The term veterinary technician brings up memories of the famous veterinarian James Herriot and the books he has written about his life as a veterinarian in rural England of the pre war days. Today’s veterinary technician is a much more technology savvy person who uses computers and sophisticated medical devices to help animals maintain their health and to take care of them when they fall sick. This paper provides a discussion of the career prospects of a veterinary technician and develops an understanding of the work content, pay, animal lab techniques and other issues.
Basic Qualifications needed
A veterinary technician works as an assistant to veterinarians and helps them just as a nurse assists a doctor (BLS)1. To make a career as a vet tech, two levels of education and training for entry to this occupation: a 2-year program for veterinary technicians and a 4-year program for veterinary technologists. Many people at the entry level role of veterinary technicians have a 2-year associate degree from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited community college program in veterinary technology. Courses that are taught include programs in clinical and laboratory settings and in many studies, live animals are used as specimens so that students get used to handling animals. As of 2006, there were 131 programs for vet techs in different states and these had been accredited to AVMA.
Graduation from an AVMA-accredited veterinary technology program allows students to take the credentialing exam in any State in the country. For students who are interested in taking a 4-year Bachelors course, there are more than sixteen colleges that offer longer and more detailed courses. There also many schools that provide vocational training and 2-year programs in courses such as lab animal science, handling pathology and clinical investigation apparatus and so on.
AVMA suggests that advices that students who are interested in careers as veterinary technicians should begin to plan at the high school level itself. They should enroll for different courses of high school science, biology, and math courses. Science courses that are taken beyond high school, in an associate or bachelor’s degree program, must give importance to practical skills in a clinical or laboratory setting. It is also recommended that students should learn about effective communication with people since they would be interacting with pet owners, farmers, and other animal owners. (AVMA2).
Work Nature and Career Prospects
According to NAVTA3, vet techs can look forward to a career with different types of animals that may include livestock, pets, exotic breeds such as dogs, cats and race horses, animal testing labs and so on. Some duties of vet techs include physical examination and patient history, client education, caring for the hospitalized patient, administration of medication and vaccines, clinical laboratory procedures, dental prophylaxis, radiology and anesthesiology, surgical assisting, office and hospital management and helping in biomedical research. Other duties that vet techs perform includes collect specimens and perform laboratory procedures and, prepare animals, instruments, and equipment for surgery, Perform dental prophylaxes, etc.
The California Occupational Guide 4 has pointed out that vet techs need to be aware that the work in some cases can be dangerous and that some part of the work may be unpleasant, physically and emotionally demanding and sometimes dangerous. Veterinary technicians are expected to perform manual work such as cleaning cages, lift, hold, or restrain animals, risking exposure to bites or scratches. The dangers are more for people who work in zoos, reptile farms snake parks and forest departments. Workers need to be aware and practice safety precautions when treating animals with germicides or insecticides.
In some cases, veterinary technologists and technicians who witness abused animals or who perform euthanasia on unwanted, aged, or hopelessly injured animals may experience emotional stress when putting the animal out of misery. Those working for humane societies and animal shelters often deal with the people, some of whom might react with hostility to any implication that the owners are neglecting or abusing their pets. Vet techs need to maintain a calm and professional demeanor while they enforce the laws regarding animal care.
Openings and job opportunities
NAVTA5 has suggested a number of areas for job openings and these include private veterinary practice where about 85 % of fresh students join. Other areas include teaching, military service, humane societies, herd health managers, industry, biomedical research, diagnostic laboratories, zoo and wildlife medicine, veterinary supplies sales, kennels, race horse stables and other pedigree animals, etc.
The following table gives information of the California Projections of Employment6 that was published by the Labor Market Information Division. These figures do not include self-employment or openings due to turnover.
- Estimated number of workers in 1993 6,090
- Estimated number of workers in 2005 8,290
- Projected Growth 1993-2005 36%
- Estimated openings due to separations by 2005 2,030
Pay and Wages
Like any field and profession, the wages and salary depend on the qualifications, experience and organization where a vet tech would work. The following table provides some figures for the salaries earned in different categories of the vet tech profession. The figures were provided by the North Dakota State University, which conducts programs for veterinary technicians.
Table 1. Salary estimations for Veterinary Technician (NDSU, 19997).
Views from the field
There are diverging opinions and views about a career as a vet tech. Many different forums are available that provide frank and personal views and experiences of the actual life as a veterinary technician. Some replies posted in different forums have been provided.
“It’s not always a glamorous job, there’s the scrubbing and cleaning of equipment, messing with dead animals, tolerating those people who can’t care for their animals, and the saddest thing…sentencing one to death. However, it’s all worth the pain and effort. There’s always the reward of seeing the horse you operated on for 3 hours come out in a month perfectly fine and the owner’s ecstatic about your work. Its not a job for everyone……But if you want to do it…GO FOR IT!” (Jess8)
“I like to see gross things or a dog on deaths bed and then make it. the worst is always putting an animal to sleep. there is always advance learning to keep up on.” (Veterinary Technician Forum9)
Other forums where veterinary technicians discuss cures, maladies and speak of their profession are: Vet Connect10.
References
AVMA. 2008. Becoming a Veterinary Technician: American Veterinary Medical Association. Web.
BLS. 2008. Veterinary Technologists and Technicians: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition. Web.
California Occupational Guide Number 402. 2005. Veterinary Technicians Animal Health Technicians: California Employment Development Department. Web.
Jess. 2008. Day in the life of A Vet Assistant. Web.
NAVTA. 2008. Veterinary Technician as a Career: National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America. Web.
NDSU. 1999. Veterinary Technician Salary Information: North Dakota State University. Web.
Vet Connect. 2008. The Veterinary Meeting Point. Web.
Veterinary Technician Forum. 2008. The best and worst part of the job. Web.
Footnotes
- BLS. 2008. Veterinary Technologists and Technicians: Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2008-09 Edition. Web.
- AVMA. 2008. Becoming a Veterinary Technician: American Veterinary Medical Association. Web.
- NAVTA. 2008. Veterinary Technician as a Career: National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America. Web.
- California Occupational Guide Number 402. 2005. Veterinary Technicians Animal Health Technicians: California Employment Development Department. Web.
- NAVTA. 2008. Veterinary Technician as a Career: National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America. Web.
- California Occupational Guide Number 402. 2005. Veterinary Technicians Animal Health Technicians: California Employment Development Department. Web.
- NDSU. 1999. Veterinary Technician Salary Information: North Dakota State University. Web.
- Jess. 2008. Day in the life of A Vet Assistant. Web.
- Veterinary Technician Forum. 2008. The best and worst part of the job. Web.
- Vet Connect. 2008. The Veterinary Meeting Point. Web.