AS in Veterinary Medical Technology

I. LMU Specific Courses

II. Communication

III. Ethics, Fine Arts, History, or Humanities

IV. Behavioral/Social Sciences

V. Mathematics

IV. Natural Sciences

VMT Courses

**If the course has a corequisite laboratory course, the laboratory course MUST be taken

1. Vaccination for rabies is mandatory. Students requiring medical exemption from rabies vaccination must provide written documentation of medical necessity from a licensed physician or medical provider. Students enrolled in VMT 120 must pay a $750.00 course fee to cover the cost of purchase and administration of rabies vaccine. The vaccine will be administered at a local pharmacy or healthcare provider during the initial few weeks of the fall semester.
2. Students that provide written documentation of rabies vaccination prior to entry into the program will have the $750.00 course fee waived.
3. All students must provide written documentation of current tetanus vaccination status (within the previous 5 years).
4. Female students are encouraged to sign a pregnancy declaration form to be exempt from participation in some courses such as anesthesia, parasitology, and diagnostic imaging where participation could put the unborn fetus at risk.
5. Students are encouraged to obtain health insurance.

Practical Work Experience Policy
Students enrolled in the Associate of Science in Veterinary Medical Technology program at Lincoln Memorial University must complete a practical veterinary experience at the conclusion of the academic program in accordance with Standard 10d of the Accreditation Policies and Procedures of the AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA).

10d. Practical veterinary experience that expands student knowledge and builds proficiency of acquired skills through task-specific exercises is a required portion of the curriculum. These experiences are usually termed preceptorships, practicums, internships, or externships. Practical experiences are for the purpose of honing skills learned in the formal instructional settings and should be scheduled to occur following completion of skills acquisition. These practical experiences should be a minimum of 240 cumulative contact hours and must be monitored by the program director or the director’s appointee who must be a program faculty or staff member who is either a licensed veterinarian or credentialed veterinary technician who is a graduate of an AVMA CVTEA/CVMA accredited veterinary technology program. Prior to the beginning of the practical experience, on-site supervisors must be contacted by the program. Students and faculty should seek progressive contemporary facilities that employ credentialed veterinary technicians to act as professional role models and mentors. During the practical experience, contact must be maintained with students and their on-site supervisors to monitor students’ personal and educational experiences. It is highly recommended that such contact take place through personal visits and interviews by the program director or appointee. Specific criteria must be used to assist on-site supervisors in monitoring student progress. The program director or appointee shall review student performance evaluations by on-site supervisors, student evaluation of the experience, and a final student performance evaluation.

VMT Program Practicum
The practicum is completed through two (2) courses: VMT 291 and VMT 292. These three (3) credit hour courses consist of 120 contact hours each. The practicum is graded on a pass/fail basis.

Roles and Responsibilities
VMT students are responsible for locating and securing a clinical site for the practicum. The program director is available for guidance regarding selection of the clinical site. Once the clinical site has agreed to accept the VMT student for the practicum, the program director will complete the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the site and forward to the University legal department for all required signatures.

Students registered for VMT 291 and VMT 292 are required to submit weekly timesheets documenting the number of contact hours spent at the clinical site. Students should follow the individual schedule of the clinical site and recognize that nontraditional days/times may be required based on the nature of the veterinary practice. It is recommended that students average 40 contact hours per week. A copy of the timesheet is attached.

Students must complete weekly discussion board posts as a primary means of communication with classmates, faculty, and staff. Student may choose to report on interesting cases and activities from the week and to share knowledge with classmates.

Students must complete a case study based on an interesting case observed during the practicum. All identifying information must be redacted to protect client and patient confidentiality. Specific formatting guidelines are provided to students in the syllabus and in the Blackboard course shell.

Memorandum of Understanding
The program director will complete an MOU with each clinical site and forward to the University legal department for all required signatures. Students may not begin work until MOUs are fully executed. Each MOU will clearly delineate responsibilities of all parties.

Renumeration

At the discretion of the clinical site, students may be paid an hourly wage or stipend for work completed during the practicum. The VMT program does not control the renumeration policy of the clinical site.

Practicum Evaluation
Students will provide all clinical site supervisors with a copy of the Practicum Evaluation of Student document at the beginning of the practical experience. Supervisors may mail, fax, or email the completed document to the instructor of the VMT 291/292 courses.

Students will complete the Student Evaluation of Practicum document at the completion of the practical experience. The completed document may be mailed, faxed, or emailed to the instructor of the VMT 291/292 courses.