Veterinary Technology

 I have my student ID Card so...

ITS OFFICIAL

I am a college student

I loved my Veterinary Assistant program with Penn Foster Career School. I always was so excited to share with Steve something new I had learned. I enjoyed it so much that I am set on becoming a Animal Health Technician, also known as an Veterinary Technician which requires a two year associates degree. Its equivalent to a human Registered Nurse.. only for animals. I am going to be attending Penn Foster College.

People would think I am jumping right in to this but I have been thinking about getting my degree pretty much since I started my Veterinary Assistant program. I was really skeptical at first but I know this is right for me. But I am so nervous. I have no idea what to expect. College is so different then a Career School-Career diploma program. I have deadlines, lectures, Practicums (internships), Proctors ect. I am scared but so excited. I will be putting that Career Diploma to good use and be working as a Veterinary Assistant part time while I continue school.. once we get back to the States.

For those of you who are not familiar with what an Animal Health Technician is..

Veterinary technicians assist veterinarians in providing care to animals. They perform routine laboratory procedures and clinical procedures, such as taking blood, dispensing and giving medication, and performing medical tests. They are familiar with a range of high-tech diagnostic equipment and can provide specialized nursing care for injured or ill animals. They are also responsible for recording an animal's history, as well as information on its weight, food intake, diet, behavior, and other symptoms, which is a necessary tool in diagnosing an animal's illness and developing a treatment plan.

Another big thing about being a Veterinary Technician is the National and State exams I have to take. What has to happen is that I graduate from an AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) Accredited college (which Penn Foster is) then take and pass the Veterinary Technician National Exam and once I do that, I can then take the State exam (if required). Each state has its own exam so every time I move across a State line and want to work in that state as a Veterinary Technician, I have to take and pass that state's State exam. Sound a little nerve wracking? .. it is.

For school, I decided to get a new laptop. I have a 17" and it is just too heavy to carry around and too big to do anything with. It just stays in the Office. So my wonderful husband got me a 10" HP. Its perfect for what I need. It was also required for me to get Microsoft Office 2010 since I will be doing a lot of PowerPoint presentations and charts.  I am officially set for school. I start classes in a few days.  I went to the PX and got all my supplies such as notebooks, binders, pens ect yesterday... This is such an exciting experience. Wish me luck!

My classes for my first semester:
VET101 Orientation to Veterinary Technology
VET102 Introduction to Veterinary Technology
ENG103 Information Literacy
SCI120 Introduction to Biology
VET103 Animal Anatomy and Physiology 1
MAT102 Mathematical Applications
CSC104 Computer Applications
Proctored Exam (Finals)

Tubbles in the box my new laptop came in. She loves her boxes.