Veterinary Degrees Online

The Veterinary Technician works under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian in assisting with animal health care, in a wide variety of employment settings. He/she is a valuable asset to the veterinary medical team. The role of a Vet Tech in an animal health care setting is a diverse and exciting one. The technician is expected to be knowledgeable in many areas of veterinary care. Some of these areas include: surgery, anesthesia, radiology, bandaging, pharmacology, dentistry, nutrition, laboratory procedures, animal care and handling, client communication, receptionist skills, and office management. Knowledge of a variety of species of animals is essential as well.

Program Overview:
The Veterinary Technology program at Pierpont Community College was established in 1976 and is one of approximately 100 such programs and is fully accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association. This accreditation qualifies graduates of the program to take the National Board Exam and the licensing exam in every state to become Registered Veterinary Technicians. This is a two-year associate degree program and is not a pre-veterinary medicine course of study.

Students in the program receive training in all aspects necessary to become educated, competent and professional Veterinary Technicians. Areas of study include: anatomy & physiology, chemistry, microbiology, parasitology, animal diseases, animal care and handling, pharmacology and clinical procedures relative to farm and laboratory animals. These areas of study involve both classroom lectures as well as practical laboratories using live animals.

As part of the educational program students receive practical experience by doing two preceptorships in two separate veterinary facilities. The student does have a choice in the type of facility in which to gain clinical experience. These preceptorships provide the student with over 500 hours of actual work experience and also the potential for job references or recommendations.

Veterinary Technology (VETT) prepares students with knowledge and skills necessary to provide general veterinary nursing care and technical
assistance in the varied disciplines found in the practice of veterinary medicine and surgery. These include nurse anesthetist, operating room
technician, radiology technician, dental hygienist, medical laboratory technician, as well as clinical and practice management. The program is
recognized by the Nevada State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners and is currently preparing for accreditation evaluation by the American
Veterinary Medical Association’s Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities. Students that complete the program are qualified
to sit for state and national licensing examinations and enter into practice as a licensed veterinary technician. The Veterinary Technology
Program has entered into a unique partnership with the Western Veterinary Conference that allows sharing of resources such as facilities, equipment,
and educational opportunities to augment the student’s learning experience. This partnership also makes available nationally and internationally
recognized Doctors of Veterinary Medicine that act as visiting instructors in many disciplines. Entrance requirements into this
Certificate program require documented 4,000 hours work experience in a veterinary practice.

Veterinary Technology (VETT) prepares students with knowledge and skills necessary to provide general veterinary nursing care and technical
assistance in the varied disciplines found in the practice of veterinary medicine and surgery. These include nurse anesthetist, operating room
technician, radiology technician, dental hygienist, medical laboratory technician, as well as clinical and practice management. The program is
recognized by the Nevada State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners and is fully accredited by the American Veterinary Medical
Association (AVMA) Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA), 1931 N. Meacham Rd., Suite 100,
Schaumburg, IL 60173, (800) 248-2862. Students that complete the program are qualified to sit for state and national licensing examinations
and enter into practice as a licensed veterinary technician. The Veterinary Technology Program has entered into a unique partnership with the
Western Veterinary Conference that allows sharing of resources such as facilities, equipment, and educational opportunities to augment the student’s
learning experience. This partnership also makes available nationally and internationally recognized Doctors of Veterinary Medicine that
act as visiting instructors in many disciplines.

Veterinarians play a major role in the health care of pets, livestock, zoo, sporting, and laboratory animals. Some veterinarians use their skills to protect humans against diseases carried by animals and conduct clinical research on human and animal health problems. Others work in basic research, broadening the scope of fundamental theoretical knowledge, and in applied research, developing new ways to use knowledge.

Prospective veterinarians must graduate with a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM or VMD) degree from a four-year program at an accredited college of veterinary medicine and must obtain a license to practice. There are 28 colleges in 26 states that meet accreditation standards set by the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Council on Education. The prerequisites for admission vary. Many of these colleges do not require a bachelor’s degree for entrance, but all require a significant number of credit hours—from 45 to 90 s.h.—at the undergraduate level. However, most of the students admitted have completed an undergraduate program. Applicants without a bachelor’s degree find it difficult to gain admittance.

In addition to satisfying pre-veterinary course requirements, applicants must submit test scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), the Veterinary College Admission Test (VCAT), or the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), depending on the preference of the college to which they are applying. Currently, 22 schools require the GRE, 4 require the VCAT, and 2 accept the MCAT.

he Atlantic Veterinary College is fully accredited by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, American Veterinary Medical Association, and Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons. Graduates are eligible for licensure in Canada, the US and UK. Our graduates achieve a high success rate in licensing examinations and have excellent worldwide employment opportunities.

The AVC’s curriculum is a four-year program. Emphasis during the first year is on form and function of normal animals. Second year introduces students to disease processes, agents, and treatments, as well as clinical applications. During third year, courses focus on clinical studies of large and small animals, and expand on herd-health principles for farmed species including aquatic species. In the fourth year, courses consist of core and elective clinical rotations.

Students select clinical rotations from nearly 50 choices, including traditional rotations in large and small-animal medicine and surgery, specialized experiences with dairy, beef, or aquaculture farms, and advanced rotations in acupuncture, cardiology, wildlife, and fish pathology.

This is an 8-quarter program with the last quarter consisting of an externship during which students will work with a veterinarian in a veterinary office. The veterinary technology program is accredited by the Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA), a division of the American Veterinary Medical Association. As a student in this program, you are trained to assist veterinarians in all aspects of a veterinary practice, including patient care, medical administration, surgical preparation, equipment maintenance, radiological procedures, laboratory procedures, public relations and office procedures. Upon graduation, the veterinary technician is qualified to take the National Veterinary Technician Exam and/or any other state exam required for registration, certification or licensure in that state.