Veterinary Assistant Certificate Level ICERTIFICATE

The one year veterinary technology certificate provides the graduate with information, skills and experience he/ she will need to follow a fulfilling career in a veterinary hospital, a zoological garden, industry, a medical research laboratory, a governmental regulatory program or the Veterinary Medical Corp.

An individual spends time in laboratories working with cows, dogs, cats, horses, pigs, sheep, goats, exotics and even the more traditional laboratory animals like mice and rabbits. Upon graduation, the student is free to pursue any type of animal care situation they so desire.

General Guidelines
Academically serious students anticipating entrance into the Veterinary Technology program must be at college level in Math, English, and Reading [after admission examinations are completed and have been reviewed]. If admission examinations indicate the student is in need of remediation, the student must successfully complete those requirements before applying for entry into the program. Application deadline is June 1st of each year.

Admission information
Applicants for the Certificate program must meet the same admission criteria as for the AAS degree and complete the same application process.
In addition to the admission requirements of the Lone Star College, the following are requirements for admission into the Veterinary Technology program:

Prerequisites

• College-Level Readiness
  All Applicants must be at college level English, Reading and Math.
  Any student anticipating entrance into the veterinary technology program should ensure that remediation is not required after admission examinations are completed and have been reviewed. If admission examinations indicate the student is in need of remediation in math, writing or reading, the student must successfully complete those requirements before applying for entry into the veterinary technology program.
• All prerequisite courses on the program must be passed with a grade of 'C' or better.
  • If completed prior to program admission, Math 1314 College Algebra must have been completed within the past 5 years and earned a grade of 'C' or better.
  • If completed prior to program admission, BIOL 1406 Biology I must have been completed within the past 5 years and earned a grade of 'C' or better.
     

Criminal background check
Will be required when applying for licensure by the Texas Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners.

Immunizations
No required immunizations but Tetanus and Rabies are recommended.
 

Physical requirements
Physical ability and stamina sufficient to restrain, lift, & assist in the care of a variety of species of animals. Ability to stand for extended periods of time. Ability to withstand extreme weather conditions. Immune system competence. Safely lift, position and restrain animals such as; dogs, cats, cattle and horses, and supplies for treatment. Surgical assistance. Daily clinical routine, cleaning cages and feeding animals. Year round treatment and care of outdoor animals. Exposure to a wide range of chemical and biological agents.

• Some Examples of Skills and Aptitude Needed for Success in a Veterinary Technology Career:
  • Critical Thinking-Critical thinking sufficient for clinical judgment. Identify cause-effect relationships in clinical situations. Develop nursing care plans. Demonstrate problem solving skills. Adapt to stressful situations.
     
  • Interpersonal-Interpersonal abilities sufficient to interact with patients, clients, families & groups from a variety of social, emotional, cultural & intellectual backgrounds. Establish rapport with patients/clients & colleagues. Recognize appropriate boundaries in relationships with patients/clients & colleagues.
     
  • Communication-Communication abilities for interaction with others orally & in writing. Explain treatment procedures, initiate health teaching, document & interpret nursing actions and patient/client responses.
     
  • Mobility-Physical abilities sufficient to move from room to room, maneuver in small spaces & provide assistance to patients. Safely move around in patient & treatment areas. Administer CPR. Provide physical assistance to clients & colleagues to ensure safety within the environment. Ability to prevent or escape injury caused by animals. (i.e. biting, kicking, stampede)
     
  • Motor Skills-Gross & fine motor abilities sufficient to provide safe, effective nursing care in a timely manner. Use of instruments, supplies, safety devices and communication equipment in the care of patients. Performance of nursing care, surgical assistance, & laboratory techniques. Hearing-Auditory ability sufficient to monitor and assess health needs. Hear auscultatory sounds, monitor alarms, emergency signals, and cries for help. Hear warning sounds from animals and humans of impending danger/injury.
     
  • Visual-Visual ability sufficient for observation and assessment necessary in nursing care. Observe patients for expected and unexpected physical and emotional responses to nursing and medical treatment regimens. Use of diagnostic equipment such as a microscope, thermometer, refractometer, etc.
     
  • Tactile-Tactile ability sufficient for physical assessment and to perform nursing duties in a timely manner. Perform palpation functions of physical exam. Administer oral, intramuscular, subcutaneous, & intravenous medications. Insert and remove tubes and perform wound care management. Surgical assistance.
     
  • Physical Condition-Physical ability and stamina sufficient to restrain, lift, & assist in the care of a variety of species of animals. Ability to stand for extended periods of time. Ability to withstand extreme weather conditions. Immune system competence. Safely lift, position and restrain animals such as; dogs, cats, cattle and horses, and supplies for treatment. Surgical assistance. Daily clinical routine, cleaning cages and feeding animals. Year-round treatment and care of outdoor animals. Exposure to a wide range of chemical and biological agents.

