Texas A&M designs high school veterinary curriculum to help bolster ranks of support staff

National Report

-- High schoolers will have a chance to gain certification as human-medicine and veterinary paraprofessionals in a new program starting this fall.

The new national curriculum, known as "Veterinary Science: Preparatory Training for Veterinary Assistants," is funded by the Department of Homeland Security and was developed by Texas A&M University's National Center for Foreign Animal and Zoonotic Disease Defense.

Participating high-schoolers will complete 75 core lessons on basic veterinary science, plus 25 core lessons in one of three tracks: clinical sciences, one health science and technology, and laboratory research/diagnostic science and technology.

Students will put their knowledge to work as apprentices in career environments of their choosing and receive 120 hours of on-the-job training before their certification.

Participants will be encouraged to use their certificates in occupations in rural and urban areas.