Veterinary Assistant course, Thomson Education Direct (update)

Thought I’d post another update about the Veterinary Assistant course I’m studying via Thomson Education Direct.  I posted previously that I paid for the course in full so that I could have all the course materials shipped to at once, because I was getting a bit annoyed with the slow and meandering way that my lessons were being delivered.  The bad news is that the materials are still arriving in a “slow and meandering” fashion.  I managed to complete modules 1 and 2 of the program using online reading materials, so I’ve been anxiously awaiting the arrival of module 3.  I finished module 2 on November 29th, so I’ve been without any new lessons for almost two weeks now.  This past Friday, I received part of module 4 via UPS, but no sign of anything else.  Today, via media mail (which is not how my materials were supposed to be sent!), I received modules 7 and 8.  I’m still missing module 3 (which I need so I can continue), as well as modules 5 and 6 (and the textbook for module 4).  These items were all sent on different dates, but module 3 should certainly have been here by now as it was sent out 12 days ago.  The whole thing annoys me because I phoned Thomson Direct, spent 35 minutes on hold, and then paid up front for all these materials just so I’d be assured of expedited shipping.  I obviously didn’t get expedited shipping, and I’m still having issues with getting Thomson’s customer service department to answer my emails.  I finally received a reply this past Friday to an email I wrote on November 22nd, but the reply was out-dated.

The good news is that I really do like the course materials I’ve received, and I feel like I’m getting equal to what I paid.  The study guides are detailed, the information seems accurate, and the study aids (like the “internal parasite flashcards”), are in colour and are helpful.  I really love the anatomy posters I’ve received, four so far, giving detailed anatomy of dogs, cats, cows, and horses.  The videos annoy me because they’re on VHS, so I can’t watch them on the computer, and I’m going to be annoyed when missing module 3 arrives, as it’s supposed to contain cassette tapes.  Cassette tapes!  Does anyone even own a cassette player anymore?  I certainly don’t.  Yet another example of materials which should be on CD or DVD.

My overall impression so far is that I’m glad I have these materials, I enjoy learning them, and I know they’ll make me a more-informed employee.  Yes, I’ll still need OJT, but at least I’ll have a good base in science to build upon.  If you’ve thought about being a veterinary technician but aren’t sure about it, the veterinary assistant program could be a “starter course” to introduce you to the topics at hand, without a huge financial committment.  If your time or money are tight, though, you might want to just skip distance education if you can find an employer who offers OJT.  Thomson Direct, while better than Stratford Career Institute, still has a long way to go before it can replace a regular classroom.  At least in a regular classroom, you’ve got a teacher who’ll actually listen to you if you’re missing course materials.

Posted by Leigh-Ann on 12/12 at 09:38 PM

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