Veterinary Technology Program - LaGuardia Community College

VETERINARY
TECHNOLOGY
PROGRAM
at LaGuardia
Community College
The only accredited veterinary technology
program in New York City.
www.laguardia.edu

The LaGuardia Vet Tech Program
Combine your love and compassion for animals with a
fascinating career through our Veterinary Technology Program.
Seize your opportunity to become a Veterinary Technician in
great demand by private veterinary practices, animals shelters,
zoos, medical research laboratories, and private industry.
The only fully accredited Veterinary Technology Program in
New York City, LaGuardia offers an exciting learning
experience in small, “hands-on” teaching situations which
expose students to all areas of veterinary care. The program
engages its students in a challenging academic experience
that creates a fine balance between classroom instruction and
practical work with animals.
Top faculty teach a diverse curriculum exploring such areas
as exotic animal medicine, transgenics and shelter medicine.
The program maintains full accreditation by the American
Veterinary Medical Association. Graduates are eligible to sit
for the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE)
for New York State licensing.
Upon graduation, LaGuardia students receive multiple job
offers in top private and public animal care facilities throughout
the country. In New York alone, LaGuardia graduates
can be found caring for animals at such notable sites as
Memorial Sloan Kettering, Columbia Presbyterian, the Animal
Medical Center, and the city’s three major zoological parks—
Bronx, Central Park, and Coney Island Aquarium.
Unique Features of the LaGuardia Vet Tech Program
Program Entrance Requirements
All new students are initially admitted into the “pre-clinical”
phase of the Veterinary Technology program. Students may then
file for candidacy consideration into the Clinical phase at the
beginning of each Fall semester.
Entrance to the Clinical phase of the program is competitive
due to limited capacity. Candidates must have completed the
12-credit “pre-clinical” course requirement (including
specific introductory courses) by December, with a minimum
2.50 GPA and successful completion of all College ACT
entrance examinations. (See page 5 for the Veterinary Technology curriculum.)
Candidates are then ranked on a scoring system based on overall
GPA and grades in key courses. Meeting the minimum 2.50
GPA is not a guarantee that a student will be selected for the
Clinical phase.
Notification of acceptance into the Clinical Phase of the
Veterinary Technology Program occurs in late January. Clinical
Phase courses for students accepted into the Program begin
in the Spring Semester.
Specific, minimum health requirements for students in the
Clinical Phase of the program, including tetanus and other
immunizations, are also in effect for the coming academic year.
Please consult the Veterinary Technology Program Student
Handbook for more information.
What Employers and Graduates Say about
LaGuardia’s Vet Tech Program
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As part of their training and required class work,
students assume responsibility for animal care,
working with dogs, cats, rabbits, and mice in the
college’s state-of-the-art Veterinary Technology
facility.
Students learn to induce and monitor animals
under anesthesia, insert intravenous catheters
and administer medications.
Students in the clinical phase of the program
participate in two 10-week internships at one of
many animal care facilities in the metropolitan
area.
Students also receive hands-on experience in
farm animal nursing by completing a farm animal
nursing class at the end of their 2nd year. This
includes an intensive week-long work experience
at Suffolk County Farm where students work with
sheep, lamb, ducks, horses, llamas, pigs, and
chickens. They also assist with births, neutering,
and all aspects of farm animal husbandry.
“Students get a real sense of what
it’s like to work in a veterinary
hospital. They not only gain essential
hands-on training in animal medicine,
but learn other tasks connected
with the overall care of the animals,
from cleaning their living quarters
to keeping careful records of
drugs being administered for any
health problem.”
Kathleen Pitriola, 2001 graduate
Now at the
Humane Society of New York
“In the 10 years I’ve worked with LaGuardia vet tech interns, I’ve seen
them apply the skills they learned at the college to become dedicated
technicians in both private practice and research. The LaGuardia program
allows them to have a caring and rewarding career, while enjoying
their love for animals.”
Dr. Keith Manning, Veterinarian
East Side Animal Hospital, New York City
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does a veterinary technician do?
In general, the veterinary technician does many of the same tasks for the
veterinarian that nurses and other professionals perform for physicians.