Minimum age requirement-
Per LSC board policy, students must be 18 years of age by the application deadline for consideration of acceptance to any LSC Health Occupation program, including Veterinary Technology. 

VI.A.2.1. Health Occupation Programs Admissions Policy Health Occupation programs do not consider applications from Prospective Students not at least 18 years old at the time of the program application's deadline-except that LSC-Tomball may honor a current contractual obligation with Klein ISD requiring the admission of students below the age of 18 years old. Any applicant that willfully misrepresents Material Information on the application will not be accepted or conditionally remain in a Health Occupation Program.
 

Application process
After visiting with an advisor, the student should submit a separate application to the veterinary technology program with a duplicate of the college transcript(s).

• Note: the application to the veterinary technology program should be co-signed by a LSC-Tomball advisor during the student's visit to the admissions department. Go to LoneStar.edu/veterinary-technology-dept-Tomball for the veterinary technology admissions application.

Program applications are reviewed and evaluated for fall admission on June 1 of each year based on the following criteria: Degree holder, Completion of all non-vet tech courses/GPA, Completion of a portion of non-vet tech courses/GPA, No college courses complete or a high school graduate, Essay.
 

All applicants will be notified by June 15 of their status. Students may be notified by letter, e-mail or phone. It is the responsibility of the applicant to ensure all personal information on the application is current.

The veterinary technology program will have an information session at the end of June each year. Students that have received admission notifications are required to attend this mandatory meeting. Important information on rules and program requirements will be covered in detail by the program faculty and staff, and questions will be welcomed.

Admitted Student Requirements
When admitted to the veterinary technology program, the student should ensure that non-veterinary technology courses (math, English, etc.) are never scheduled between 7:30 a.m. and 8:50 a.m. Monday through Friday and from 8:00-9:00 a.m. Saturday and Sunday. This time is reserved for all animal clinical laboratories at LSC-Tomball.

Students receiving admission to the program should be aware that books and other supplies are required for every class along with special clothing for all clinical laboratories. Externships and field trips while enrolled in the program will incur additional costs due to travel. Students should expect to purchase all clothing supplies at the beginning of their first fall semester and all classroom supplies should be purchased during the first week of each VTHT class.
 

Progression requirements
To remain in good standing and progress within the veterinary technology curriculum, students must:

• maintain a cumulative grade point average of 2.0,
• earn a grade of 'C' or better in each veterinary technology and general education course designated in the VTHT certificate or VTHT degree plan, and
• successfully complete all concurrent veterinary technology courses to advance to the next level.

Equipment/uniform requirements

Costs incurred while in the nursing program include tuition and fees for the veterinary technology courses as well as additional expenses for textbooks, uniforms, testing fees, clinical/lab equipment, and licensure fees. Veterinary technology students are also responsible for the costs of their background checks, and transportation to and from clinical agencies for day and evening learning experiences. Students enrolled in the veterinary technology program are required to take nationally-normed tests throughout the curriculum and to make satisfactory scores on each test. All costs for the exams and remediation are the student's responsibility. Review the veterinary technology website at https://www.lonestar.edu/tomball-vettech.htm for further details.

Clinical requirements

Students are responsible for attending orientations and following all policies and procedures at any veterinary care facility to which they are assigned. The annual medical requirements must be current. Professional behavior is expected at all times.

Readmission/Reapplication Requirements
The VTHT programs will only allow a student to be admitted into the Lone Star College VTHT program up to 2 (two) times. Students who have failed or withdrawn from the VTHT program will be considered on an individual basis. Readmission is not automatic and is based on remediation of an individual problem area and space availability. Students who request readmission to the program might be invited to interview with the program's Readmission Committee. At this interview the student will be asked to describe what steps have been taken in the intervening months to improve the chance of success and an action plan for improvement of academic and/or clinical performance. Readmission into the associate degree program must occur within two years of non-completion. Readmission into the veterinary technology programs must occur within one year. Upon readmission, students who previously failed or withdrew from a veterinary technology course must repeat all concurrent/co-requisite veterinary technology courses. A student may be readmitted one time only.

Reapplication Guidelines
The readmission rule does not apply to first semester veterinary technology students. Students who fail or withdraw in the first semester of the program may reapply for a potential second admission but will only be accepted one additional time. Students who have reapplied and been accepted into the veterinary technology program are required to repeat all veterinary technology courses. The student must also meet all current veterinary technology program requirements.

Transfer Guidelines
Transfer requests will be evaluated on an individual basis.
 

Statement of licensure eligibility
Students in veterinary technology at LSC are considered eligible to sit for the State (LVTE) and National (VTNE) Veterinary Technology Board Examinations when they have completed all required coursework and have received their AAS degree in veterinary technology from LSC-Tomball.

Program Accreditation

The Veterinary Technology program at LSC-Tomball is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association and students are eligible to take all State and National Board examinations to become licensed veterinary technician (LVT) in Texas to work in all areas of animal health care.

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