Students choose one of two routes when entering a veterinary assistant/technician school. One is a two-year program, which results in a diploma, certificate or an Associate of Science degree. These programs are traditionally offered at technical schools and some community colleges. The second option is a four-year program. The result from this path is a Bachelor of Science degree. Unlike the two-year option, obtaining a four-year degree requires more course week and education, improving job prospects after graduation. However, of the more than 170 veterinary assistant/technician programs offered in the United States and accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, only 21 have Bachelor of Science programs available. Programs that are accredited have gone through a rigorous application and review process and represent high quality and achievement standards.
Attending a veterinary assistant/technician program on-site offers more hands-on training than only completing coursework online. Many colleges, universities and technical schools have small class sizes in this field of study and offer day, evening and weekend classes to fit people's busy schedules. Programs offer both a lecture/classroom component and a clinical portion that requires students to be in labs and in hands-on situations. Some online programs also offer on-site programs, allowing students to take courses in both environments.
Some colleges such as Brown Mackie, Vatterott College and Sanford-Brown College, offer online programs to earn credits in veterinary assistant/technician programs. However, most of these options only offer an associate degree or certificate and are not four-year bachelor degree programs. The benefit of an online program is the flexibility to take courses as it fits into an existing schedule. Financial aid is available as with an on-site program, and because of the flexibility, these programs can sometimes be finished faster because more classes can be taken at one time.
A variety of classes are required in a veterinary assistant school, including anesthesiology and assisting in surgical situations, biology, chemistry, veterinarian ethics, small and large animal medicine, anatomy, lab procedures, diseases and basic animal care. During these classes the day-to-day challenges are explained such as dealing with sick animals and owners' emotions, something not necessarily taught in a textbook. After taking the necessary coursework to earn a diploma, certificate or degree, one more step must be completed to become a certified veterinary assistant or technologist - the National Veterinary Technician exam. This ensures that all of the necessary knowledge has been retained to be a qualified veterinary assistant.