Thirty-six Mesa Community College veterinary technology students are participating in online basic life support and advanced life support certification courses through the Reassessment Campaign on Veterinary Resuscitation initiative program.

The curriculum, made available at no charge to students, offers valuable research and information on evidence-based veterinary cardiopulmonary resuscitation practices, according to a release.

“Our students are taught the R.E.C.O.V.E.R. CPR method in our VET240 anesthesia, surgical and emergency nursing course,” Dr. Kimberly Focht, MCC veterinary technology program director, said in the release. “This free, online training during the pandemic allows our students to review the CPR curriculum and earn their official BLS/ALS certifications prior to entering the workforce.”

Dr. Focht is pursuing R.E.C.O.V.E.R. instructor certification, preparing to offer rescuer certification for future students.

The R.E.C.O.V.E.R. initiative is a nonprofit, volunteer-run program operating within the Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care Society and the American College of Veterinary Emergency and Critical Care. It began offering free training to anyone registered with a university’s veterinary program at the start of the pandemic.

Veterinary technology

The MCC veterinary technology/animal health program provides students with the skills and knowledge to function as a professional veterinary technician providing support to veterinarians, biomedical researchers and other scientists, animal control, and humane organizations, the release states.

Curriculum covers basic medical sciences, animal care and management, veterinary medical care, and client communications and service. The program also includes practical clinical experience in veterinary emergency, large animal, small animal, and specialty practices in laboratories, humane societies, and other facilities.

A partnership with Midwestern University College of Veterinary Medicine allows students opportunities to participate in bovine and necropsy skills labs and gain valuable learning experiences participating in small and large animal internships at CVM’s Animal Health Institute in Glendale. Learn more at mesacc.edu/programs/veterinary-technology.

Mesa Community College has degree and certificate programs at its two campuses, additional locations and a combination of online formats. MCC is one of 10 colleges in the Maricopa County Community College District. Go to mesacc.edu.