2023-2024 Course Information
AA41 Veterinary Assisting
| Course Number | AA41 |
| Course Title | Veterinary Assisting |
| Course Description | This course provides instruction for students desiring a career in animal medicine. Topics include proper veterinary practice management and client relations, pharmacy and laboratory procedure, advanced animal care, and surgical/radiological procedures. Applied mathematics, science and writing are integrated throughout the curriculum. Advanced FFA leadership will be infused throughout the curriculum to develop the student's ability to work with the public. All aspects of this course will feature hands-on skill sets designed to enhance experiential learning. English language arts, mathematics, and science are reinforced. Work-based learning strategies appropriate for this course are cooperative education, internship, mentorship, service-learning, job shadowing and supervised agricultural experience. FFA competitive events, community service, and leadership activities provide the opportunity to apply essential standards and workplace readiness skill through authentic experiences. Students who wish to take the Veterinary Assisting Exam developed by Texas Veterinary Medical Association to be a Certified Veterinary Assistant (CVA) Level 1 should complete an additional 500 hours of supervised agricultural experience (SAE) during their three animal science courses. Two hundred SAE hours focus on the care and management of animals; will be substantiated by records and conducted under the direct supervision of the agricultural teacher. Hours may be earned any time during the year including summer months. An additional 300 hours of supervised agricultural experience (worked based learning) will be conducted as an internship program in animal medicine under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian or certified veterinary technician who will attest that participating students have mastered a standard set of skills used in animal medicine as identified by the cooperating teacher. Hours may be earned any time during the year including summer months. |
| Course Status | Standard |
| Course Type | Adapted |
| POL (Proof of Learning) | Credential |
| Credential as POL | Certified Veterinary Assistant OR Elanco Veterinary Medical Applications |
| Curriculum Date | Summer 2020 |
| Hours of Instruction | 135-150 |
| Recommended Maximum Enrollment | 15 |
| Course Credit | 1 |
| Inherently Honors | Yes |
| Math Option Credit | No |
| Prerequisite Course(s) | AA22 Animal Science II - Food Animal OR AA23 Animal Science II - Companion Animal (Designed for 11th or 12th grade students with an interest in animal medicine) OR AA32 Equine Science II |
| Career Cluster(s) | Agriculture, Food, & Natural Resources (AGNR) |
| Pathway Level(s) | Animal Science (ANSC) - Career MajorEquine Science (EQSC) - Career Major |
| Work-based Learning | Apprenticeship Business and Industry Field Trip Cooperative Education Entrepreneurial Experience Internship Job Shadowing Mentorship Pre-apprenticeship School-based Enterprise Service Learning Supervised Agricultural Experience (SAE) |
| Aligned Credential(s) or Certification(s) | Certified Veterinary AssistantElanco Veterinary Medical Applications |
| CTSO(s)(Career and Technical Student Organization) | The National FFA Organization North Carolina FFA Association |
| SOC (Standard Occupational Classification) Code(s) | Animal Breeders (45-2021)Animal Trainers (39-2011)Farmers, Ranchers, and Other Agricultural Managers (11-9013)Veterinary Assistants and Laboratory Animal Caretakers (31-9096) |