A Career That Loves You Back
Veterinary technicians, or vet techs, are the first line of care for animals recovering from surgeries and illnesses. They also provide routine care so animals can stay healthy. Loving animals is an important part of being a veterinary technician, but there is a lot more to the job.
Vet techs need to have a love for animals, strong abilities in math and science, and good communication skills. As part of their day-to-day activities, they will perform medical and laboratory procedures, assist veterinarians in surgery, and of course communicate with pet owners.
The 18-month veterinary technology program at the Vet Tech Institute at Hickey College was designed so you can learn the skills that vet techs need, including:
- Safely administering medicine to patients
- Performing analysis of laboratory specimens
- Conducting patient assessments
- Operating radiographic equipment, including x-rays
- Providing surgical assistance
- Administering and monitoring anesthesia
Click the button below to learn more about our on-time graduation rates, the median debt of students who completed the program, and other important information.
CAREERS
As a Vet Tech Institute graduate, our career services department will help you start your career by finding the right job!
Employment of veterinary technologists and technicians is expected to grow 30% from 2012 to 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The Veterinary Technology program contains all elements required by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA). By attending an AVMA-accredited program like the one at the Vet Tech Institute, graduates are eligible to take the Veterinary Technician National Exam, which is one of the steps required to become a registered veterinary technician.
VTI graduates work for:
- Veterinary clinics
- Animal hospitals
- Research
- Boarding facilities
- Pharmaceutical companies
- Military
CURRICULUM
Vet Tech Institute at Hickey College offers an 18-month veterinary technology program for students seeking the core skills that will help them start their veterinary technician careers.
Most classes are specific to preparing you for a successful veterinary technician career. Veterinary technology students will be required to perform kennel duty on a regular basis.
At the Vet Tech Institute at Hickey College, our veterinary technology faculty are all animal lovers and have real-world experience. Our classes provide plenty of hands-on instruction. You will also spend 8 weeks in an externship where you will practice what you’ve learned and make industry contacts!
CONCENTRATION COURSES
- Clinical Medicine I-VI
- Animal Technology I - VI
- Veterinary Terminology
- Animal Anatomy and Physiology I-II
- Clinical Laboratory I-V
- Veterinary Pharmacology I-II
- Anesthesia I-II
- Large Animal Theory I-II
- Veterinary Office Procedures
- Radiography I-II
- Surgical Nursing I-II
- VTNE Preparation
- Veterinary Externship
- Veterinary Client Interview and Communication Skills
To read course descriptions, download our school catalog.
COSTS
At the Vet Tech Institute, you and your family will work individually with a representative to develop a personalized financial plan. Financial aid is available to those who qualify. As long as you stay enrolled full-time at the Vet Tech Institute, tuition rates will be frozen for you and will never go up from year to year.
Program Information
VTNE Information
July 1, 2014 – June 30, 2017
|
Number of Eligible First- Time Test Takers (Total Graduates ) |
329 |
|
Number of First-Time Test Takers |
220 |
|
3 Year Average VTNE Pass Rate for First-Time Test Takers |
55.0% |
Credit Transfer From Another School
Transcripts of work completed at other accredited colleges may be submitted to the Director of Education for review. Transcripts should be submitted during the first term of a student’s program. Other documentation may also be required. Credits considered for transfer are evaluated by the Transfer Committee to determine if the course work is similar in nature, content, and level to that required at Hickey College. If the course work is comparable, transfer students may be given credit for courses completed at other accredited colleges provided the grades received for the courses were ”C” or better.
Courses completed at other Bradford schools will be treated the same as courses taken at Hickey College. Because programs at Hickey College are specially tailored to career preparation, course credits from other postsecondary schools may not be transferable.
Credit is not granted for advanced placement or experiential learning. One exception is credit for military training that has been evaluated and recommended for credit by the American Council on Education (ACE). Hickey College may award credit based on these recommendations when the credit is for courses similar in nature, content, and level to that required at the college. Students seeking credit for military training should provide a transcript from the American Council on Education for evaluation. Credit will be treated as transfer credit and will count toward graduation.
Credit Transfer to Another School
The acceptance of credits is always at the discretion of the institution to which a student is attempting to transfer credits. There may be articulation agreements in place at the time the student enters that may not be in place when the student graduates or desires to attend a particular school. Because programs at Hickey College are designed specifically for career preparation, students must assume that credits for courses taken at Hickey College are not transferable to other institutions. Neither Hickey College nor any of its employees can represent that another institution will accept any courses for credit.
A student who is interested in attempting to transfer credits to another institution should contact the Director of Education. Hickey College will supply the necessary documentation that may aid the student in receiving credits for the completed course work provided the student does not owe the school money, is not delinquent or in default on a student loan, or does not owe a refund on any federal or state student financial aid program.
Catalog
Potential applicants may find the following information at www.hickeycollege.edu/catalog.pdf: institutional accreditation; contact information for accrediting agencies and state licensing/approval agencies; admissions policies and practices; policies on transfer of credits to and from the institution; policies and processes for withdrawal and for refunds of tuition/fees; and additional consumer information.
Accreditation
The Hickey College Veterinary Technology Program is currently accredited by the Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA) of the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The address and telephone number of the American Veterinary Medical Association are 1931 N. Meacham Road, Suite 100, Schaumburg, IL 60173, (800) 248-2862.
Kennel Duty
Vet Tech Institute at Hickey College maintains an on-site kennel housing dogs, cats, and rodents. An important part of the education provided by the Veterinary Technology program is learning the duties and responsibilities of animal care and sanitation. Therefore, kennel duty is a vital part of that learning experience, and all veterinary technology students are assigned mandatory kennel duty. Kennel duties are performed before and after classes and on the weekends. The number of weeks each student is assigned kennel duty depends on the number of in-house veterinary technology students.
Disability Support Services
Hickey College is committed to providing equal access to the college’s academic programs and services to qualified individuals with disabilities through reasonable accommodation. Students who believe they are in need of accommodations should contact the designated Section 504 coordinator, who is the Director of Education identified in the Administration, Faculty, and Staff section of this catalog, by phone at (314) 434-2212 or by mail or in person at 2700 North Lindbergh Boulevard, St. Louis, Missouri 63114. The student should provide the designated Section 504 coordinator with a current comprehensive evaluation of a specific disability from a qualified diagnostician that identifies the type of disability and lists recommended accommodations. All documentation will be reviewed by the designated Section 504 coordinator in a timely manner, and appropriate reasonable accommodations will be provided based on the individual student’s needs.