MCC Veterinary Program offers certificate of completion
MCC is now offering a certificate of completion for veterinary assisting at the Southern and Dobson campus beginning the Fall semester of 2022.
With the rapid increase in job demand for veterinary assistants, MCC is offering students the opportunity to join the ever growing market in the field of veterinary workers.
“The veterinary medical industry is currently experiencing a severe shortage of trained staff. The Veterinary Assistant certificate will allow MCC to help alleviate some of that need,” said Kimberly Focht, MCC Veterinary Technology Program Director.
Focht went on to explain that the Certificate of Completion for Veterinary Assisting is a way for students interested in veterinary technology to gain experience and knowledge before entering the associates program at MCC.
According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, MCC holds one of the five AVMA accredited associates programs for veterinary technology in the state of Arizona.
The program can only accept 24 students into the second year cohort.
The AVMA granted the initial accreditation on February 3, 2006. MCC has another evaluation set to be held in the year 2022.
According to the AVMA website, Mesa Community College, Penn Foster College, Pima Community College, Pima Medical Institute of the East Valley, Pima Medical Institute of Phoenix, and Pima Medical Institute of Tucson are the five colleges which hold full accreditations from the AVMA in the state of Arizona.
With the ever growing popularity of the program among students, Focht expressed interest in an expansion of the program.
“The VA certificate is designed to be completed in 2 semesters. Our VA Courses: VET103, VET104 and VET109 are only taught once a year currently, but we hope to grow the program to run these courses every semester,” said Kimberly Focht.
The veterinary assisting program at MCC offers students the opportunity to learn about the field of veterinary technology, gain hands-on experience and knowledge, and do so at one of the few colleges that offer such an opportunity in Arizona. Students can learn the material, earn a certificate of completion, or even an associate degree in veterinary assisting from an AVMA accredited college.
Students in the program will also obtain first hand experience caring for animals by working with dogs, cats, rabbits, rats, and goats.
For any students interested in the field of veterinary technology, please contact the director of the MCC Veterinary Technology program, Kimberly Focht. For more information about the courses MCC offers, please visit the MCC Veterinary Technology website at mesacc.edu/programs/veterinary-technology.
