San Joaquin Valley College Receives Accreditation for Veterinary Technology Program

VISALIA, CA, May 22, 2013 (Press-News.org) The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) recently granted provisional accreditation to San Joaquin Valley College's Veterinary Technology (VT) program after a January 2013 site visit. The college, located at 295 E. Sierra Ave. in Fresno, began the process of accreditation for their Veterinary Technology program almost three years ago.

"This accreditation is both a reflection and endorsement of the quality of our overall VT program, staff and students," says Greg Osborn, Corporate Director of Program Compliance. Program accreditation is effective retroactive to January 18, 2013 and means that SJVC's Veterinary Technology students who graduate after that date are immediately eligible to sit for their Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) exam, the current pathway to state licensure. "Our graduates will also now qualify to take the Veterinary Technician National Exam," says Osborn.

"There is an obvious benefit to our graduates being able to take the test immediately," says Erin Miracle, RVT, SJVC's VT Program Director. According to the California Veterinary Medical Board 2012 statistics, 80% of test-takers pass on their first attempt, while only about 50% pass on repeated tries, an indication that higher scores are gained when the test-takers' knowledge is fresh.

In the last year 30 schools applied to the AVMA for accreditation and only 17 (including San Joaquin Valley College) were approved. There are only a little over 200 accredited Veterinary Technology programs across the nation.

Graduates from non-accredited VT programs must work in the veterinary field for 4,400 hours before they are eligible to sit for the RVT exam. In a competitive job market and with veterinary medicine businesses demanding more highly skilled and credentialed staff, licensed professionals who have graduated from an AVMA accredited program are in greater demand.

San Joaquin Valley College's 15-month Veterinary Technology program provides education and training in all areas of animal patient care; from lab tests to radiology procedures and surgical assisting. Curriculum also focuses on communication skills involving pet owner education and counseling for the care of sick animals.

"Our students are bright, determined and fiercely proud of our program," says Miracle, "and our instructors instill in our students the qualities they need to be productive, independent technicians in a field we all care about very deeply," she says. "This accreditation shows our students, industry professionals and our community what we have always knows about the quality of our VT program."

San Joaquin Valley College is an accredited private junior college that provides accelerated, career-focused curriculum and instruction to its students. Founded in 1977, SJVC has 12 campuses located throughout California — plus an online division — and offers more than 20 accelerated Certificate and Associate of Science degree programs in the business, medical and technical fields. The College has prepared more than 25,000 graduates for professional success in their chosen careers.