Vet Assisting at TC

Everything you might want to know about the Vet Assisting Program

By Alina Tutereva

The vet assisting program is one of the many electives offered at Timber Creek High School. This course teaches students about the history of veterinary science, FFA history, and a variety of other topics regarding animals. Students get the opportunity to study and work with live animals. Vet assisting will require students to work in teams, demonstrate responsibility, and strive to do their best. A Vet 2 student, Kyla Ull, shares, “The most difficult part for me is memorizing all the different tools, dog breeds, and diseases.” This course may be tough, but by finding the right study methods and paying attention can help students with achieving success. Students who are not willing to put in effort are not recommended to take this course, while students who are, should not have any difficulties doing well.

For those willing to take this elective, they would need to start off by taking the first course, Veterinary Assisting 1. This class will provide basic knowledge and will help students with reaching more advanced levels of veterinary science. Each year, the courses will become more advanced, but they also will grant students more responsibility and freedom. Many students can also decide if working with animals is something they would like to do in the future. “I do see myself working with animals, this class showed me many different ways that I could work with animals in my future,” said Aitana Carrera, a Vet 1 student. By completing all the courses and reaching a certain level, vet students can be able to earn a certification in vet. This is a great accomplishment and an amazing benefit for students wanting to work in the veterinary science field.

By far, the most favorable part of this elective is the “Doggy Daycare” program. Teachers and staff members leave their furry friends in the hands of the vet program. They drop their dogs off at the beginning of the school day, and then pick them up at the end. Each week, a group of students will be responsible for the dogs. Their job will include walking the dogs, cleaning up after them, filling water dishes, giving them toys, sweeping floors, kenneling them, and any additional requirements. It is a great way for students to demonstrate their abilities and whether or not they are capable of taking care of a live animal. Students will be graded based on the quality of their care.

Although this class is a lot of work, it is also very fun and enjoyable. This elective is a great opportunity to make new friends, learn new information, try new skills, and spend time with dogs. A Vet 1 student, Connor McGraw, shared his favorite memory from his first year in this class. “My favorite memory is when we took photos of all the dogs and we got to dress them up. It was really fun,” McGraw said. “My favorite memory was bathing the dogs and having so much fun drying them,” said Ull. Not only do you gain a lot of useful knowledge, but you also gain a lot of fun new memories. This class is highly recommended for animal lovers and hard-working students.