These tasks include: general animal care; surgical assistance; medical
treatments; laboratory tests, x-rays; anesthesia; radiology; and nursing
and critical care.
Does every facility give you the opportunity to perform
all these tasks?
The work of the veterinary technician varies with the type of practice.
In a small animal practice, the technician will usually be involved in
all aspects of the practice. In larger practices and in institutions,
the technician may become specialized in some area of care such as
surgery or intensive care.
What if you wanted to work with animals other than
dogs and cats?
Graduates of the Veterinary Technology Program also work as laboratory
animal technicians and zoo technicians in many research institutions
as well as zoological parks and aquariums in the metropolitan area.
They care for a wide variety of species, including carnivores, primates,
birds, rodents, and others.
Why would I need a license to work in an animal hospital?
In New York State, only persons taking a state licensing exam and
graduating from an accredited veterinary technology program may call
themselves veterinary technicians. Just like nurses, students are
required to study and educate themselves about how to complete
veterinary medical tasks and procedures. This standard should not be
lowered because the patient is an animal.
Why would someone want to become a veterinary technician?
Why wouldn’t they just become a veterinarian?
The veterinarian decides what procedures or plans need to be completed
to make an animal healthy again, but it’s the veterinary technician who
orchestrates how and when to get the tasks accomplished quickly and
with minimal stress to the animal. Graduates of LaGuardia’s Veterinary
Technology Program may apply to veterinary school by completing
additional courses required by each respective school. LaGuardia students
receive a two year associate degree.
How much can I expect to be paid?
Veterinary technicians start at rates averaging between $12 and $20 per
hour. Once you have experience or acquire specialized training, pay is
usually considerably higher.
How Our Tuition Compares
(as of Spring 2004)
Other veterinarian technology programs in New York State cost upwards
of $12,000/year. Here’s a breakdown of LaGuardia’s tuition:
NY State Residents
Non-NY State Residents
Full-time $2800/year $5700/year*
* Assuming 30 credits/year ($190/credit)
4

Associate Degree in Applied Science
Earn an Associate in Applied Sciences degree from LaGuardia’s
Veterinary Technology Program. Develop and perfect your skills in:
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Surgical Preparation and Assistance
Anesthesiology
Medical Treatments
Laboratory Techniques
Radiography
Farm Animals
Take courses in:
COUNSELING
New Student Seminar0 credits
ENGLISH: 6 credits
Composition I ENG101** 3 credits
Writing Through Literature ENG102 3 credits
HUMANITIES: 3 credits (Select one the following courses:)
Oral Communication HUC101 3 credits
Speech: Voice and Diction HUC104 3 credits
Communication in a Professional Setting HUC108 3 credits
Communication and the Non-Native Speaker HUL100 3 credits
MATHEMATICS: 3 or 4 credits (Select one the following courses:)
Mathematics and the Modern World MAT107* 3 credits
Elementary Statistics I
MAT120* 3 credits
Precalculus MAT200* 3 credits
SOCIAL SCIENCE: 3 credits (Select one the following courses:)
Introduction to Anthropology SSA100 3 credits
Cultural Anthropology SSA101 3 credits
Introductory Economics I SSE101 3 credits
Themes in American History to 1865 SSH102 3 credits
U.S. Power and Politics SSP101 3 credits
Introduction to Sociology SSS100 3 credits
General Psychology SSY101 3 credits
NATURAL AND APPLIED SCIENCES: 12 credits
Vertebrate Anatomy and Physiology I SCB208 2 credits
Vertebrate Anatomy and Physiology II SCB209 3 credits
Biological Chemistry SCC140** 3 credits
General Microbiology SCB260 4 credits
VETERINARYTECHNOLOGY: 24 credits
Introduction to Veterinary Technology SCN101** 3 credits
Research Animal Technology SCV201 4 credits
Veterinary Nursing I SCV210 4 credits
Veterinary Nursing II SCV211 4 credits
Veterinary Radiography SCV212 3 credits
Veterinary Laboratory Techniques SCV213 3 credits
Farm Animal Nursing SCV214 3 credits
Exotic Animal Nursing (elective) SCV220 2 credits
Introduction to Animal Control (elective) SCV150 2 credits
Transgenic Techniques (elective) SCV245 3 credits
COOPERATIVE EDUCATION: 6 credits
Gateway to the Workplace CEP100 1 credits
Part-Time Internship (Research Animal Practice) CEP151 2 credits
Full-Time Internship (Small Animal Practice) CEP201 3 credits
UNRESTRICTED ELECTIVES: 2 or 3 credits
2-3 credits
* Students taking MAT 107 or MAT120 must take three credits of unrestricted electives.
