New program to train Hidalgo County teens for careers in vet science

McALLEN -- At 14, Ben Ortiz already has his eyes set on becoming a veterinarian.

And his mother, Gail Ortiz, wants to do whatever she can to help Ben and students like him reach that goal.

A pediatric nurse, Gail Ortiz will volunteer as a parental instructor for a new program designed to prepare Hidalgo County high school students for careers in veterinary science. Operating under the umbrella of the Texas AgriLIFE Extension Office, the program will train students for careers as veterinary assistants as soon as they graduate or provide a launching point for further studies in the fast-growing field.

Gail Ortiz said the new 4-H program fills a void for veterinary studies left untouched even as many high schools launch vocational programs for medical professions such as nurses’ assistants.

“You don’t want to promote something that nobody can get a job in,” Gail Ortiz said. “If you look at the job projections, there is a need for people in (veterinary science). This is a tremendous opportunity at all levels.”

Hidalgo County is the first Rio Grande Valley county to offer the career-focused veterinary science program designed by a Texas A&M University professor under a grant from the Department of Homeland Security.

Now in place in more than 100 Texas counties and expanding to other states, the program prepares students for a job as a veterinary assistant or allows them to continue into a college-level program as a veterinary technician or veterinarian, said Barbara Storz, the coordinator for Hidalgo County’s AgriLIFE Extension office. The program offers three different tracks that prepare students for careers in laboratory or research settings, food and animal regulation or the clinical work of a veterinarian’s office.

The veterinary science program is available to Hidalgo County youth in seventh through ninth grades who have an interest in animal science. The program, which takes about four years to complete, is offered free to 4-H students, but they will have to make a one-time purchase of the course’s textbook for $85.

Dr. Floron “Buddy” Faries, the Texas A&M professor who designed the course, said the youth program was designed to meet occupational demands for workers in veterinary science, a fast-growing field that has expanded further once the Department of Homeland Security began closely inspecting food products and live animals entering the United States.

Participants will commit one night a month to attending sessions in Edinburg — that are supplemented with live and taped recordings from Faries — before eventually moving into on-the-job training. At the course’s conclusion, students can take a state exam for certification as a veterinary assistant, drawing blood, assisting in surgery or completing lab tests and other work for veterinarians. Others will choose to study for more advanced careers in the regulatory, research or clinical fields.

“We’re really answering requests to respond to the demand” for people trained in veterinary science, Faries said. “There have been jobs out there but there haven’t been people to take them.”

Hidalgo County’s extension office will host an introductory meeting for parents and youth on from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, Feb. 15, at the Texas AgriLIFE Center’s auditorium, 2415 E. Business 83, Weslaco.

Faries first wrote the course’s curriculum in 1995 before publishing an updated textbook last year with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s assistance.

In a place like the Valley, with its reputation for agriculture-based careers, the veterinary science program is a needed educational opportunity, said Yvonne Quintanilla, a University of Texas-Pan American professor who also will be a volunteer coordinator. Quintanilla, whose 10-year-old daughter, Beth, is active in 4-H and loves animals, said the program is a “really unique opportunity to learn what it’s like in veterinary science” regardless of whether they choose to stay in the field.

 “Either way, when the kids finish, they’re going to be able to walk off not only with a high school diploma, but the opportunity to take the test for a certificate,” she said. “I’m a counselor at heart, and this is going to give the kids an edge.”

Jared Janes covers Hidalgo County government, Edinburg and legislative issues for The Monitor. He can be reached at jjanes@themonitor.com and (956) 683-4424.