Where Can I Train to Become a Vet Assistant?
If you want to become a vet assistant you may be disappointed if you have your heart set on attending a brick and mortar school near you. Chances are good that you do not live within easy traveling distance of a school that offers an in-person certificate program. Don’t let this stop you from fulfilling your dream of working with animals, though. There actually is an excellent veterinary assistant school near you–wherever you are you can earn your certificate online!
Online Vet Assistant Programs are a Solid Option
Whether you live in a tiny crossroads hamlet or a huge city, you can benefit from educational opportunities online. Programs like vet assisting offer accessibility and great value. As long as you have reliable internet service, you can receive a quality post-secondary education. Because coursework is completed online, you can enroll in and begin a program at any time.
Among the most highly regarded online animal career schools is Animal Behavior College. ABC offers one of the few online programs for veterinary assistants that is approved by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians of America (NAVTA). You can complete the coursework in the comfort of your own home and be assured that you are getting excellent preparation for a rewarding career in animal care.
In addition to receiving great preparation for a vet assisting career, the ABC program does not take years to complete. A motivated student can earn your certificate in only 12 months.
Get Real World Experience Working with Animals
Still, you might be thinking that a brick-and-mortar school would have a huge advantage over an online school if you plan to have a career as a veterinary assistant. After all, a training program for a career in veterinary medicine should offer the chance to work with animals, right? Real world experience matters! For exactly that reason, Animal Behavior College developed their externship program which is part of every student’s veterinary assistant program curriculum.
In order to make the externship a practical reality, ABC has built relationships with veterinary hospitals and clinics nationwide. Currently, the school partners with more than 4,000 veterinary practices in the United States and Canada. Such an extensive network of professionals allows ABC to provide local one-on-one mentorship for all students, no matter where they live.
Before the externship can begin, a student must complete the first nine stages of the online curriculum. After that, each student is paired up with a professional in a nearby veterinary practice. The externship consists of 100 hours of unpaid (volunteer) work experience during which
students practice what they learned in their coursework. Throughout the externship they may engage in tasks associated with veterinary medicine, such as surgical procedure, animal restraint, prepping exam rooms, and laboratory procedures. The level of involvement a student has during their volunteer hours is directly related to the aptitude they demonstrate while on site with their mentor. In addition, students receive valuable feedback from veterinary professionals.
Comprehensive Veterinary Assistant Curriculum
Animal health care demands a wide base of knowledge. The comprehensive ABC curriculum consists of:
- Office etiquette and hospital procedures
- Animal restraint
- Examination room procedures
- Pharmacy and Pharmacology
- Surgical preparation and assisting
- Small animal nursing
- Laboratory procedures
- Radiology and ultrasound imaging
- Career building
- Externship (including Pet CPR and First Aid)
- Final examination and graduation
With such a wide-ranging curriculum combined with invaluable real world experience, ABC students can be confident in having the necessary knowledge and skills to succeed in their chosen careers.
ABC Grads Know Their Stuff!
Upon successful completion of the program, graduates become approved ABC Veterinary Assistants (ABCVA). This accomplishment can make a job applicant stand out to potential employers. Veterinarians recognize that as a NAVTA-approved program, ABC produces graduates who “know their stuff” and have a good understanding of what the job entails.
If you are serious about becoming a vet assistant, don’t you owe it to yourself to get the best training possible? Animal Behavior College excels at preparing students to work as veterinary assistants as well as other rewarding animal careers such as zookeeper assisting, service dog training, and aquarium.
