High School Program

High school students earn the Veterinary Assistant (VA) title by completing (100 lessons, lesson questions, and 50 activities) in an apprenticeship (500 hours, clinical or non-clinical) under professional supervision.

Step 1: Determine which career track(s) to teach.

• Clinical: companion, livestock, and exotic animal health.
  Students following this track earn the veterinary assistant (VA) title and ARE eligible for certification through the TVMA by examination.
• One Health: animal, human, and environmental health.
  Students following this track earn the veterinary assistant title, but are NOT eligible for certification.
• Laboratory: animal health research and diagnostics.
  Students following this track earn the veterinary assistant title, but are NOT eligible for certification.

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Step 2: Purchase curriculum needed for career track.

Print materials: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Bookstore – 979-985-5259
Web-based materials: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service (Vet Science) – 979-458-8692

• Students complete 100 lessons (75 core lessons and 25 lessons in their chosen track: Clinical, One Health, or Laboratory.
• Students following the One Health track (blue) or Laboratory track (green) will need the supplemental materials in that track along with the core curriculum (purple).

Track	Option 1: Clinical	Option 1. One Health	Option 1: Laboratory
Option 1: Includes both print books and online teacher resource	Core curriculum (book) Veterinary Science: Preparatory Training for the Veterinary Assistant (75 core & 25 clinical lessons) Web-based resource: Veterinary Science Teacher Resources	Supplement (book) One Health Science & Technology (25 lessons) Web-based resource: One Health Teacher Resource	Supplement (book) Laboratory Science & Technology (25 lessons) Web-based resource: Laboratory Science Teacher Resources
	Option 2: Clinical	Option 2: One Health	Option 3: Laboratory
Option 2: Includes online  curriculum only (no print books needed)	Web-based curriculum: Veterinary Science Teacher-Assisted Curriculum (no books required	Web-based curriculum: One Health Teacher-Assisted Curriculum (no books required)	Web-based curriculum: Laboratory Science Teacher-Assisted Curriculum (no books required)

Step 3: Complete 500 apprenticeship hours.

• Clinical track only: Agricultural science teachers are able to teach 200 of the 500 clinical skill hours in the classroom.
• Teacher training is available to demonstrate how to teach clinical skills to students.
• Students in the One Health and Laboratory tracks complete all 500 under a professional in that field (e.g., diagnostician or regulatory professional)

Step 4: Earn the veterinary assistant (VA) title.

• Students who complete the curriculum (75 core lessons and 25 lessons in chosen career track) earn the veterinary assistant (VA) title and certificate in their track.

–  Clinical Veterinary Assistant Certificate
–  One Health Veterinary Assistant Certificate
–  Laboratory Veterinary Assistant Certificate

Step 5: Apply for TVMA certification – $135 (clinical track only).

• High School CVA Level I Exam Application Form and Skills Validation Checklist.
• Students who pass the exam earn the certified veterinary assistant (CVA) title and receive a certificate from the Texas Veterinary Medical Association (TVMA). The exam is $135 per student.

High school implementation

Texas Education Agency: 19 TAC Chapter 130. Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills for Career and Technical Education

• Subchapter A. Agriculture, Food, and Natural Resources
  –  Veterinary Medical Application (One Credit), Adopted 2015.
  Option:
  –  Year 1: complete curriculum (100 lessons, 50 activities, begin 200 classroom skill hours) = one credit
  –  Year 2: complete work-based learning veterinary clinic (300 hours under DVM, or LVT) = one to three credits