A45780 - Veterinary Medical Technology AAS

Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of veterinary medical terminology.

Identify specific breeds, list physiological data, and outline basic husbandry and care of specific domestic and laboratory animals.

Discuss basic animal behavior of specific domestic and laboratory species.

Identify relevant anatomical structures for specific domestic and laboratory animals.

Describe basic physiological processes of animals.

Properly restrain, examine, medicate, and monitor specific domestic and laboratory animals.

Interpret ethical, legal, and moral standards as they apply to veterinary medicine.

Understand and implement OSHA and DEA regulations in order to establish relevant safety and regulatory compliance protocols for the veterinary environment.

Explain veterinary safety considerations as they apply to surgical, dental, radiographic, anesthetic, and laboratory areas.

Implement proper inventory control and management protocols with regards to veterinary medicine.

Execute techniques for communicating with clients and team members in the veterinary environment.

Identify common internal and external parasites, including life cycles, treatment, and prevention for domestic species.

Identify public health aspects as they relate to infection control, zoonoses, parasites, and epidemiology.

Recognize proper procedures for disease control and preventative techniques, including but not limited to, quarantine, isolation, vaccination, and herd health.

Describe basic disease processes, associated pathological changes, and prevention strategies.

Demonstrate proper techniques for sample collection and submission procedures for histopathology and necropsy specimens.

Collect, prepare, perform, and analyze samples for hematology, urinalysis, microbiology, serology, and clinical pathology using manual and automated laboratory techniques.

Accurately calculate drug and fluid doses.

Effectively communicate with clients about medications.

Demonstrate understanding of veterinary drug classifications, routes of administration, pharmacokinetics, contraindications, side effects, and safe handling practices.

Understand the daily working operations of a veterinary pharmacy.

Be familiar with the function and maintenance of common veterinary diagnostic equipment and instrumentation.

Demonstrate knowledge of quality assurance procedures, verification of test results, and calibration, with regards to veterinary diagnostic equipment and instrumentation.

Proficiently take and process radiographs.

Be aware of common imaging techniques used in veterinary medicine (other than radiology).

Be able to recognize and/or demonstrate proper aseptic technique as it applies to surgery, instrumentation, and packaging.

Implement proper anesthetic protocols, including pre-anesthetic assessments, induction, maintenance, monitoring, and recovery.

Accurately compose and maintain veterinary medical records, including but not limited to, surgical, anesthetic, dental, and medical procedures.

Demonstrate proper surgical assisting skills, including but not limited to, patient assessment, preparation, assisting, instrumentation, suturing, and recovery.

Demonstrate understanding of surgical equipment, instruments and supplies as they pertains to sterilization techniques, quality assurance, and safety considerations.

Demonstrate basic understanding of common veterinary surgical procedures.

Discuss and describe proper animal nursing procedures and rehabilitation therapies of specific domestic animals.

Implement proper dental procedures, including but not limited to, dental prophylaxis, floating, charting, imaging, preventative procedures.

Identify and demonstrate proper use and care of dental equipment, instruments, and supplies.

Be knowledgeable of emergency and critical care procedures.

Identify common veterinary plant, animal, and pharmaceutical toxins.

Identify various types of animal foods/feeds in order to select appropriate diets for animals in various stages of health/disease.

Demonstrate knowledge in analyzing nutrition labels.