TOMBALL, Texas – The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has approved LSC-Tomball’s Veterinary Technology program for reaccreditation for the next six years.
"We are very proud of our students, faculty, staff, and advisory committee whose dedication continue to make this program excellent and respected in the community," said Joyce Brod, director of LSC-Tomball's Veterinary Technology program.
Accreditation by the AVMA represents the highest standard of achievement for veterinary medical education in the United States. Institutions that earn accreditation confirm their commitment to quality and continuous improvement through a rigorous and comprehensive peer review. Accreditation, according to the AVMA, is a process by which an educational institution or program submits to a voluntary, non-governmental review to determine whether it meets accepted standards of quality.
“Lone Star College-Tomball is proud to provide our community with this outstanding program,” said Tom Lescarbeau, who serves as the dean who oversees LSC-Tomball’s Veterinary Technology program. “As evidenced by the recent reaccreditation of the Veterinary Tech, the faculty and staff work tirelessly to deliver the very best instruction and practical experiences each profession has to offer. Our state-of-the-art facilities ensure each student is well prepared for real-world experiences.”
The inaugural degree program of LSC-Tomball began in 1988. Now in its 29th year, the Veterinary Technology program boasts a 99.8 percent passage rate on the state and national board examination. This success rate is unparalleled in the state of Texas and rated as one of the highest passage percentages among the 218 accredited programs in the United States and Canada. The program accepts between 60-70 college-ready, entry-level students once a year each fall through an application process.
“For the last three years, we have had a 100 percent state and national board examination pass rate,” Brod pointed out, before adding, “We’ve had 600 graduates in the 29 years that our program has been in existence.”
LSC-Tomball’s Vice President of Instruction Dr. Quentin Wright said that when he first read through the self-study that the veterinary technology program did, he knew in his heart that the reaccreditation was going to be successful.
“The Director Joyce Brod authored a report that provided a thorough overview of the program,” Wright noted. “Perhaps, more impressive, was the reactions of the accrediting team. While their questions during the visit were detailed, in the end, they all acknowledged that the LSC-Tomball Veterinary Technology program is among the best. We are fortunate to have a program with a high licensure rate, strong community support, and outstanding faculty and staff."
With the combination of the success of the program and the growing demand for licensed veterinary technicians in veterinary medicine, the Lone Star College System elected to construct a six million dollar, 20,000 square foot state of the art facility on the LSC-Tomball campus with completion in July 2011. This facility provides a 124-seat teaching theatre, expanded clinical and laboratory classrooms as well as animal housing areas for dogs, cats, birds, reptiles and small mammals.
“The LSC-Tomball Veterinary Technology program is committed to providing teaching excellence in an atmosphere where students are mentored to establish a sense of professionalism, and responsibility enabling them to experience a fulfilling career choice,” Brod said.
Lone Star College-Tomball is located at 30555 Tomball Parkway, at the intersection of SH 249 and Zion Road. For more information about the college, call 281.351.3300 or visit LoneStar.edu/Tomball.