McLennan Community College in Waco is offering two educational workshops that will give you hands-on training to learn exactly what you need to teach your students to become Certified Veterinary Assistants. These workshops also provide an opportunity to earn CEUs in this area of study.
This is your chance to receive practical experience in a professional setting by experts in the veterinary field. After completing these workshops, you'll have the knowledge to incorporate and to improve a Veterinary Assistant Program into your high school.
What You'll Learn:
Certified Veterinary Assistant Level I Educational Workshop
VTHT 1008.01
June 16-18, 2008 (Monday to Wednesday)
8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
VTHT 1008.02
July 8-10, 2008 (Tuesday through Thursday)
8:00 AM-5:30 PM
This workshop is intended to give the participant an introductory look into veterinary technology. Areas of instruction include but are not limited to: getting a proper veterinary medical history, veterinary careers and opportunities, safety protocols, attachment and grief processes, basic medical terminology, basic restraint procedures, and phone and service techniques.
Certified Veterinary Assistant Level II Educational Workshop* (VTHT 1011.01)
*Must have completed Level I Workshop or an equivalent program to enroll
June 19-21, 2008 (Thursday to Saturday)
8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. (only until noon on June 21)
This workshop is intended to be the next step after completing Certified Veterinary Assistant Level I. Areas of instruction in Level II include but are not limited to: general veterinary assisting, veterinary exam procedures, veterinary medical imaging, kennel/cage/stall area protocols, exotic animal nursing, surgical preparation and assisting, veterinary animal nursing, veterinary pharmacy and pharmacology, and veterinary practice and client relations.
Location:
McLennan Community College's Highlander Ranch, Waco, Texas, in the Veterinary Technology Building. Located six miles from the McLennan Community College main campus, Highlander Ranch is at 223 Cobb Lane, Waco, Texas, 76708.
Meet The Instructors:
At these workshops, you'll learn from highly qualified professionals who will provide valuable insight that will be essential in properly preparing your students to be veterinary assistants. You'll benefit from firsthand experiences and one-on-one training that can't be replicated by online or book instruction.
Jennifer Garretson, D.V.M. Dr. Garretson is the Director of Veterinary Technician Program at McLennan Community College, where she also teaches. She brings a marvelous wealth of experience to the classroom, having worked as a full-time associate veterinarian for more than six years. Dr. Garretson also has experience as a veterinary assistant and a veterinary extern. A graduate of Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine in Baton Rouge in May 2000, she brings a variety of interests to her work, including zoonotic animal diseases and education on the control and prevention of these diseases. Additionally, Dr. Garretson is interested in exotic animal medicine and surgery, canine and feline surgeries, and public health and safety issues. With numerous professional affiliations coupled and her supervision of MCC's Veterinary Technology program, Dr. Garretson brings a practical approach to the workshop that will benefit those planning to use what they learn to teach their own students in the classroom and/or clinical setting.
Sue Allen, R.V.T. Sue Allen's clinical and teaching experiences are perfectly blended in her workshop presentations. In fact, Sue's experience as a Registered Veterinary Technician for more than 25 years drove her to develop a practical, hands-on workshop that provides both classroom and clinical experiences for participants. Sue has served as an instructor in the Veterinary Technology Program at MCC for more than three years, and she has been a registered R.V. T. since 1981. She currently holds the office of Texas Association of Registered Veterinary Technicians (TARVY) Secretary. Sue was a primary force in the 2006 Level I Workshop held last year at MCC, and she was enthusiastic about the students' feedback from that workshop. The balance of classroom and clinical application for this year's workshops are a reflection of past participants' interests.
Christi Palmer, R.V.T. Christie Palmer returns to instruct Level I Workshop participants, and she will also be assisting in the Level II Workshop added this year. Christie is currently employed as a Registered Veterinary Technician, a capacity she has served in for the past 2+ years. Her work gives her a current perspective on the day to day operations of a veterinary hospital, and her teaching reflects that insight. One of MCC's very own, Christie graduated from MCC's Veterinary Technology Program in 2005.
Guest Presenter (Level I Workshop): Teresa Shisk-Saling has more than 30 years of experience in veterinary medicine. She was a member of the first graduating class of the veterinary technician program at Palo Alto College in San Antonio. Teresa has worked in small animal/exotic practices in Austin and San Antonio, and she is the director of the Reptile Hospice and Sanctuary of Texas. She is currently employed in the ICU/IMC unit at the small animal clinic at Texas A&M University. Teresa will bring several animals for her presentation on exotic animals to Level I Workshop participants. For the last 17 years, Teresa has been giving a home to unwanted, injured and abandoned pet trade reptiles and pocket pets. She and her husband, Frank, take care of more than 40 different species of animals.
Cost:
$199 per workshop and includes instruction, supplies, handouts, CEU certificate, continental breakfast, lunch and refreshments for each day of the workshop. (Only breakfast will be served on Saturday, June 21.)
Registration:
The registration deadline is Friday, May 23, 2008. To register, or for more information, call the McLennan Community College Continuing Education Office at 254-299-8888. Each workshop is limited to 30 participants.
School Districts paying the registration fee on behalf of their employee(s) may send in payment after securing a reservation for their teacher(s); however, payment must be received prior to the first day of each workshop.
Please mail payments to:
McLennan Community College
Attention: Stacy Howard, Coordinator of Community Programs, CSC
1400 College Drive
Waco, TX 76708
Hotel Accommodations:
A block of rooms is reserved through May 15, 2008, for workshop participants at the Clarion Hotel located at 801 S. Fourth St. at IH 35, Waco, Texas, 76706. Rooms are double occupancy, $99.95 per night. Participants should contact the Clarion directly at 254-757-2000 to reserve rooms at this special rate. Participants should identify the workshop when making reservations in order to get the special rate.
Appropriate Attire:
Workshop participants will have the opportunity for hands-on training with the animals. Participants should wear non-slip, closed-toe shoes, long pants and comfortable clothes. A lab coat or scrub attire is advised but not required.
Special Needs:
If you are a person with a disability and desire any special assistive devices, services or accommodations to participate in the workshops, please contact Sue Allen at 254-299-88742 or sallen@mclennan.edu between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Thursday.