- Location: Headquarters – Woburn, MA
- Program Type: Online
- Instructors: Tina Bennett, BS, RVT, and Ed Carlson, CVT, VTS (Nutrition)
As one of the newer NAVTA-Approved Veterinary Assistant Programs, the online Veterinary Assistant program from VetBloom strives to go beyond basic VA instruction to include the “why” behind Veterinary Assistant knowledge and skills. The program was approved in 2020 and includes visual graphics, video demonstrations, and knowledge checks as part of its online presentation. Tina Bennett, RVT, one of the program’s primary VA instructors, states, “We personalize our program by doing regular progress check-ins directly with the student.”
All program instructors are Credentialed Veterinary Technicians with many years of experience working in General Practice, Specialty Veterinary Facilities, and Emergency hospitals. The instructors keep students engaged with interactive E-learning modules. The VetBloom instructors are available by email or phone to answer any student questions Monday-Friday.
The program aids students’ clinical experiences by helping the student locate an externship site. VetBloom maintains a working relationship with VCA Animal Hospitals, National Veterinary Associates (NVA) Hospitals, and Ethos Veterinary Health Specialty and Emergency clinics.
At the conclusion of the academic program and following the student’s final externship, the VetBloom program provides a “practice exam” to prepare for the AVA exam. This serves as a review of the program material and is set up just like the actual exam, with 100 questions. And the instructors are available by email or phone to respond to any student questions. The preparation and encouragement pays off as the VetBloom graduates have an AVA Exam pass rate of 97%.
Ed Carlson, CVT, VTS (Nutrition), is the program director and has worked diligently to keep the VA curriculum within the NAVTA scope of practice for the Veterinary Assistant. Many of the VetBloom courses maintain this delineation by presenting the VA skills in a form that stresses how the Veterinary Assistant will support the Veterinary Technician or Veterinarian in the practice of these skills.
“We offer realistic guidance and recommendations to students in our program based on firsthand experience in the field. We fully understand and appreciate the important role the Veterinary Assistant plays in the veterinary healthcare team, and how crucial a formal education can be for them.”
AVA Membership Tier
In 2026, NAVTA introduced a new AVA membership tier designed to support veterinary assistants through professional development, continuing education opportunities, recognition, and community. The membership tier was created to help veterinary assistants strengthen their connection to the profession while gaining access to resources that support career growth and long-term success. Those interested in joining can learn more at https://navta.net/membership.