Mat-Su College Veterinary Sciences Students Have a New High-Tech Home on Campus
Contributed by Nick McDermott
Alaska’s first and only Veterinary Technology Program, established earlier this year, is excited to unveil its new education suite, created to simulate a modern veterinary clinic. It includes a surgery/anesthesia area, a diagnostic lab, x-ray machine, an ultrasound machine (generously donated by UAA's ultrasonography program) and more.
Students can practice their new training on several animal simulators including a realistic K9 Diesel dog simulator that can be used for anesthesia monitoring training, CPR training, phlebotomy, and several other skill building tasks.
Dr. Judith Montalbano says, “Establishing a veterinary technician program has long been a dream for me and many others in Alaska's veterinary community. Starting our first class of students this fall has fueled excitement in Alaska's veterinary care providers. We embrace our role as a trusted and respected partner to the pet-owning public and their veterinary healthcare teams.”
Training more veterinary technicians to enter the workforce should make getting veterinary care in a timely manner better for the pet owners of the state.
The new program is providing skilled workers for a high-demand industry nationally. The Bureau of Labor Statistics shows an expected job growth for Veterinary Technicians and Technologists of 19% from 2023-2033.
Join us at the Mat-Su College campus on November 15th at 10 am for the ribbon-cutting ceremony and walk-through.
In the spirit of giving back, we’re also collecting pet food donations for the local animal shelter! Bring a bag of pet food to help support animals in need.