Medical Office Assistant with Veterinary Specialty

• Clear Criminal Record Check
• Completion of Grade 12 or equivalent, or 19 years of age or older with completion of the required testing
• Adequate level of physical health to be able to fulfill job requirements
• Completion of Wonderlic admission test with a minimum score of 18
• Good command of the English language – both written and verbal
• Hepatitis B, other vaccinations, and/or a TB test may be required by this industry
• Completion of standard registration form

The Veterinary Office Assistant performs many of the same or similar duties as a regular Medical Office Assistant. While the patients look and act a bit different, they basically have the same body systems and require similar treatment for injuries and illnesses. Consequently by adding the Veterinary Office Assistant specialty modules to the core Medical Office Assistant program, graduates have the choice of working in a Veterinary setting or working in a medical clinic thus creating wider employment opportunities. Some of their tasks and duties are communicating with animal owners and having knowledge of the terminology of the animal industry. This includes:

• Dogs & Cats – breeds, breeding, reproduction, behavior, nutritional considerations, common dog and cat diseases and preventive medicine, terminology.
• Equine Industry – groups of breeds, correct titles for horses, gaits of the horse, unusual equines, breeding, housing, feeding, restraint, hoof care, preventive healthcare, common diseases and terminology.
• Cattle Industry – breeds of cattle, dairy cattle rearing and housing systems, beef cattle rearing and housing systems, cattle feed, cattle restraint, common care techniques and procedures, reproductive, pregnancy, and management of the newborn calf, milk production, preventive healthcare, common diseases of cattle, and terminology.
• Swine Industry – history, breeds, behavior, physiology, breeding, housing, feeding, restraint, herd health, and terminology.
• Small Ruminants – sheep, goats, llamas, – purposes and breeds, breeding, neonatal care, housing, feeding, restraint, routine healthcare, common diseases, and terminology.
• Rodents, Rabbits, and Laboratory Science – rodents, rabbits, housing, handling and restraint, nutrition, disease, laboratory animal science, and terminology.
• Communicating with pet owners through species terminology, the terminology of the animal industry based on ordinary language, reflecting the way in which humans use animals.
• Performing Medical Office/Clinic and Hospital Administrative duties including basic clinical procedures, i.e.: basic lab tests, vital signs, medical asepsis/infection control, CPR/First Aid, assisting with patient examinations, patient charting and health records, billing and coding, transcription and customer service.

Graduates of this program are qualified to work in an administrative capacity in a wide variety of healthcare settings and occupations. The Veterinary Office Assistant can work in veterinary clinics and hospitals, SPCA’s, veterinary supply companies, and any other related business. Job titles vary per location but would include:

• Veterinary Administrative Assistants
• Veterinary Receptionist
• Hospital Admitting/ER departments including:
• Switchboard, Cashier, Information, Patient Registration, Morgue, etc.
• Medical Finance & Administrative departments.
• Health Records Department
• Long Term & Extended Care departments.
• Physicians’ Offices, Clinics, Mental Healthcare & Allied Health Care Centres
• Complementary & Alternative Medicine Clinics such as Chiropractic & Acupuncture Centres
• Medical Supply Companies