Students taking MAT 200 must take two credits of unrestricted electives.
**Pre-clinical Veterinary Technology key course.
Note:The Veterinary Technology courses required for this program are offered in the day.
Successful completion of all ACT entrance examinations is required for acceptance into the Vet Tech Clinical
Phase. Students enrolled in the College Preparatory Initiative (CPI) may be required to take more than 60 credits
in order to graduate. Additional information regarding CPI may be found in the LaGuardia course catalog.
5

Some Facts About LaGuardia
LaGuardia Community College has been named one of the Top
Three large community colleges in the country according to a
national student survey. (The Community College Survey for Student Engagement, 2003)
Location
Western Queens. 10 minutes via subway from Times Square and
just minutes from Brooklyn. Queens is the most rapidly growing
and ethnically diverse borough of New York City, which makes
it the ideal place to learn about business, science & technology,
health & human services and the arts.
Academics
31 degree programs, two one-year certificate programs, an
intensive Internship Program and a rapidly growing Honors
Program that features New York City’s only five-star chapter of
the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society. As The
New York Times said in November 2003, “LaGuardia College
Gets Its Due in a City of Academic Heavy Hitters.”
Students
Known as “The World’s Community College,” LaGuardia is a
multicultural beacon for higher education, with an annual
enrollment of 13,000 students from the United States and 150
other countries. Most students hold part-time or full-time jobs
during at least part of their matriculated studies.
Faculty
Of our 232 full-time professors, more than 45 percent have
Ph.D.s—that’s more than twice the average for community college
faculties nationwide. LaGuardia received the highest
level of re-accreditation for the Middle States Commission on
Higher Education for June 2002 through April 2012.
Internships
More than 4,000 students are placed in internship positions annually
with one of over 600 companies and organizations.
Internships allow students to explore exciting career options in a
wide range of fields through dynamic educational experiences
in the business capital of the world.
Campus
The campus consists of four buildings covering over 1.5 million
square feet. This includes over 100,000 square feet of laboratories,
a 750-seat theater, a six-lane NCAA regulation-size
swimming pool, a modern fitness center, a sports gymnasium,
a tennis court and the Archives of New York Mayors LaGuardia,
Wagner, Beame, Koch and the New York City Council.
Library
The LaGuardia library is staffed with friendly and welcoming
professionals familiar with the curricula being taught in the
classrooms and who can work with students one-on-one and
in groups. Because LaGuardia students lead busy lives, our
librarians focus on ways to help them utilize their study time,
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which includes learning how to make best use of the internet
and other resources and references for their research. Your
LaGuardia student ID gives you access to, and book borrowing
rights at, all 19 CUNY campus libraries.
Tuition
As part of the City University of New York, LaGuardia has the
lowest college tuition in New York City.
Leadership Training
LaGuardia provides opportunities for students to learn and
hone leadership skills via annual conferences, workshops and
seminars. Time management training, effective leadership styles,
event planning and public speaking techniques are just some
of the workshops given throughout the year. These events are
open to all students.
Exchange Programs
LaGuardia has student exchange and transfer programs with
Barnard College, Columbia University, Vassar College, and
additional colleges in 30 countries around the world.
Student Life
College isn’t just about classrooms, books, and libraries. It’s
about growth and self-discovery, too. LaGuardia has more than
25 student clubs, an active Student Government and Student
Activities Council that can serve as a catalyst for change in
your life. We encourage you to explore these on-campus organizations
and take advantage of networking opportunities with
other students—it’s the best way to maximize the richness of
your college experience.
