Veterinary Technician Classes

Veterinary technology is a career that requires both formal study and experienced. Veterinary technician classes are required, and these can either by through two-year Associate Degrees or more extensive four-year Bachelor’s Degrees. The students acquire professional knowledge and practice through internships and practicum. With these, students will have firsthand experience of proper animal care procedures, execute laboratory examinations and study how surgical nursing methods are used to promote the well-being of different animals. Most graduates believe that both veterinary technician classes and internships come in useful when they start their career with full-time jobs as vet techs.

Today, admission to veterinary colleges is very competitive because of the numerous qualified students each year. In order to acquire satisfying class requirements, students should get good scores from regular tests like the Veterinary College Admission Test (VCAT), the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT).

Curriculum Summary

A veterinary technician program’s curriculum involves not only concepts and theories but also practical applications in different areas. These include animal nurture, laboratory and surgical procedures. To become a veterinary technician, you must develop knowledge and skills in animal anatomy, animal anesthesiology, animal nursing, animal dentistry, parasitology, pharmacology, public health, animal physiology, radiology and zoonotic diseases. These requirements are supervised by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB).

Areas of Specialization

Whereas many eterinary technicians carry out general duties, others choose to concentrate in a specific area. Recently, there are 20 areas of specializations as recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). These include anesthesiology, behavior, dermatology, emergency and critical care, internal medicine, cardiology, oncology, ophthalmology, neurology, radiology and surgery. If you are interested in concentrating your knowledge, there are schools who offer specialized courses in some of these areas. The Academy of Veterinary Emergency Critical Care Technicians, Academy of Veterinary Technician Anesthetists, Academy of Veterinary Dental Technicians, and the Society of Veterinary Behavior Technicians are organizations that grant veterinary technicians with the preparation they need to concentrate in the diverse varieties of veterinary profession.

Course Outline

The various Veterinary Technician programs often organize courses in order to prepare students to obtain knowledge and practical skill in this field. These classes will help you gain knowledge in medical jargon, anatomy and physiology, office administration, examination procedures, radiologic, dental and surgical measures. A vet tech curriculum usually takes 16 months to study, but programs across schools might vary in intensity and length.

The students in Veterinary schools generally take the following classes, which hold emphasis on the sciences: organic and inorganic chemistry, physics, biochemistry, general biology, animal biology, animal nutrition, genetics, vertebrate embryology, cellular biology, microbiology, zoology, and systemic physiology.

Furthermore, several programs require calculus, statistics, college algebra and trigonometry, or somply pre-calculus. In addition, some veterinary schools also call for some classes in English or literature, and the social sciences as a fundamental foundation of teaching. Moreover, some subjects such as general business management and career development are considered as a regular branch of the curriculum. Since the profession often entails high quality care for animals, these courses will be the basic foundations in your chosen career.