How To Become A Veterinary Technician
There are many advantages for those who want to become a veterinary technician. If you have a passion for animals then the job of a veterinary technician may be right for you. A veterinary technician is once of the jobs that doesn’t require a four year or longer college degree. There are a variety of reasons why college is not for everyone, but the main reason is the cost of a college tuition. The job of a veterinary technician is also good for those who are re-entering the work force or wants to change their occupation. You can easily obtain a job as a veterinary technician with very little time and money commitment.
Schooling
There are two options for those who want to become a veterinary technician. You can either go for a two year associate degree or a four year bachelors degree. Although you should check out any school you plan on attending since some may offer a veterinary technician program when they are certified. All veterinary technicians must be certified according to the American Veterinary Medical Association and therefore the school must be as well. You should also check for specific requirements within your state and find out what the schools placement record is for veterinary technicians. Each state will have different exams and requirements for certifying.
What A Veterinary Technician Does
A veterinary technician does many jobs. They are in a sense part nurse, dentist, radiologist and record keeper. Often the veterinary technician is responsible for explaining things to the client. The veterinary technician is also responsible for seeing the animal and doing the initial valuation. If you don’t want to take the time to become a veterinarian then becoming a veterinarian technician is as close as you can get without becoming a veterinarian. You would be the equivalent of a triage nurse in a human hospital. The veterinary technician is a highly valued asset to any veterinary hospital and they are paid accordingly.
In addition, to veterinary technicians there is a position in the animal health care field known as veterinary assistant. This path doesn’t take as long to obtain as veterinary technician training. Also the duties of a veterinary assistant are very different. A lot of community colleges offer courses on becoming a veterinary assistant. Although their roles are different the veterinary assistant still plays a very important role in an animal hospital. Their job is to assist both the veterinarian and the veterinarian technicians when caring for animals. The main difference is that a veterinary assistant doesn’t have as much authority as a technician. Most of the work of a veterinary assistant is to prepare the exam and operation rooms, do the bookkeeping and take case histories for the animal in the waiting room. Often individuals will starts as assistants before moving on to become technicians.
