Tri-County's Veterinary Technology Class of 2003 Reports
100 Percent Pass Rate on a National Credentialing Exam

CONTACT: DR. LAYNE NORLUND, EXT. 1357

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 8/18/2003
(By Lisa Garrett)

PENDLETON --- Tri-County Technical College's Veterinary Technology Class of 2003 reports a 100 percent pass rate on a national credentialing exam.

All 12 of the College's May grads who took the Veterinary Technician National Examination passed it; one graduate elected to take the exam in June. A 2002 graduate took the exam and passed, as well. They were among the 2,207 across the United States and Canada who took the exam in June. The national pass rate is 77 percent.

Many states, including South Carolina, use the national exam as their written examination for credentialing veterinary technicians, said Dr. Layne Norlund, who leads Tri-County's Veterinary Technology department. The exam is a timed test consisting of 200 multiple choice questions that test the students' clinical care and science knowledge. Categories include pharmacology, animal nursing, radiology and ultrasound, anesthesia, surgical preparation and assisting and lab procedures.

"Our students performed extremely well," said Dr. Norlund. "This validates their knowledge and the effectiveness of the program, to a degree. This is a major accomplishment and very important criteria for becoming licensed in South Carolina." He added that veterinary technicians cannot be licensed in South Carolina unless they pass this national test. The state exam covers laws and regulations.

This year's graduates had no problem securing employment, he said. Most of them are working in a variety of veterinary practices in the Upstate. In addition, others took a different route -- one is working in an exotic animal practice in Virginia, another is employed by a major pharmaceutical company in Georgia, and several are technicians at the Animal Emergency Clinic in Greenville.

Tri-County's program, launched in the 1970's and the first technical college in the state to offer an associate degree program in Veterinary Technology, is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association and is endorsed by the South Carolina Association of Veterinarians. It offers training in large and small animal clinical and surgical nursing, various laboratory skills, as well as courses in lab animal technology, office management and computer skills.
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