Veterinary Assistant
The Veterinary Assistant Training is a comprehensive program that consists of four modules and an internship totaling 150-hours of training starting in September each year. Each module of the program is completed at the Rockville Campus on Fridays throughout the year and must be taken in the correct sequence. At the end of the training, and with internship hours completed, you would receive a certificate of completion for the program.
Students interested in joining the Veterinary Assistant Program will follow these steps below in order to join and complete the program.
Complete registration and payment for a Summer 2025 semester exam date.
In order to attend orientation, interested students must register for and complete the assessment exam. Questions will assess reading comprehension and math at a basic algebra level.
The Summer 2025 schedule will be shared here by March 28, 2025.
Pass the assessment to attend the free, mandatory orientation and get a registration ticket.
To attend the mandatory orientation session, you must have already completed the required assessment exam for the veterinary assistant program.
This session reviews all aspects of the Veterinary Assistant Program including but not limited to: schedule, expectations, student and faculty responsibilities, registration and payment, and an overview of the internship process. After the orientation session, students would receive a ticket to register for Module One of the Veterinary Assistant Program.
The Summer 2025 orientation dates will be shared here by March 28, 2025.
Bring your registration ticket to register for module one, then start attending class in September.
Students can only register for one module at a time. After orientation, students receive a registration ticket to register for the first module in the program. Students in orientation are told what date to come in-person to register for the first module. Payment for the first module is due when the student registers.
Only students with registration tickets will be eligible to register for the first module.
For each subsequent module (2-4), students eligible to move on to the next course will receive an email from a member of the program with directions for moving forward and how to register.
Students will complete four modules in the required order:
- Veterinary Assistant Training I: Outpatient Care
- Veterinary Assistant Training II: Diagnostic and Pharmacy
- Veterinary Assistant Training III: Patient Care and Treatment
- Veterinary Assistant Training IV
This program training includes 96 classroom hours and 54 internship hours. The program begins in September and ends approximately in May.
Get hands-on experience during the spring semester.
Students work with our internship coordinator to find a placement at an internship in a local veterinary office or clinic. Details about this process are discussed in the orientation session.
The 54 internship hours a student completes are in addition to the 96 classroom hours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Our Veterinary Assistant program is a certificate program where students complete 150 hours of training between the coursework and internship.
A Vet Tech program is a degree program with a multi-year commitment and is not currently offered at Montgomery College.
Modules for the program begin in September and end approximate in May.
In terms of investment/cost, the combined approximate price for all four modules for the 2024-2025 academic year is $2,350 for Maryland Residents. Non-Maryland residents would pay an additional out-of-state fee.
Classes are held in-person at the Campus Center (CC) on the Rockville Campus on Fridays. Students may choose between an afternoon session or an evening session, based on availability.
Yes, there a required textbook and we provide it to you during the first module.
Unfortunately, no, there is no study guide provided. This is a computer based assessment and questions are randomized. The questions you will see on the assessment focus on assessing reading comprehension and math, at a basic algebra level.
Unfortunately, no, you must complete the assessment exam prior attending orientation. There are 3 test dates through the summer that you can register for and can be viewed above. Dates for the upcoming summer semester will be posted by April of that given year.
We want you to be best prepared for the upcoming program and commitment.
At orientation, you receive information about the entire program and the expectations of completing the program. You will also receive a registration ticket to come and register for Module 1 of the program.
If you do not have a registration ticket, you cannot register for Module 1.
When you attend the mandatory orientation, you are told of the date to return to the Gaithersburg Business Training Center with your registration ticket.*
*Students that attend orientation receive a registration ticket. Students without registration tickets cannot register for module 1.
Contact Natalie Martinez, Disability Support Services Counselor for WDCE at Natalie.Martinez@montgomerycollege.edu or call 240-567-4188. Requests should be made at least three weeks prior to the start of class to ensure arrangements are made prior to the classes.