Entrance Requirements
A High School Diploma or G.E.D. is required. The S.A.T. is
not necessary for admission, but a satisfactory score can exempt
a student from certain placement tests (which are given after
admission into the college).
International Students
As a thriving college, LaGuardia attracts students from around
the world. Our International Students Services Office is a
comprehensive, informative resource for current and prospective
students from every culture, providing them with information
that helps them to set and meet their educational goals.
Free Tutoring Labs
LaGuardia’s numerous programs and resources include small
group academic help. Whether you prefer working with a professor
or fellow student, you have many options to choose from.
On-Campus Childcare
LaGuardia students lead very busy lives, but we have created
the most supportive environment possible by providing a
high-quality, on-campus childcare center and a pre-K through
2nd Grade school where your children can be nearby at all
times while receiving a top-notch education themselves.
7

VETERINARY TECHNOLOGY
PROGRAM
at LaGuardia Community College
The City University of New York
Office of Admissions
31-10 Thomson Avenue, M-147
Long Island City, NY 11101
Western Queens
10 Minutes from Times Square
www.laguardia.edu
718 482-5000
callcenter@lagcc.cuny.edu
Programs of Study
Accounting
Accounting & Computers
Administrative Assistant
Business Administration
Business Management
Child Development
Computer Operations
Computer Sciences
Computer Technology
Deaf Studies
Dietetic Technician
Education Associate: Bilingual Child
Education (Childhood Education)*
Education (Secondary Education)*
Emergency Medical Technology/Paramedic
Fine Arts
Foodservice Management
Gerontology
Human Services
Humanities
International Studies
Labor and Community Organizing
Liberal Arts
Mathematics and Science
Media Studies
Mental Health
Mortuary Science**
New Media Technology
Nursing
Occupational Therapy Assistant
Paralegal Studies
Photography
Physical Therapist Assistant
Social Sciences and Humanities
Travel and Tourism
Theatre and Communication
Veterinary Technology
Plus 1-Year Certificate Programs in
Commercial Photography and
Word Processing Specialist.
*Joint Associate/Bachelor’s Degree program.
**Joint Associate Degree program with
American Academy/McAllister Institute.
How to Get to Our Campus
By Subway:
Via No. 7 Train: Get off at 33rd Street station. Walk two
blocks westbound to Thomson Avenue and Van Dam Street.
Via E, V & R Trains: Get off at Queens Plaza Station and
exit the station at the Jackson Avenue and Queens
Boulevard exit. Walk across the Queens Boulevard Bridge
(over the Sunnyside train yards) until you reach the
corner of Van Dam Street and Thomson Avenue.
Via G Train: Get off at Court Square Station (at the
Citicorp Building in Long Island City). Walk across the
Thomson Avenue Bridge.
Via N & W Trains: At Queensboro Plaza station transfer to
the No. 7 train (local to Main Street) and get off at the
33rd Street station. Walk two blocks westbound to
Thomson Avenue and Van Dam Street.
By Bus:
From Queens: Take the Q60 or Q32 to Queens
Boulevard and Skillman Avenue. Walk one block west to
the corner of Van Dam Street and Thomson Avenue, or
take the Q39 to Thomson Avenue and Van Dam Street.
From Brooklyn: Take the B61 to the Citicorp Building in Long
Island City. Walk across the Thomson Avenue Bridge.
From Bronx: Take the QBx1 from Coop City to Main
Street, Flushing or take the Q44 to Main Street Flushing.
At Main Street, take the No. 7 subway to the 33rd Street
Station, then walk two blocks westbound to Thomson
Avenue and Van Dam Street.
From Manhattan: Take the Q32 up Madison Avenue and
across the 59th Street Bridge. Get off at the intersection of
Queens Boulevard and Skillman Avenue and walk on
block to the intersection of Thomson Avenue and Van
Dam Street.
LaGuardia Community College is an Equal Opportunity and Affirmative Action Institution. The College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national or ethnic origin, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation,
transgender, disability, genetic predisposition or carrier status, alienage or citizenship, veteran or marital status in its student admissions, employment, access to programs, and administration of educational policies.