Veterinary Assisting Programs

Admissions and Course Prerequisites:

All students entering AHDPG must submit or achieve the following:

• High School Diploma or the Equivalent, or Academic, Employer or Family Sponsorship.
• Complete the assessment associated with their respective program, as necessary.
• Maintain up-to-date information on the AHDPG Student Profile.

Program Overview:

The Veterinary Assistant program prepares learners for a new career in the field of veterinary medicine. Participants will learn about the care of animals as well as how to recognize signs of illness and disease in a variety of animals from common pets to exotic species. This program also covers interpersonal communication, interaction with clients and their animals, as well as how to assist the veterinarian during examinations. Administrative duties, such as fee collection, banking, and accounts payable are also emphasized to provide learners with the skills necessary to maintain an efficient front office. This veterinary assisting course is a vital asset to learners who wish to work in this exciting and rewarding field.

Employment of veterinary assistants and caretakers of laboratory animals is expected to grow 9% to 2030, faster than average for this occupation. As more and more Americans are adopting pets, the pet population continues to increase at a steady pace. Additionally, technological and medical advancements veterinary medicine is helping to boost the level of care for pets at a cost that used to be out of reach, further contributing to the rising demand for veterinary medicine generally, and veterinary assistants in particular. The veterinary assistant can expect to obtain a position mainly in clinics, animal hospitals and research laboratories, but grooming facilities, pet day cares and boarding facilities would be in need of individuals with these skills as well.

Course Outcomes

By the end of this course, students will have the ability to:

• Demonstrate the process of dissecting a medical term using its prefix, word root, combining forms, and suffixes.
• Define general medical terms and abbreviations used in veterinary medicine.
• Define veterinary medical terms and abbreviations that apply to each body system including those for anatomy, physiology, diagnostic procedures, and pathological conditions.
• Define terms that describe body parts and anatomy specific to various species of animals.
• Define common terms that denote sex, age, birthing, grouping, and general descriptions of animals.
• Define veterinary medical terms and abbreviations associated with the examination, pharmacology, pathology, surgery, dissection, and laboratory procedures.
• Define specific veterinary terms and abbreviations used to describe canines, felines, equine, ruminants, swine, birds, and other species.
• Explain the foundations of veterinary practice in terms of ethical, legal, safety, practice management, and professional communication.
• Explain the concepts associated with veterinary diagnostics.
• Explain the concepts associated with veterinary therapeutics.
• Explain the concepts associated with animal nursing care and husbandry of different animal species.

Grading Scale:

A minimum grade average of 70% is required to proceed from one course/subject module within the Coding and Billing program to the next course/subject module.

The composition of grades, including applicable categories of assignments and associated weights varies by subject module and can be found in the individual course syllabuses.

Tuition and Fees:

Tuition fee: $1,350.00
Books, Materials, and Technology Fee: $495.00 (nonrefundable)
Administrative Fee: $50.00 (nonrefundable)

Other Fees:

• 3% Convenience Fee (nonrefundable). Waived for direct bank draft payments.
• Extension Fee: Students requiring more time in the program than originally allocated will incur an Extension Fee. The Extension Fee will be assessed at $195 per month for students who pay up front for their program or the monthly payment for students on the monthly payment plan.
• Missed Payment/Return Payment Fee: A $40 fee will be charged for each missed or returned payment.
• Readmission Fee: A student who leaves a program and consequently requests readmission will incur a Readmission Fee of $200.00.
• Transcript Fee: A fee of $15 will be charged for each transcript requested.

Completion Requirements:

Academics – A minimum score of 70% is required for graduation.

Remediation – The facilitator will work with any student who seems to be struggling to achieve and maintain a minimum course average of 70%. Any student who is in danger of not achieving the 70% required to pass the to the next semester will be counseled by the instructor and a plan for Student Improvement will be written. This plan will be placed in the student’s official file.