Veterinary Assisting

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Program Overview

The Veterinary Assisting program, an option of the Animal Science program, provides you the opportunity to develop the skills and knowledge required for an entry-level career as a veterinary assistant.

You will learn to assist veterinarians in the care of cats, dogs, cattle, pigs, and sheep, and gain hands-on skills and knowledge in:

Front desk operations
Data entry, inventory, and record keeping
Basic lab analysis
Proper restraint of animals during exams and minor procedures
Medical terminology
Pharmacology
Cleaning and sanitation of cages, kennels, exam rooms, and offices

Hands-On Learning Opportunities

Hawkeye’s 225-acre Farm Lab: Learn kennel management with cats and dogs, as well as clinic operations.
Classroom Laboratory: Learn specific skills in the use of veterinary laboratory equipment
Animal Projects: Practice proper handling of animals, which include dogs, cats, pocket pets, reptiles, birds, and livestock animals.
Dog Simulators: Learn how to perform CPR and proper restraint of animals.
Field Trips: Visit local veterinary offices to learn how your skills and knowledge can be applied in a variety of work environments.
Employment Experience: Gain 320 hours of real-world work experience ensuring you have the skills you need to succeed in your future career.
Certification: Students will become Fear Free ® certified.

Capstone Experience

The Capstone Experience integrates coursework, knowledge, and experiential learning to enable students to demonstrate a broad knowledge of their studies. Hawkeye's Capstone Experience is taught by an Iowa licensed veterinarian.

At A Glance
Award	Diploma
Length of Study	1 year
Program Start	Fall, Spring
Tuition Grant Available	This program qualifies for the Kibbie Grant. Students must apply for and be awarded the Kibbie Grant.

Faculty Spotlight

Ole Cleveland

The animal science industry has always been a major player in Ole Cleveland’s life. As young person, Ole grew-up on a sizable diversified livestock farm in North Central Iowa. During those early formative years, he developed a compassion for the livestock industry; actually, his earlier postsecondary education was pre-veterinary study. It wasn’t until later did he decide that agricultural education rather than veterinary science was a better fit; however, the compassion for animals has never changed. Today, as an experienced teacher, he still has that compassion and desire for the animal industry and is involved with the cattle industry — having raised registered Simmental cattle for 35 years.

Since 2005, Ole has been a leader in the Animal Science/Veterinary Assisting program at Hawkeye Community College. An example of the courses he teaches are: Domestic Animal Physiology, Beef Cattle Science, Companion Animal Management, Veterinary Reception and Admin Skills, and Animal Nutrition.

Prior to Hawkeye, Ole taught high school agricultural education at Ackley Geneva School District, was a district sales manager for NK seeds (Syngenta USA), and taught Agri Business at Des Moines Area Community College (DMACC). Ole’s postsecondary education is from Iowa State University with a BS in Agriculture Education.

Program Pathway