Veterinary Assistant Program
What is a Veterinary Assistant?
Veterinary assistants are dedicated to aiding domestic animals of every shape and size. They are responsible for feeding and bathing animals, administering medication as prescribed by the veterinarian and help the veterinary team with animal nursing.
Veterinary assistants can find work in a wide range of environments, such as private veterinary clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. Some animal hospitals and shelters operate 24 hours a day, which may make rotating shifts available.
Certificate Program
As a veterinary assistant student at Pima Medical Institute, your education and training will include learning the important skills that will prepare you for an entry-level position, from animal emergency medicine and lab procedures to nursing skills and more, with a special emphasis on small animal techniques. Pima's Veterinary Assistant training program will instruct you how to properly clean and disinfect cages and work areas, sterilize lab and surgical equipment, provide routine post-operative care, administer medication orally or topically and prepare samples for lab examination, under supervision.
Courses:
| Course # | Course | Theory | Lab | Extern | Credits | ||||
| CAT 150 | Anatomy, Physiology, and Terminology* | 55 | 3.5 | ||||||
| CSK 100 | Study Skills* | 15 | 1.0 | ||||||
| CCB 100 | Computer Basics* | 15 | 0.5 | ||||||
| CMF 95 | Math Fundamentals* | 20 | 1.0 | ||||||
| CHS 100 | CPR & First Aid* | 10 | 5 | 0.5 | |||||
| Career Prep Sequence Total | 100 | 20 | 6.5 | ||||||
*Successful completion of CSK 100, CAT 150, CCB 100, CMF 95, and CHS 100 is required either online or on-ground prior to externship. | |||||||||
| Course # | Course | Theory | Lab | Extern | Credits | ||||
| VTA 125 | Comparative Veterinary Anatomy & Physiology | 45 | 3.0 | ||||||
| VTA 130 | Clinical Lab Procedures and Pathology | 15 | 60 | 3.0 | |||||
| Professional Sequence I Total | 60 | 60 | 6.0 | ||||||
| Course # | Course | Theory | Lab | Extern | Credits | ||||
| VTA 150 | Animal Life Stages, Nutrition, and Husbandry | 45 | 3.0 | ||||||
| VTA 160 | Animal Nursing and Diagnostic Imaging | 15 | 60 | 3.0 | |||||
| Professional Sequence II Total | 60 | 60 | 6.0 | ||||||
| Course # | Course | Theory | Lab | Extern | Credits | ||||
| VTA 110 | Office Procedures | 15 | 1.0 | ||||||
| VTA 165 | Pharmacology and Principles of Anesthesia | 45 | 3.0 | ||||||
| VTA 170 | Aseptic Technique and Surgical Assisting | 15 | 45 | 2.5 | |||||
| Professional Sequence III Total | 75 | 45 | 6.5 | ||||||
| Course # | Course | Theory | Lab | Extern | Credits | ||||
| VTA 275 | Externship | 240 | 5.0 | ||||||
| Externship Total | 240 | 5.0 | |||||||
| PROGRAM TOTALS | 295 | 185 | 240 | 30.0* | |||||
*The South Denver program includes one unique class (PSY 101 Interpersonal Communications, 1 credit). The total number of credits for the Veterinary Assistant program in South Denver is 31 credits.
Job Outlook
Pima Medical Institute’s Veterinary Assistant training classes will prepare you for success in this rewarding field.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of Veterinary Assistants is expected to grow 14 percent nationally through 2020.*
Program Length
Approximately 9 months
For more detailed information on Pima's Veterinary Assistant training program specifics and financial aid eligibility, please visit your local campus below.
Albuquerque, New Mexico Chula Vista, California Colorado Springs, Colorado Denver, Colorado East Valley, Arizona Houston, Texas Las Vegas, Nevada Mesa, Arizona Renton, Washington Seattle, Washington South Denver, Colorado NEW! Tucson, Arizona
*Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2012-13 Edition, Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers, on the Internet at http://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/veterinary-assistants-and-laboratory-animal-caretakers.htm
