Veterinary Assistant Training
The U.S. Department of Labor has identified veterinary assistants as one of the fastest-growing professions! Vet assistants work with veterinarians in private practice, animal shelters, animal control facilities, pet stores, kennels, and veterinary drug companies. Working with veterinarians and veterinary technicians, they help to provide medical care to sick and injured animals. 
Graduate from MCC's National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA)-approved veterinary assistant training and you'll be eligible to sit for the Approved Veterinary Assistant examination. Successfully complete the exam, and you'll be entitled to use the designation Approved Veterinary Assistant (AVA), and you'll receive a documenting certificate.
This noncredit career training certificate program prepares you to earn an industry-recognized credential.
This course includes 150 hours of classroom instruction and 100 hours of mandatory clinical experience.
To apply for a scholarship, submit a completed application to the Friends of MCC Foundation.
See course dates and register for Veterinary Assistant Training
The veterinary assistant course costs $2,499 and includes textbooks, scrubs to wear during your externship, and course supplies. High school students pay $1,250.
MCC is one of three community colleges in Illinois to offer NAVTA-approved training. Pass MCC's veterinary assistant course, and you'll be eligible to sit for the Approved Veterinary Assistant exam and use the designation “Approved Veterinary Assistant” (AVA) upon successfully passing that exam. The cost of your initial attempt at this exam is included in the course fee.
As part of this course, you complete 100 externship hours at an approved veterinary clinic. Clinical experience times will vary based on availability and the hours of the clinical sites. In order to successfully complete the class, you must successfully complete the clinical hours.
We don't have a formal job placement program; however, we do receive job opening notices from local employers interested in hiring our graduates, and we pass that information along to students who have completed the course. Occasionally, MCC students are hired at the locations where they complete their clinic assignments.
Be sure to check Hire A Scot for employment opportunities and schedule an appointment with Career Services to discuss career goals, internship and job search strategies, resume and cover letter development, and practice interviews.
Career Outlook