If you like animals and want a challenging career with a variety of responsibilities, this is your big chance! Veterinary assistants play a major role in the health care of pets, farm, zoo, and laboratory animals. Students will learn medical terminology, diseases and parasites, grooming and bathing, clinical, examination, treatment, and common surgical procedures, patient management, scheduling, and records maintenance. Animal anatomy, physiology, nutrition, behavior, handling, and restraining are also covered. Students also have the opportunity to participate in an internship and earn pet first aid certification.

• Veterinary Assistant
• Veterinary Technician
• Animal Control Officer
• Laboratory Animal Technician
• Veterinarian

Program Fees: 

• $50.00

Prerequisites:

Veterinary Assistant I Course

• Must be a full-time 11-12th grade student at one of the five participating satellite school districts.
• Interest in animal-related career training.
• Must have a "B" grade or higher in Biology and/or Anatomy/Physiology
• Display a good attendance record. 

Veterinary Assistant II Course

• Students applying for the second year veterinary assistant course must have achieved a minimum score on the COMPASS reading comprehension exam or successfully completed a college reading comprehension (RDG) course.
• Students must obtain an A or B grade each semester in the first year course in order to enroll in the second semester course the following year.

This program is designed to be completed in two years. Students successfully completing the two-year program will receive a certificate of completion.