We at St. Petersburg College’s Veterinary Technology Program were honored to be recognized by the Association of Veterinary Technician Educators (AVTE) as the Program of Year for 2022!

I am so pleased that the Vet Tech faculty received this validation of excellence – they are definitely deserving of recognition! AVTE’s Program of the Year Award acknowledges SPC’s Veterinary Nursing Technology faculty as 21^st Century educators, whose focus extends beyond imparting facts. Our faculty create learning environments that are inclusive of content knowledge, allow for creative thinking, and encourage collaboration and problem-solving. SPC’s Veterinary Nursing educators provide learning opportunities that not only develop learners’ critical thinking skills but also encourage curiosity and respect for differing opinions.

A dedicated faculty

SPC’s Vet Tech faculty are continual learners. They love to learn, keeping up on new classroom technologies and advances in veterinary medicine. Many are still employed in practices to maintain their skill levels and keep abreast of the rapidly changing veterinary field. They effectively integrate new knowledge and technologies into the learning experience to advance student learning.

Through the dedication of our faculty, we were the first SPC program to provide the opportunity for AS students to return to campus in the summer of 2020. Faculty specifically targeted those classes that required hands-on to complete their AVMA essential skills. All the faculty were extraordinary in their efforts to support students and provide a rewarding educational experience that led to successful completion of course work in difficult times.

Outside of SPC and our students’ coursework experiences, our faculty engage in other organizations that afford them the opportunity to directly influence and support veterinary technology education. Our program and faculty are long-term and active AVTE members and are active in the Florida Veterinary Technician Association, Pinellas County Veterinary Medical Association, Veterinary Hospital Manager’s Association. They have also been proactive in moving the Veterinary Nursing Initiative forward by advocating for title protection in the State of Florida.

Our faculty have also worked to create unique study abroad experiences for students so they can gain knowledge and skills and appreciate new perspectives and different cultures. They recently returned from two weeks in Zimbabwe, where our students participated in an exchange program with veterinary nursing students from the Netherlands, took several trips to Costa Rica and Australia for sea turtle research and rescue,  and worked with an elephant rescue in Thailand.

Great faculty means strong program

The SPC Veterinary Nursing Technology program has grown since its inception in 1971 from an inaugural cohort enrollment of around 25, to today, where we have a combined enrollment of approximately 550 students. Our success rates are high, with the BAS program averaging 86 percent and the AS program averaging 84 percent. We received our re-accreditation this summer from the American Animal Hospital Association.

The AVTE Program of the Year Award honors veterinary technician education programs that demonstrate exceptional strength in working collaboratively to generate creative learning environments that lead to successful program completion and quality veterinary nursing technicians, and we appreciate the honor and recognition.