About this program
Veterinary Technician
Transform learning into making a difference on a veterinary health care team.
The two-year Veterinary Technician Ontario College Diploma program prepares you to enter the profession by offering an authentic learning experience working alongside highly credentialed professionals in our on-campus veterinary medical facility and in our partnering facilities in the local community.
You benefit from learning in the 10,100 square-foot Veterinary Learning Centre and Clinic. This facility includes a reception area, exam rooms, husbandry area, surgical suite, dental suite, radiography room and more. This facility is similar to a real-life small animal clinic, enabling you to have an on-campus learning experience using the equipment you would also use in the field.
As a student, you have the unique opportunity to provide medical care to shelter animals, helping to prepare them for adoption. While in the program, you become a vital member of the veterinary health care team, developing and acquiring valuable knowledge and skills that can then be applied to a variety of areas within the Veterinary Learning Centre and Clinic.
This includes:
- physical exams and patient care
- preparing and administering medications
- specimen collection and sample analysis
- surgical assisting and anesthesia
- producing diagnostic radiographs
- providing nutritional support
Additional benefits of this program are its numerous accreditations. It is accredited by the College of Veterinarians of Ontario, the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians; certified by the Canadian Council on Animal Care; and registered with the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. Graduates are eligible for consideration for registration by the Ontario Association of Veterinary Technicians and by the Canadian Association for Laboratory Animal Science.
Admission requirements
This program is well-suited for students who:
- Are able to dedicate two hours of studying outside of class for each hour of instructional lecture or lab.
- Have a strong background in math and science.
- Have flexible schedules and can perform shift work including early mornings, evenings, weekends and holidays.
- Possess excellent communication and interpersonal skills and have the ability to develop professional relationships with coworkers and clientele.
- Have exceptional critical-thinking skills.
- Can take direction and accomplish tasks efficiently.
- Are self-motivated, can work independently, can thrive in a team environment and are comfortable in a leadership role.
- Are detail oriented, organized and committed to achieving excellence in their work.
- Are dedicated to providing high quality veterinary medical care with compassion towards animals and people.
- Have good manual dexterity and strong fine motor skills.
- Have the ability to lift and carry up to 25kg, stand for long periods of time and handle a physically demanding environment.
- Are comfortable working within a variety of clinical settings, managing large and small patients and handling biological materials.
College Eligibility
- Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent. Applicants with an OSSD showing senior English and/or Mathematics courses at the Basic Level, or with Workplace or Open courses, will be tested to determine their eligibility for admission; OR
- Academic and Career Entrance (ACE) certificate; OR
- General Educational Development (GED) certificate; OR
- Mature Student status (19 years of age or older and without a high school diploma at the start of the program). Eligibility may be determined by academic achievement testing for which a fee of $50 (subject to change) will be charged.
Program Eligibility
- English Grade 12 (ENG4C or equivalent) with a grade of 70% or higher.
- Mathematics Grade 12 (MAP4C or equivalent) with a grade of 70% or higher.
- Biology Grade 11 or 12, with a grade of 70% or higher.
- Chemistry Grade 11 or 12, with a grade of 70% or higher.
- All applicants must complete an assessment of their knowledge and skills through the Test Centre, and pay an exam fee. Results from the Algonquin College Health Program Admissions Test (AC-HPAT) will be utilized to establish minimum eligibility and applicant ranking. The AC-HPAT can only be written once per academic cycle. For further information on the HPAT and how to book your assessment, please visit Algonquin`s Test Centre.
- Recognition of post-secondary credentials is given during the selection process for this program.
For more information about admission requirements, please visit the college website.
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Learn moreProgram content
Level: 01
- Communications I
- Animal Care and Etymology
- Comparative Anatomy and Physiology I
- Information Technology in Veterinary Practice
- Ethology
- Essentials of Veterinary Mathematics
- Clinical Practices I
- Ethics and Animal Welfare
- Fundamentals of Laboratory Procedures
Level: 02
- Clinical Mathematics
- Veterinary Pharmacology
- Veterinary Radiography
- Surgical and Anesthetic Principles I
- Comparative Animal Anatomy and Physiology II
- Clinical Practices II
- Small and Large Animal Parasitology
- Choose one from equivalencies:
- General Education Elective
Level: 03
- Professional Communication Skills for Veterinary Technicians
- Veterinary Dentistry
- Surgical and Anesthetic Principles II
- Advanced Diagnostic Imaging
- Hematology and Urinalysis
- Large Animal Medicine
- Animal Nutrition
- Clinical Practices III
- Choose one from equivalencies:
- General Education Elective
Level: 04
- Exotic Animal Medicine
- Laboratory Animal Care
- Emergency Medicine and Critical Care
- Cytology and Clinical Chemistry
- Clinical Practices IV
- Veterinary Practice Management
- Veterinary Practicum
- Choose one from equivalencies:
- General Education Elective
Scholarships & funding
Several scholarship options are available. Please check the college website for more information.
Tuition
For more information about tuition fees, please visit the college website.
Qualification
The graduate has reliably demonstrated the ability to:
- Perform basic patient examinations and collect data on vital signs.
- Restrain and manage small animals in clinical situations.
- Administer medications by common drug routes and prepare pharmaceuticals as prescribed by a veterinarian.
- Prepare anesthetic delivery systems, induce anesthesia, and monitor patients under anesthesia.
- Prepare and maintain the surgical area and assist during surgical procedures.
- Perform dental prophylactic procedures on dogs and cats.
- Produce standard diagnostic radiographs.
- Collect and process samples for diagnostic laboratory work.
- Perform common veterinary diagnostic tests, such as blood chemistries, differentials, culture and sensitivities and EKGs.
- Perform basic veterinary practice management including computer applications.
- Recognize behavioural signs of small animals.
- Counsel clients especially in the area of pet nutrition.
- Identify and apply discipline-specific practices that contribute to the local and global community through social responsibility, economic commitment and environmental stewardship.
Career paths
Graduates may find employment as veterinary technicians in small, large, or mixed animal veterinary practices, humane societies, veterinary pharmaceutical, medical equipment and nutrition industries, zoological parks, university and research facilities and provincial and federal government agencies.
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About this institute
Algonquin College
Consider Algonquin’s unique campuses Algonquin College, located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, offers an experience that includes personalized learning and industry-ready skills through field-work, work placement and co-op. With more than 300 programs, including degrees and graduate certificates, we have the...
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Algonquin College
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