Veterinary Assistant (240 hours)

Course Overview/Description

Enjoy the rewards of working with animals! This exciting new online Veterinary Assistant Program can help you can make a difference. The essential skills you will learn in this program will help you keep animals healthy, care for them when they are ill, and assist veterinarians in their offices! Learn how to:

• Interact with animals and their owners.
• Obtain animal health histories and records.
• Understand veterinary medical terminology.
• Recognize the major breeds of various animals.
• Assist the veterinarian with caring for animals.
• Assist with surgical and treatment procedures.
• Recognize signs and symptoms of illness and disease.
• Perform administrative duties in the veterinarian's office.

And you'll learn it all with Gatlin Education Service's online, self-paced program. You'll get valuable information about animal-related issues from care and handling to veterinary practice and administration all from the comfort of your own home, studying at your own pace.

Veterinary Assisting is a rewarding career in a growing field. As a Veterinary Assistant you can work with animals and be a part of a professional veterinary staff. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for professional veterinary assistants will rise 39% by 2010.

Students in the online Veterinary Assistant program will learn about the care of animals as well as how to recognize signs of illness and disease. The online program also covers interpersonal communication, interaction with clients and their animals, as well as assisting the veterinarian during examinations.

Administrative duties, such as fee collection, banking, and accounts payable will be emphasized, and the student will learn basic information about pet insurance. The veterinary assisting course is a vital asset to the student who wishes to work in this exciting and rewarding career field. Textbooks are included!

Course Objectives

Upon completion of the GES Veterinary Assistant Course, students will:

• Be able to identify the roles and responsibilities of the veterinary assistant.
• Have knowledge of safety measures to prevent injury to animals and their owners, as well as the veterinary team.
• Know how to communicate in an effective manner with the veterinary team, animal owners, and visitors to the veterinary clinic.
• Be able to apply ethical and legal standards to issues in the veterinary office.
• Have knowledge of professional work habits.
• Understand proper office and compartment cleaning methods for safety of animals and the veterinary team.
• Be able to identify the major breeds of various animals.
• Understand veterinary medical terminology.
• Be able to perform office procedures related to the administration of the veterinary office.
• Understand the importance of observation skills.
• Know the importance of confidentiality.
• Understand the basics of responsible animal care.
• Know how to handle animal specimens correctly and process them accurately.
• Be able to identify opportunities for employment in the field of veterinary assisting.

Course Outline

• Veterinary Medical Terminology
• Veterinary Office Practices
• Computers in the Veterinary Practice
• The Veterinary Assistant as Communicator
• Ethics and Law in the Veterinary Office
• Billing and Collecting in the Veterinary Office
• Assisting the Veterinarian and Grooming Basics
• Preparing for Employment

Prerequisites/Audience

Prerequisites
Students should be proficient in keyboarding, have a basic understanding of a word-processing computer program (Microsoft Word recommended), and have a command of English grammar and punctuation. No veterinary office work experience is required.

The target audience for the Veterinary Assistant Program is individuals interested in learning job skills for veterinary office opportunities or individuals interested in changing job skills to become veterinary assistants.

PC Requirements/Materials Included

This course is compatible with Windows Vista Operating System.

This course can be taken from either a Mac or a PC. There are no specific computer requirements other than an Internet connection and email capability.

Textbooks will be provided for this course. Each student will receive Veterinary Office Practices, Illustrated Guide to Veterinary Medical Terminology.

Instructor Bio

Mary Mould grew up in Youngstown, Ohio and moved to Poland, Ohio in 1983. She worked in practice for 6 years and went back to school for her AS degree as a Veterinary Technician. Mary graduated from St. Petersburg College, Veterinary Technology Distance Program, in May 1999. She continued to work in practice for 6 more years and has been teaching for St. Petersburg Vet Tech Distance Program for 6 years. She also currently works as a Program Coordinator for the Vet Tech Institute in Pittsburgh, PA.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

1. How do I register?
Click on the register button at the top of the page and follow the directions. It is important that you type all your information in the boxes, then print it out to sign.  Payment and sending instructions are in the bottom right corner of the form.

2. How much do the courses cost?
The fee is in the pink box at the top of the page.

3. Can I register for courses if I live outside the United States?
Yes you can!

4. Do I ever have go to the school I register with?
All of our courses are delivered entirely online, so you never have to go to a class or travel to the school.

5. How long does it take to complete a course?
All of our courses are self-paced and open enrollment. You can start and finish the course at your own pace. When you register for a course, you are given 180 days (6 months) to complete the course. If you need more time, extensions are available.

6. Do I have to buy additional materials?
All materials are included. The cost of materials is covered by your tuition. GES ships all materials via UPS ground service upon registration.

7. Can I get financial aid?
GES courses are non-credit courses, so they do not qualify for federal aid. In some states, vocational rehab or workforce development boards will pay for qualified students to take our courses.

• GES provides a loan opportunity for students. Simply go to www.collegeloanapplication.com to apply for an easier qualifying loan at a slightly higher rate. Click here for more information on this loan program.

8. What happens when I complete the course?
Upon successful completion of the course, you will be awarded a certificate of completion from the school you registered with. You must obtain a final passing grade of 70% or greater to be awarded a certificate.

9. Am I guaranteed a job?
GES courses will provide you with the skills you need to obtain an entry-level position in most cases. We do not provide direct job placement services, but our instructors will help you build your resume and are available to give advice on finding your first job. Instructors will also be available to use as a professional reference upon completion of the course. Potential students should always do research on the job market in their area before registering.

10. Who will be my instructor?
Each student is paired up with a facilitator for one-on-one interaction. The facilitator will be available (via email or phone) to answer any questions you may have and to provide feedback on your performance. All of our facilitators are successful working professionals in the fields in which they teach.

11. What do I have to have in order to take an online course, and what are the system requirements?
In order to take our online courses, you must have access to a computer and the Internet (a normal dial-up connection is fine). You can access the course contents from any Web-enabled computer. There are no necessary plug-ins. You do not have to use the same computer to log-in to the course every time. We recommend that you have a word-processing program (Microsoft Word is best) and the latest version of Internet Explorer.

12. Can this course be taken on a Mac?
Yes.

13. How can I get more information on the course?
All of the information we have is available online under our course catalog (www.gatlineducation.com). If you have questions that are not answered online, please feel free to email us at courseinfo@gatlineducation.com or call 817-870-2870. We will answer your questions promptly.

14. When can I start the course?
Our courses are all open enrollment. You can register and start the course as soon as you are ready.