The curriculum of Penn Foster’s Veterinary Technician is given to the students within four semesters. It also has 30 exams, 73 credits and 2 externships. The average time for the students to complete this one is 12 months. As for the fast-learners, it is possible for them to complete it in only 9 months.
Semester 1:
- Starting Your Program: In this course, the students will develop some important skills so that they can succeed in this program. Aside from that, they will also learn the way to make their study skills better so that they will be able to use a lot of tools that are important to help them achieve success. At the end of the course, they are expected to be able to identify skills that are needed to be a confident and independent online learner.
- Introduction to Veterinary Technology: In this course, the students will be introduced to animal science and medical terminology. Besides, they will also be informed about the theories of specific behavior characteristics between species and the way to handle different kinds of animal behavior.
- Information Literacy: In this course, the students will learn about the meaning of information literacy so that they will be able to formulate correct and effective research.
- Office Applications: In this course, the students will learn about the way to use Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, and Microsoft PowerPoint to create and edit documents, to organize and format data, to create and deliver slide show presentations and so on.
- Introduction to Biology: In this course, the students will learn about the origins of life and the relationships between all living things.
- Animal Anatomy and Physiology 1: In this course, the students will learn about the essential framework of what you will have to know to be a vet tech.
- Animal Anatomy and Physiology 2: Just like in the previous course, the students will also learn about animal anatomy and physiology. The things that the students will learn include cardiovascular, respiratory, digestive, and genitourinary systems in mammals.
Semester 2:
- English Composition: In this course, the students will learn about the skills and techniques for effectively developing, drafting, and revising college-level essays toward a certain purpose and audience.
- Veterinary Office Management and Skill with People: In this course, the students will be introduced to various support staff positions within a veterinary practice. They will learn how a veterinary practice operates in terms of bringing in clients, facility care, and maintenance.
- Mathematical Applications: In this course, the students will learn about a foundation in basic mathematical operations. A few things that are included are percentages, discounts, interest, present worth, sinking funds, pricing, insurance, and many more.
- Medical Nursing for Veterinary Technicians: In this course, the students will learn about veterinary emergency care, first aid, wound and bandage management, dental prophylaxis, general nursing care, and so on.
- Medical Mathematics: In this course, the students will be assisted with their study of a lot of different topics. By the end of the course, they are expected to be able to analyze the basic mathematical functions and the fundamentals of drug administration, dose, and labels, among the other things.
- Pharmacology for Veterinary Technicians: In this course, the students will learn about the material that can form the essential framework of understanding needed to work with veterinary pharmacology.
- Clinical Externship 1: In this course, the students will get the chance to use the skills and knowledge that they have learned. By the end of the course, they are expected to be able to demonstrate clinical skills by completing an externship.
Semester 3:
- Clinical Pathology 1: In this course, the students will learn the knowledge that will serve them well in a career in veterinary medicine. By the end of this course, they are expected to be able to do many things such as analyzing the kinds of examination procedures and techniques used for the assessment or urinalysis.
- Clinical Pathology 2: In this course, the students will be assisted with several things about clinical laboratory procedures and equipment.
- Arts and Humanities Elective: In this course, the students will learn about artistic media, historical periods and artistic movements, the roles of the artist and the viewer, and the principles of art criticism.
- Anesthesia for Veterinary Technicians: In this course, the students will learn to analyze the importance of administering anesthesia to animals based on some assessment methods.
- Surgical Nursing for Veterinary Technicians: In this course, the students will learn how to assist with surgery.
- Clinical Parasitology for Veterinary Technicians: In this course, the students will be introduced to the language of parasitology, laboratory methods that are used to test for parasites, and common parasites of domestic animals as well as their life cycles.
Semester 4:
- Radiography for Veterinary Technicians: In this course, the students will get to know about the properties of radiation and the dangers posed by them if they are not handled correctly.
- Small and Large Animal Medicine: In this course, the students will learn about the basic disease processes as they relate to a lot of systems in the body. Besides, they will also learn about transmission diagnosis, treatment, and the prevention of diseases that affect domestic animals.
- Essentials of Psychology: In this course, the students will learn biology and behavior, consciousness, memory, thought and language, intelligence, personality and gender, stress, and community influences.
- Animal Nutrition, Reproduction, Genetics, and Aging: In this course, the students will be introduced to science of nutrition and its application to feeding practices of domestic, farm, and companion animals.
- Laboratory Animal Medicine and Nursing: This one is based on the textbook Laboratory Animal and Exotic Pet Medicine: Principles and Procedures, Second Edition. Pointing out the facilities, legalities, and equipment that are important to run a biomedical research facility is one of the things that is expected among the other ones.
- Veterinary Technician National Examination Review: In this course, the students will get a comprehensive review to assist them in preparation for state and national certifying exams for the veterinary technician.
- Clinical Externship 2: In this course, the students will get the chance to apply the skills that they have learned throughout the program. By the end of the course, they are expected to be able to demonstrate the clinical skills to become a great veterinary technician.
