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The CVMA Certified Veterinary Assistant (CVMA CVA) program is offered to high schools, regional occupational programs, and technical colleges in partnership with veterinarians and RVTs who serve as mentors and program advisors.
The CVMA established the CVMA CVA program in order to provide veterinary practitioners with more qualified, professional, and productive employees in the traditional entry-level positions of the veterinary support staff.
The CVMA CVA program emphasizes basic training and skills in a variety of areas, including medical care, client communication, and practice safety through online learning and experience in a veterinary practice.
As an added benefit, CVMA CVAs receive one year of complimentary CVMA membership after completion of Level I certification!
CVMA CVA Course Fee: $295 per learner
CVMA CVA Final Exam Retest Fee: $55
To maintain certification, 10 hours of continuing education units are required every two years plus a minimal certificate renewal fee ($30 CVMA Members/$100 Non-Members).
School Administrators may sign up by contacting Jessica Gray at Patterson Veterinary Academy at jessica.gray@pattersonvet.com.
The CVMA CVA program increases participants’ knowledge through online education materials, practical experience, evaluation (skills assessments), and a written examination.
Participants learn topics including:
Education
Complete, with a passing grade, a minimum of nine months or two semesters of an approved high school or adult learning curriculum designed to prepare students for employment in the animal care industry. Students are required to view more than 150 videos and written materials online.
Experience
Students will complete a minimum of 500 hours practical veterinary assisting experience, at least 250 hours with live animals in a hospital setting, up to 250 hours laboratory time. CVMA CVA students are required to gain practical, real-world experience and demonstrate competency in over 100 skills under the supervision of a California-licensed veterinarian or RVT.
Evaluation
A mentor veterinarian or RVT will evaluate the student’s ability to accomplish 100 skills from these areas of the task list:
Examination
To become certified for two years, upon completion of the experience and education components, applicants must pass a certification exam. The online exam consists of 100 randomly generated questions. The applicant will have a two-hour time limit to complete the exam and must score 75% or higher.
Level I CVMA Certified Veterinary Assistants can further advance their knowledge in the CVMA CVA Level II program! CVMA CVAs will complete the online education component and the evaluation component (skills assessments task list) in this advanced program. Participants of the CVMA CVA Level II program will learn about topics including:
Applicants are required to view 130 videos and written materials through online education and accomplish tasks from the level II skills task list. They will also be required to pass a final written examination (passing score of 80% required). A student is eligible to take this test for the Level II course if they are a current CVMA CVA in good standing.
If you are interested in possibly starting a program at your high school, feel free to contact Brian Ortiz. He is more than happy to talk to you.
His email is bortiz@hartdistrict.org
The CVMA’s Certified Veterinary Assistant (CVA) program was established to provide veterinary practitioners with more qualified, professional, and productive employees in traditional entry-level positions of the veterinary support staff. In addition to being offered to individual veterinary assistants, the program is also offered to high schools, regional occupational programs, and technical colleges in partnership with veterinarians and RVTs, who serve as mentors and program advisors.
One high school program that utilizes the CVMA CVA program as part of its curriculum is the William S. Hart Union School District, located in Santa Clarita Valley, California. The district is home to 18 campuses serving an estimated 21,000 students.
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