Two great things about our program are (1) We have more animals on campus than anywhere else (2) It’s the only 4-year vet tech program (others are two years). You need a 4-year degree for a good job in an animal-related business like a pet food or pharmaceutical company. If you want to work in a clinical setting like a veterinary hospital, you’re ready to pass the technician exam.
Classes and Labs
Our special secret: we get to do more hand-on medical work than the Pre-Vets do. We learn veterinary radiology and anesthesiology, and assist in actual surgeries when we intern in real veterinary offices.
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Check out our well-bred kids (it’s in their DNA, we plan it that way). Don't let our names fool you. We have goats too! Not to mention a big, white maremma guard dog (Mac) and a donkey that loves to fart (Curly).
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We get involved in research projects and grants. For Cal Poly’s Equine Research Center, we have investigated the effects of locomotion on metabolism, muscle function and kinematics.
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Clubs and Events
The AHSTA, our active club for Animal Health Science majors, does field trips, puts on events (both fun and community service), and furthers animal welfare plus career networking. Other clubs include Rodeo and Equestrian Drill Team. In Livestock Judging, we get animals ready for Statewide shows.
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This is one of the ways that AHSTA gives back to the community. We take pets to senior centers and children’s hospitals. For many of them, this is the only time they get to interact with pets. You should see how faces light up when they meet our special dogs and cats!
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Other Cool Stuff
Our program is so amazing, students from Japan pay to take our seminars. We show them animal handling techniques and procedures like CPR and how to insert an IV. Don’t worry, those are stuffed animals we’re using for practice :)
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This major is truly pet-friendly. In fact, some professors bring their own pets to class, and let us bring ours. (Please check with your instructor first.) Here’s a gallery of our pets.
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Our clubs put on events like the AHSTA end of year banquet. This year’s theme was the Old West. Last year was Vintage Hollywood. In the first photo in this album we’re spelling out “AHSTA”, can you tell?
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