• Demonstrate effective written communication and interpersonal skills
• Display a high level of analytical, problem-solving, and critical thinking skills
• Demonstrate an understanding of and integrate all aspects of patient surgical management in a variety of animal species 
• Possess an understanding of a Veterinary Technician Specialty (VTS) or of a Certified Practice Manager (CVPM)
• Exhibit an understanding of leadership and management skills as a manager of a veterinary practice or a research/corporate institution 

Advanced Pharmacology

• Drug identification and dosage calculation methods
• Drug administration benefit and side effect explanations

• Appropriate design, technology, diagnostic laboratory, and marketing strategies
• Compassionate communication methods

• Pre-anesthetic workup protocol, dosage calculation, and anesthesia preparation strategies
• Anesthesia communications including describing anesthesia monitoring, recovery, and complications
• Anesthesia and perioperative surgical care plan ideas 

• Preventative healthcare and life stage guidelines
• Integrative medicine fundamentals
• Preventative and integrative medicine practices for birds, small mammals, and horses

• Key wound management techniques
• Emergencies, traumas, and CPR best practices including the care and nursing of urologic, reproductive, ocular, and neurologic emergencies

• Planning, leading, organizing, motivating, and controlling management techniques
• Effective team development strategies

• Basic financial procedures including analyzing transactions that affect current assets, interpreting financial statements, and analyzing cost-volume-profit relationships
• Basic marketing tactics including analyzing marketing plans and performing SWOT and STP analyses

• Demonstrate effective written and interpersonal communication skills
• Demonstrate a high level of inquiry, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrate effective quantitative skills
• Demonstrate computer and information literacy
• Demonstrate an understanding of the liberal arts, natural sciences, and social sciences
• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and processes involved in the functional areas and the need for collaboration among the different functions
• Discuss the management function and application to the business organization and develop problem solving skills needed for management
• Discuss the steps of the accounting cycle and utilize financial document information as a management tool to plan, and track the financial status of a business
• Discuss the factors affecting marketing plans to promote the business’s products or services through an understanding of marketing principles, consumer buying habits, and advertising strategies
• Discuss and apply ethical and legal standards to the business environment
• Demonstrate an understanding of economic and financial markets and apply financial and economic principles to business decisions
• Discuss the human resources function as it relates to the business environment
• Analyze and evaluate the main structural features of a business or industry and develop strategies to position a firm attractively in the business environment
• Discuss the theories, influences, cultural forces, labor factors and methods of successfully entering international markets
• Discuss the scientific method and approach to a variety of research methods likely to be useful to supporting successful decision making in business

• Demonstrate effective written and interpersonal communication skills
• Demonstrate a high level of inquiry, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrate effective quantitative skills
• Demonstrate computer and information literacy
• Demonstrate an understanding of the liberal arts, natural sciences, and social sciences
• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and processes involved in the functional areas and the need for collaboration among the different functions
• Discuss the management function and application to the business organization
• Understand the steps of the accounting cycle and utilize financial document information as a management tool to plan, and track the financial status of a business
• Discuss the factors affecting marketing plans to promote the business’s products or services through an understanding of marketing principles and consumer buying habits
• Discuss and apply ethical and legal standards to the business environment.
• Demonstrate an understanding of economic and financial markets and the business economy
• Understand the fundamentals of human resources as it relates to the business environment
• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles and processes involved in the functional areas and the need for collaboration among the different functions

