Major Focus: Vet Tech with Ashley Watson

Major Focus: Vet Tech with Ashley Watson who shares insider info. about her love for animals & KSU Tuscarawas Associate of Applied Science Veterinary Technology program.

Why Go Anywhere Else? is brought to you in partnership with Kent State University at Tuscarawas.

 Major Focus on Vet Tech with Ashley Watson

Who is Ashley Watson?  

• A valuable Adjunct Instructor of Veterinary Technology at KSU Tuscarawas as well as an alumnus and animal lover!

Interview Featuring –  9 Facts about Tuscarawas Campus’ own Ashley Watson & the Vet Tech Program:

1.  How long have you worked at KSU Tusc.? 

•  “I’ve worked at KSU Tusc in the Veterinary Technology program as an adjunct instructor since 2011. “

2.  Do you have any other jobs or where did you gain your experience?

• “I started working as a veterinary assistant at Town and Country Veterinary Clinic in 2009 and still work there full time as a technician doing small animals and some exotic animals.  I also joined MedVet in Akron recently and work in the ER.”

3.  What age were you when you realized you wanted to work with animals?

• “I’ve known I wanted to work with animals my entire life.  We always had pets but I had a deep love for horses.  I did 4-H growing up, competed locally, rode for the dressage team in college and competed nationally with my Arabian horses. Now horseless, I compete in agility with my youngest Boxer, Ryker.”

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4.  What hands-on experiences with animals does Tusc Campus offer?

• “KSU Tusc offers lots of hands-on experience for students with many different animals.  It is required that our students be able to do skills on live animals so our nursing labs offer ample experience to learn and perfect those essential skills.  I’ve taught the small animal labs (dogs and cats), we have a lab animal/exotics section (rodents, bunnies, reptiles and birds) and I currently teach the large animal lab (horses, cows, goats).”

5.  What are the most popular animals students enjoy working with?

• “As far as favorite animals, I think that’s all student dependent and where they want to end up in practice.  My favorite thing is working with students who are terrified of large animals and helping them understand those animals and come to love working with them.”

6.  Do any of the classes team up with local Veterinary clinics?

• “Before students come into the program they are asked to do observation hours at local clinics to get an understanding of the profession and what this job may entail.  Then in their last semester, students are required to do so many working hours in a veterinary clinic partnership.  They get to practice their skills in a real-world setting with skilled registered technicians watching over them.”

7.  Are there opportunities for field experiences in the program

• “In the clinical partnership students are required to do what is considered field experience but also in both the lab animal/exotics class and large animal class labs students are off campus at wonderful facilities that allow us to work with their amazing animals.”

 

 

 

 

 

8.  What is your favorite animal?

• “I think my favorite animal is either a dog or a horse, both are pretty amazing in my book!” 

9.   Anything you would like to share about the KSU Tusc Vet Tech program?

• “I’m really proud of our program and how far it’s come from its implementation. This job is most definitely a labor of love (both as an educator and a RVT) so it’s always great to help bring up and coming students into the profession.”

 

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If you have a nurturing spirit and love for animals like Ashley, learn more!

• With over 30 degrees to choose from, Kent State University (KSU) at Tuscarawas has an Associate of Science Degree in Veterinary Technology (VTEC).
• The program is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) as it teaches veterinary medicine performing duties vital to excellent patient and client care in an animal hospital setting.
• This degree offers all of the courses at the beautiful Tuscarawas campus.  Students can become a RVT (Registered Veterinary Technician).

The program gives students tools to understand in a HANDS-ON way:

• Qualify to take the Veterinary Technician National Examination
• Demonstrate successful completion of all essential skills (nurse, dental hygienist, surgical assistant, scrub nurse, radiology technician, lab technician, microbiologist, client service specialist, communications expert, transcriptionist, pharmacology technician, manager, nutritionist, animal trainer, behavior counselor, and sanitation specialist)
• Demonstrate competency in safely performing animal handling skills
• Demonstrate competency in decision-making abilities for patient case management, from the initial presentation to the successful outcome of the patient’s treatment and resolution of the patient’s presenting problem(s)

Application Process

There are only 48 spots each fall for the Vet Tech program.  In order to apply a candidate must have:

• A minimum GPA of 2.7 for college-level applicants and 3.0 for high school applicants is required.
• A minimum of 15 hours of field experience is required for all applicants applying to the program. Field experience is defined as volunteering, observing, or shadowing at a veterinary practice, preferably one in which a registered veterinary technician is employed. An applicant can gain points for program admission if they have 40 or more field experience hours.

• A completed application form.

Future Career Paths

Kent State Tuscarawas Vet Tech graduates may work in the following types of positions:

• Animal Control Workers
• As a Veterinary lab assistant or technician in an Animal Hospital
• As a Veterinary lab assistant or technician at a private Veterinarian office
• Zoo medicine
• Research laboratory or clinical pathology studies

Program Requirements

• 60 credit hours
• A roadmap for this program’s class schedule success is laid out here.

Enrollment

• Applications can be found online here

• No application fee

• No test scores needed for first-year students

 

Why Go Anywhere Else?

Unique classroom opportunities present themselves exclusively to Tuscarawas students. 

• High-quality teaching
• Advising
• Mentoring
• Learning with small class sizes
• Dedicated teachers such as the 2017 full-time distinguished teaching award winner, Director of Veterinary Technology Dr. Kimberly Huston.  Listen to her interview about the KSU Tuscarawas vet tech program with Tuscarawas Broadcasting Company WBTC.

• State-of-the-art technology, software, and equipment to learn and create with.
• Gold standard curriculum and excellent Professors.
• Incredible ALC makerspace.
• Tutoring is offered for many Kent Core classes including; psychology, biology, math, chemistry, and writing.
• Local advisors dedicated to the Tuscarawas campus will assist with academic forms, information, classes as well as success tips virtually or in person.
• USCAA athletics on campus.
• Over $350K in scholarships are awarded annually.
• Convenient access to educational experiences at the PAC.
• Ability to gain future career experience in the exclusive KSU Tuscarawas Research Colloquium.

Why go anywhere else when low tuition,  close to home, extraordinary education is right down the road!

Kent State University at Tuscarawas
330 University Drive NE
New Philadelphia, OH 44663
(330)-339-3391

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