Academic Catalog

V T 60: VETERINARY OFFICE PRACTICE

Foothill College Course Outline of Record

Foothill College Course Outline of Record
Heading Value
Effective Term: Summer 2025
Units: 2
Hours: 2 lecture per week (24 total per quarter)
Prerequisite: V T 53A.
Advisory: Not open to students with credit in APAV 60.
Degree & Credit Status: Degree-Applicable Credit Course
Foothill GE: Non-GE
Transferable: CSU
Grade Type: Letter Grade Only
Repeatability: Not Repeatable

Student Learning Outcomes

  • Recognize and discuss their own personal strengths and weaknesses in interpersonal communication in the veterinary workplace.
  • Demonstrate the ability to provide effective client education for a variety of common veterinary conditions and circumstances

Description

Principles and practice of veterinary office management. Includes client relations, front office skills, and practice management skills. State and federal laws as they apply to veterinary practice. Intended for students in the Veterinary Technology Program; enrollment is limited to students accepted in the program.

Course Objectives

The student will be able to:

  1. Demonstrate effective client communication
  2. Discuss principles of personnel, facilities, and inventory management
  3. Construct and evaluate medical records
  4. Describe a variety of marketing, promotion, and sales techniques
  5. Discuss and identify forms of harassment
  6. Discuss state and federal laws governing the veterinary field

Course Content

  1. Communication and client relations
    1. Receptionist skills and duties
    2. Interpersonal and telephone communication techniques
    3. Handling emergency situations
    4. Pet loss and grief counseling
    5. Client admission and discharge procedures
    6. Making and managing appointments
  2. Personnel, facilities, and inventory management
    1. Principles of personnel management, and skills and personal characteristics of good managers
    2. Procedures for hiring and firing employees: job descriptions, interviews, evaluations
    3. Motivating employees
    4. Inventory control
    5. Facilities management
  3. Medical records and practice management software
    1. Legal restrictions and legal liability
    2. Common hospital logs
    3. Legal forms and certificates
    4. Record keeping and filing
    5. Financial documents
    6. Basic bookkeeping
    7. Basic accounting methods
  4. State and federal laws governing the workplace
    1. Hiring and firing
    2. Worker's compensation
    3. Employee rights and responsibilities
    4. CA veterinary practice act

Lab Content

Not applicable.

Special Facilities and/or Equipment

Classroom with multimedia projection and playback capabilities.

Method(s) of Evaluation

Methods of Evaluation may include but are not limited to the following:

Written report of clinic observation
Evaluation of class role play assignments by faculty and veterinary personnel

Method(s) of Instruction

Methods of Instruction may include but are not limited to the following:

Lecture
Discussion
Oral presentations

Representative Text(s) and Other Materials

Prendergast, Heather. Front Office Management for the Veterinary Team, 2nd ed.. 2015.

Although this text is older than the suggested "5 years or newer" standard, it remains relevant and appropriate for the level of the student in this area of study.

Types and/or Examples of Required Reading, Writing, and Outside of Class Assignments

  1. Outside research for discharge role play assignment
  2. Observation of two veterinary clinics of the student's choice
  3. Reading assignments of provided material

Discipline(s)

Registered Veterinary Technician