• Demonstrate effective written and interpersonal communication skills
• Demonstrate a high level of inquiry, analytical, and problem-solving skills
• Demonstrate effective quantitative skills
• Demonstrate computer and information literacy skills
• Office and Hospital Procedures:
• Front Desk procedures, including basic veterinary medical record keeping procedures and basic invoicing skills
• Demonstrate knowledge of basic cleaning techniques of animal kennels and bedding, examination rooms, hospital facilities, and surgical suites
• Communication and Client Relations:
• Develop effective client communication skills
• Write business letters and professional electronic communication with clients
• Understand ethical conduct in relationship to the day to day operations of a vet hospital
• Describe the roles and responsibilities of each member of the veterinary health team and the important part that each plays in the delivery of excellent care
• Professional Conduct: Understand the human-animal bond, Demonstrate professional and appropriate appearance and language in the workplace
• Pharmacy and Pharmacology:
• Legal Issues: Recognize legal issues involving drugs in the workplace, recognize general types and groups of drugs and demonstrate proper terminology
• Filling medications and inventory control: Label and package dispensed drugs correctly, Store, safely handle and dispose of biological and therapeutic agents, pesticides, and hazardous waste
• Vaccinations: Reconstitute vaccines and be familiar with proper protocols
• Examination Room Procedures:
• Restrain patients: small animals, restrain birds. rabbits, pocket pets, and exotics, large animals
• Basic Procedures: Determine and record temperature, pulse, respiration, body condition score, and weight of patients
• Express anal sacs using the external method, Identify external parasites: mites, lice, fleas, and ticks, Recognize AKC dog breeds and CFA cat breeds,
• Small Animal Nursing (Large Animal Nursing--Optional):
• Safety Concerns: Demonstrate knowledge of basic normal and abnormal animal behavior, Utilize patient & personnel safety measures
• Animal Care: Provide routine record-keeping, and observation of hospitalized patients, i.e. stress importance of notations made when cleaning and feeding, Demonstrate a basic understanding of common diseases and medical conditions,
• Monitor/restrain patients for fluid therapy and record observations, Perform hand pilling (dog, cat), Demonstrate understanding of treatment plan
• Surgical Preparation and Assisting:
• Assist in performing surgical preparations
• Facility and Equipment Cleanliness
• Have knowledge of: Surgical equipment, Surgical room and prep area, Instrument cleaning and care, Proper disposal of hazardous medical wastes
• Laboratory Procedures:
• Assistance in the laboratory
• Record Keeping: Ensure all laboratory results are accurately recorded, Stock laboratory supplies, File laboratory reports
• Radiology and Ultrasound Imaging:
• Follow recommended safety measures, Assist the veterinarian and/or the veterinary technician in the completion of diagnostic radiographs and ultrasound

• Identify the senses of a canine and know how they function, and define the learning theory and classical and operant conditioning
• Describe common behavior problems and strategies for prevention and treatment, identify the pros and cons of punishment versus reinforcement, as well as the signals and displays that dogs use to communicate with each other and with humans
• Apply knowledge of behavior problems by recommending behavior modification plans for the dogs in the three given scenarios
• Define dog testing, state the functions of the American Kennel Club, and list its seven major groups of dog breeds
• Apply knowledge of dog selection by selecting an appropriate breed for the persons in the case studies as well as selecting an inappropriate breed
• Identify the various types of canine training, know the commands to teach dogs basic obedience, and recognize types of dog-training equipment
• Apply knowledge of agility training by examining agility course diagrams and indicating correct and incorrect sequences and identifying handling techniques
• Identify what dog tricks are and know how to use them, describe what play is and why it's important for a domesticated dog, as well as name recreational activities involving dogs
• Name the exercises required for classes of competition and describe the ways dogs are used to assist humans
• Describe basic nutrition, reproductive function, and caring for a dog in old age, as well as know first-aid procedures for shock and wounds
• Outline a dog training business plan, describe effective advertising and marketing strategies, and describe how canine day care centers are run
• Apply knowledge of the dog training business by writing an evaluation of the demographics as they pertain to starting a dog training business and providing information necessary to develop a business plan

• Identify the duties of a pet groomer and how to establish a grooming business
• Know the historical background of the dog and cat and identify the anatomy of the dog and cat
• Identify grooming hand tools and describe their uses and describe how to bathe, dry, and prepare a dog for grooming
• Recognize how to groom dogs from the Terrier group, non-sporting group, and toy group
• Recognize how to groom dogs from the sporting group, herding group, hound group, and working group
• Recognize how to groom poodles, mixed breeds and drop-coat styles, and puppies
• Recognize the basic personalities of different dogs and understand how to groom dogs who have behavior problems
• Identify the characteristics common to cats' personality types and understand how to properly handle each type of cat
• Know the basics of bookkeeping, advertising, customer service, and setting pricing and fees to start a pet grooming business

• Analyze and interpret medical reports related to specific body systems
•     Identify medical terms and words by their component parts
•     Define the body structure and its systems, cavities, planes, and positions
•     Explain the importance of medical terminology in health care professions