Mar 29, 2024  
Catalog 2021-2022 
    
Catalog 2021-2022 [ARCHIVED CATALOG]

Veterinary Assistant


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Program Description


​Veterinary Assistants assist in kennel care, assist veterinary technicians during exams of animals and provide support throughout the veterinary office. They are employed at animal shelters, animal emergency centers and veterinary practices.

Program Outcomes


Upon successful completion of this Continuing Education Workforce Certificate, students will be able to:

1. demonstrate effective skills to work in Veterinary practices and effectively assist Veterinary Technicians,
2. employ proper professional communication and employable skills in the workplace, and
3. perform to a professional standard the operation of ​the Veterinary practice.

Program Credential


Successful Completion:

CCBC Credential: Students will be awarded a Continuing Education Workforce Certificate, and will have access to a Continuing Education academic record (transcript).

Students will be prepared to work in an entry level position in animal care.

Financial Aid and Payment Options


CCBC currently offers Continuing Education (CE) financial aid to those who qualify. We package public and private funding options to benefit students which include COVID-19 relief funding, the Maryland Sequence Scholarship, CCBC Opportunity Grant funding, Maryland Promise, and Baltimore County College Promise. Financial aid funding is available for select CE courses and programs. 

Additional opportunities for financial support include partial payment options through Nelnet Business Solutions and tuition waivers for those who qualify. Resources outside of CCBC may also be available through employer/sponsor paid tuition,  the Department of Rehabilitation Services (DORS), and your local office of workforce development. 

For more information about funding resources and how to apply for them, please contact the CCBC Continuing Education Information Center at 443-840-4700.

Program Length


16-20 weeks

Veterinary Assistant starts three times a year at CCBC Essex beginning in January/February, June, September.

Program Requirements


Must be 18 years or older, computer literate; and Internet access. Clinical eligibility is in part dependent upon a criminal background check and random urine drug testing. Cost of the test is the responsibility of the student. More information will provided in Veterinary Assistant II.

A High School Diploma or GED is NOT required for program entry but may be required for employment.

Students must have the following paperwork turned in to the Coordinator PRIOR to the start of Veterinary Assistant IV:

  • Tetanus shot (less than ten years)
  • Copy of health insurance card

Prior Learning Assessment


This program has no options for obtaining course waiver(s) for prior learning.

Application Process


To apply, go to www.ccbcmd.edu/apply and complete the CCBC Continuing Education Workforce Certificate program application.  An email will then be sent with program information and any additional requirements necessary to apply for the program.

Open Entry – No screening or documentation required.

Program Course Sequence


Course Number

Course Title

Course Hours

Costs

T=Tuition/F=Fees

Textbook Information

(approximate cost; subject to change)

AHE 752

Veterinary Assistant I

30

$440

T-$132/F-$308

Handouts online

AHE 753

Veterinary Assistant II

30

$330

T-$99/F-$231

Handouts online

AHE 754

Veterinary Assistant III

30

$330

T-$99/F-$231

Handouts online

AHE 755

Veterinary Assistant IV (Clinical)

45

$220

T-$66/F-$154

None

Course Series Totals:

 

135

$1320

T-$396/F-$924

 

Additional Information


Additional Expenses:
Students are responsible for the cost of medical expenses, background checks, uniforms and other miscellaneous expenses totaling approximately $300.

Skills for Success:
See Technical Standards at the end of this document.

Career Opportunities:

​Veterinary offices are always looking for entry level staff. Students are often hired at the site where they complete their clinical hours.

Students who complete the Veterinary Assistant Program (AHE752, AHE753, AHE754, AHE755) will be eligible to sit for the Departmental Exam for VETT 106 to receive credit in the Veterinary Technology program and will receive additional points on their application when applying for the Veterinary Technician Program at CCBC.

Career Coach


Research your career interests, explore live job postings, take a career assessment, discover which companies in the Baltimore region are hiring, and more.  View a brief tutorial video on how to use Career Coach at: https://youtu.be/C7KpznbPYfA .  Explore career and training opportunities at: https://ccbcmd.emsicc.com/.

Program Contact Information


For more information email CEHealth@ccbcmd.edu​

Technical Standards


Technical Standards for CCBC’s Veterinary Assistant Training Program

The primary goal of The Community College of Baltimore County’s Veterinary Assistants training program is to prepare individuals interested in working with animals in an entry-level position in animal shelters, animal emergency centers and veterinary practices.  The duties of a Veterinary Assistant require the ability to routinely lift animals and sustain long hours of active work. They need to clean and disinfect cages and work areas, and sterilize laboratory and surgical equipment.  Assistants may provide routine post-operative care, and administer medication orally or topically, or prepare samples for laboratory examination under the supervision of veterinary or laboratory animal technologists or technicians or veterinarians.

Following is a partial listing of the types of skills typically required for adequate job performance:

Physical Requirements:

A. Sufficient strength and mobility to:

  • Lift or move animals up to 50 pounds or more
  • Ability to use your abdominal and lower back muscles to support part of the body continuously over time without giving out

B. Fine motor coordination sufficient to perform precise tasks such as:

  • Ability to make precise movements of the fingers of one or both hands to grasp, manipulate, or assemble very small objects
  • Ability to keep your arm and hand steady
  • Ability to bend, stretch, twist, or reach with your body, arms, and/or legs

C. Adequate vision to:

  • See details at a distance

D. Sufficient hearing to:

  • Hear and give verbal instructions in person under noisy conditions
  • Identify and understand the speech of another person

Interpersonal Skills and Professionalism:

A. Have the ability to:

  • Develop constructive and cooperative working relationships with others and maintain them over time
  • Provide customer and personal services, including the ability to perform customer needs assessment, meet quality matters standards, and evaluate customer satisfaction
  • Maintain proper certifications required to perform the duties of the profession

B. Sufficient communication skills to:

  • Provide information to supervisors, coworkers, and subordinates by telephone, written form, email, and in person
  • Communicating with people outside of the organization and representing the organization to customers
  • Communicate in a calm and professional manner

Intellectual Ability and Emotional Stability To:

  • Apply critical thinking and problem solving skills
  • Exercise independent judgment to properly perform tasks at hand
  • Work calmly and efficiently in a fast-paced, stressful environment
  • Maintain calm during emergency situations

Environment Requirements:

  • Working in an environment that is often noisy
  • Working in an often times stressful and fast paced environment
  • Working in an environment with unpleasant odors (feces).

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