Veterinary Assistant Schools in Richmond, VA

About the School

The University of Richmond is a top-ranked US liberal university and one of the nation’s best schools.

Founded in 1830, they offer a broad range of academic programs that prepare students for lives of purpose, thoughtful inquiry, and responsible leadership in a diverse world.

Accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges, they award associate, baccalaureate, master, and juris doctor degrees in Arts and Sciences, Business, Law, and more.

They also offer Graduate and Undergraduate Certificates in Management, IT, and others.

Recognized as one of the top 5 Most Beautiful Campuses in the nation, their campus boasts of historical vibes with large castle-like buildings, lush gardens, and a lake.

Their mission is to “educate in an intellectually vibrant, academically challenging, and collaborative community dedicated to the holistic development of students and the production of scholarly and creative work.”

Courses Offered

The Become a Veterinary Assistant Program is an online course offered through the web-based instruction and training platform Ed2Go.

It is designed to educate and train students to be fully ready to work as a veterinary assistant, whether in a large animal hospital or a small private veterinary clinic.

The syllabus provides information on a wide range of topics, including:

• How veterinary medicine started and evolved into what it is now
• How vaccines work and why they sometimes fail
• What parasites infest both pets and people, what they do, and how to prevent them
• What to do in case of a veterinary emergency and how to perform pet first aid
• How to prepare prescriptions and keep accurate medical records
• What euthanasia is and how to help clients deal with the grief after a loss

It also covers what alternative therapies some veterinarians use, such as acupuncture and homeopathy, and how to train puppies and kittens.

It offers two enrollment options:

• Instructor-Led – Taught by a registered veterinary technologist with more than 25 years of experience in small animal medicine
• Self-Paced – Open enrollment and can start anytime

The program requires 24 course hours and costs $149.

About the School

Northstar is a non-profit school that services students with disabilities.

They are committed to delivering project-based learning, differentiated instruction, and hands-on worksite experience so that students can learn skills and apply them to their day-to-day lives at the same time.

They understand that their students each face unique challenges, whether academic, social, or physical, so they provide specialized instruction in small classroom sizes and are led by highly qualified faculty members.

Through their two premier programs, Northstar Academy, which serves students in grades K-12, and Northstar Career Center, which serves juniors, seniors, and young adults, they want to help students of all abilities realize their greatest potential.

Courses Offered

The Veterinary Assisting Program teaches the typical duties of a veterinary assistant working in a veterinary office.

Its classes are held in a laboratory-style classroom to make students feel like they are in a real veterinary facility.

Its curriculum features the following topics:

• Animal handling techniques
• Caring and managing animals
• Front office tasks
• Client interaction and communication

Along the way, students get to work with animals not only in the classroom but in their community as well.

They also test, assess, and evaluate the different assistive technologies used for workflow management and day-to-day operations in a veterinary setting.

Upon successful completion, they may take the National Association of Professional Pet Sitters certification or earn the Pet Sitters International Certified Professional Pet Sitter designation.

They may also enter the workforce once they show competencies in the different aspects of veterinary assisting and can work independently.