Building Technology Confidence at Ross Vet
Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine is helping future veterinarians build exactly this kind of confidence. Through the AI Ready Graduates Project, Ross Vet supports students in developing AI literacy and practical skills through three core components:
Professional AI certificates that provide industry-aligned credentials.
AI competencies integrated into the curriculum to help students understand how AI intersects with clinical practice.
AI advisory collaboration that brings together industry and academic experts to guide how AI education evolves.
Ross Vet AI Certificates, in Partnership With Google Cloud
At the heart of this initiative are Ross Vet’s two entry-level AI professional development certificates:
AI Fundamentals. Explore machine learning, AI ethics, data analysis, and practical applications that carry across roles and industries. This certificate provides a broad foundation in how AI works.
AI for Veterinary Medicine Professionals. Dive deeper into core AI and generative AI concepts, ethical use in clinical settings, and practical applications across veterinary workflows—from improving clinical documentation and client communication to leveraging AI for data analysis and reporting.
These certificates are designed to be entry-level and accessible. There are no special requirements to get started, and no coding or advanced technical background is needed.
Both certificates are available to Ross Vet students and alumni at no extra cost. The educational format is flexible, self-paced, and online. You’ll receive plain-language instruction and hands-on practice. Best of all, the learning is built around the way veterinarians actually learn, work, and think.
The Future of Veterinary Medicine Is Confident, Not Just Connected
AI and predictive analytics are not just tools of today; they are shaping the future of veterinary medicine. From education to practice to research, tomorrow’s veterinarians will be expected to integrate data-driven insights into every stage of care.
The professionals who thrive won’t necessarily be the ones who know the most about the underlying technology. They’ll be the ones who are confident enough to use it thoughtfully, critical enough to know its limits, and curious enough to keep learning as the tools evolve.
Building technology confidence is a journey. With the right foundation, that journey is open to every veterinary healthcare professional, no technical background required.
2Source: www.frontiersin.org/journals/veterinary-science/articles/10.3389/fvets.2026.1727001/full
3Source: co.vet/post/covet-2026-veterinary-ai-survey
Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine confers a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree, which is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (AVMA COE), 1931 N. Meacham Road, Suite 100, Schaumburg, IL 60173, Tel: 800.248.2862. For more information, please visit www.avma.org/education/accreditation-veterinary-colleges.
The AVMA COE uses defined standards to evaluate veterinary medical education programs, including facilities, clinical resources, curriculum, faculty, student outcomes, and research programs. The standards are interpreted and applied by the AVMA COE- accredited veterinary medical education programs in relation to its mission.
The information and material contained in this article and on this website are for informational purposes only and should not be considered, or used in place of, professional medical advice. Please speak with a licensed medical provider for specific questions or concerns. Ross Vet is not responsible for the information maintained or provided on third-party websites or external links.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does it mean to build technology confidence as a healthcare professional? Building technology confidence means developing a practical, working understanding of tools like AI—enough to use them responsibly, evaluate their outputs critically, and know when they add value. It’s not about becoming a technical expert; it’s about becoming an informed, confident user.
Do I need a coding or technical background to learn AI for veterinary medicine? No. The AI certificates offered through Ross Vet are designed for beginners, with no coding or advanced technical background required. The instruction uses plain language and hands-on practice to make the concepts accessible.
What do the Ross Vet AI certificates cover? The certificates cover core AI and generative AI concepts, ethical use in clinical settings, prompt design, critical evaluation of AI outputs, and practical applications across veterinary workflows such as clinical documentation, client communication, and data analysis.
Will earning an AI certificate make me an AI expert? These entry-level certificates provide a solid foundation of understanding rather than expert-level mastery. They’re meant to help you use AI tools confidently and responsibly in your profession, with room to grow as the technology evolves.
Who is eligible for the AI certificates at Ross Vet? The AI for Veterinary Medicine Professionals certificate is available to Ross Vet students and alumni at no extra cost. There are no prerequisites to get started.
The information and material contained in this article and on this website are for informational purposes only and should not be considered, or used in place of, professional medical advice. Please speak with a licensed medical provider for specific questions or concerns. Ross Vet is not responsible for the information maintained or provided on third-party websites or external links.
