Veterinary Technician
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Many people consider their pets to be as beloved family members as anyone else in the household. When medical attention is required, pet owners look to their veterinarian to provide exactly what is needed to promote the animal's recovery. Veterinary medicine is no less complicated than human medical care; vets must understand how to care for myriad animals for their services. Veterinary technicians work right alongside veterinarians in a way almost analogous to the ways in which a nurse would serve a doctor or physician. Vet technicians, too, must display diverse and comprehensive knowledge of many different animals.
These technicians perform tests and are trained in the diagnosis of many conditions that animals may be afflicted with. Additionally, veterinarians working in animal research may request the presence of a technician to support their work in the field. Naturally, people who love animals and long to care for them are drawn to this profession. However, veterinary technician work is sometimes arduous, requiring heavy lifting and an ability to withstand emotionally difficult and occasionally dangerous scenarios.
Vet technicians can train for either two or four years in order to earn the degree necessary to take up the job; each degree results in a slightly different job title, each calling for specific and unique demands. As pets continue to be regarded more frequently as prized family members, veterinary care will continue to augment, as will the demand for vet technicians, of whom there are actually quite few in the industry. One popular workplace for vet technicians is, understandably, the zoological and aquarium community. Entering these sectors is quite difficult, due to the great competition.
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Career Specializations
Veterinary technologists are similar to veterinary technicians in function. However, they train for four years through a university program in order to earn a bachelor's degree. Whereas most veterinary technicians will find work in the private animal care sector, the majority of veterinary technologists are able to find more lucrative positions in the field of advanced animal research and exploration. Gene therapy, cloning, wildlife medicine, and biosecurity and disaster readiness are among the research fronts that call for the skills of vet technologists.
Degree Levels
- Associate Degree in Veterinary Technology: 2 years to complete
- Associate Degree in Laboratory Animal Science: 2 years to complete
- Bachelor's Degree in Veterinary Technology: 4 years to complete
Education & Certification Requirements
In order to enter the veterinary technician discipline even at the entry level, a minimum of an associate degree in the field must be earned. Those who are looking for more specialized and potentially more profitable work, or those who are considering a career as a veterinary technologist, must take a four-year bachelor's degree, offered throughout the United States. It is important to ensure that any academic program for veterinary technology is certified by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Such certification confirms that students will be instructed with the most current and appropriate clinical methods and techniques, and that live animals and authentic laboratory and veterinary settings will be used during instruction. Schools that are accredited by the AVMA are designed to prepare students for the next phase in their step toward becoming veterinary technicians: passing the credential exam, needed to officially practice veterinary medicine, and taken on a state-by-state basis.
Most of those who enter the veterinary technician field have already demonstrated a passion for, and excellence in, such subjects as the life sciences, mathematics, and communication skills. If possible, high schoolers should consider taking extra classes that will expose them to clinical scientific conditions early on, in addition to working with animals as often as possible. In a vet tech program, students can expect such classes as animal anatomy and physiology, parisitology, veterinary radiology, animal nutrition and disease, veterinary pharmacology, surgical nursing, and anesthesia training. Once graduated, most vet techs will study on the job as an trainee under a head veterinarian. Those who find such jobs are typically certified by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science in one or more of three area: facility care, animal welfare, and animal husbandry. AALAS certification works on a tier system; the higher the certification level desired, the more difficult the exam. In order, the certification titles are Assistant Laboratory Animal Technician (ALAT), Laboratory Animal Technician (LAT), and Laboratory Animal Technologist (LATG). (BLS)
Salary Information
Entry-level veterinary technicians with a two-year associate degree can expect to earn approximately $19,000-$25,000 per year. Vet technicians with a four-year bachelor's, or those studying to become vet technologists, can earn a higher yearly salary of around $35,000. Those in advanced-level research positions are rewarded with even greater pay per annum, more than $42,000. (BLS)
Job Outlook
Occupational prospects for veterinary technicians remain high and are anticipated to grow even more over the years. By 2018, the profession should experience a leap in growth of 36 percent. This increase stems from multiple factors. One is that many vet techs opt to leave the profession over time, either to find more challenging work or to become vets themselves. Another is that there are currently very few qualified vet techs working, allowing plenty of room for others to join their ranks. Yet another reason for the increase in demand is the growing wealth of pet owners, who are increasingly willing to spend money on such specialty vet procedures as pet dental care and complex surgeries. Despite this optimistic climate, zoos and aquariums remain extremely difficult working places for recent graduates to enter; demand is always extraordinarily high for these positions. (BLS)
Related Careers
Veterinary assistants are responsible for the day-to-day well being of pets while at a vet's office; feeding and watering animal patients, cleaning and disinfecting their surroundings, preparing samples for the vet, and working under a vet technician are all standard expectations for this job. Positions for this field are also very likely to increase through 2018, and on-the-job training is a standard component for the educational process needed to prepare for the post.
