Hands-On Training

Just steps away from COCC’s Veterinary Technician training facility in Redmond, the BrightSide Animal Center, a nonprofit animal shelter, offers a mutually beneficial arrangement. BrightSide’s animals provide students with experience in animal handling and diagnostic testing, while the animals receive important checkups, dentals, blood work, and spaying/neutering before finding new homes. The partnership provides care and socialization for the animals and vital hands-on training for the Veterinary Technician students. “It’s not just about the students, it’s about the animals — how they can both benefit from this care,” says Beth Palmer, director of COCC’s Veterinary Technician program. Learn more about BrightSide Animal Center. 

“The ‘Zen’ moments, when I know I’ve made the right career choice, usually occur during the busiest, craziest moments of clinical veterinary practice,” says Martin Jacobi, Vet Tech student with clinical practicums at Riverside Animal Hospital, Feline Fine, and Think Wild. “Everything going on in the clinic — all the noise and purpose — will simply ‘click,’ for lack of a better word, and there’s no need for orders or instructions. Everyone’s training becomes a reflex.” 

Central Oregon Daily News profiled the partnership between COCC and Think Wild that helps both students and local wildlife. Story by Eric Lindstrom.  

Students conduct multiple clinical practicums during the program, with a range of teaching partnership opportunities to choose from:

• General and exotic animal hospitals
• Marine mammal centers, aquariums, zoos, wildlife rehabilitation centers
• Large animal and equine medical and surgical centers
• University hospitals
• Veterinary emergency and specialty hospitals
• Laboratory animal medicine (research)