Q. I am thinking of going to school to be a veterinary technician. I am looking for any certified vet techs out there to give me some feedback on what the course work is like, what responsibilities you have once you are in the work environment, and what the average salary is. Thank you!
A. Most states in the US require that you have a 2-year degree from an American Veterinary Medical Association accredited veterinary technology degree program. You can find a list of these programs through the AVMA website http://www.avma.org/education/cvea/vette�
Courses covered include veterinary anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, diagnostic modalities such as radiology and ultrasonography, animal care in a hospital setting, nursing care, surgical assisting, laboratory procedures, medical terminology, etc
The daily workload can vary greatly depending on the type of practice you work in and the area of the country you are in. Most often the workload will be variable in any practice--some days will be like a wild rollercoaster ride while others are so boring and slow that you have a hard time staying awake.
A very general list of things that a veterinary technician would do would include collecting patient histories, collect biological samples (blood, urine, feces, etc), running diagnostic tests, monitoring and medicating hospitalized animals, assisting in surgery, administering and monitoring anesthesia, performing dental cleanings, providing treatment for outpatients as prescribed by the attending veterinarian, filling prescriptions, answering client questions on preventative medicine, disease processes, medications, etc, maintaining inventory, caring for surgical and medical equipment such as anesthesia machines, taking radiographs, entering medical records, etc.
Pay and benefits generally are low and make it hard to get by. You have to really pick and choose your jobs in order to make a comfortable living. I was single and working as a "well-paid veterinary technician" for many years and still had a hard time just making ends meet. Licensed veterinary technicians average about $17 per hour, but you have to take into account the cost of living in the states where technicians are licensed. In states where licensure is not practiced the pay even for credentialed technicians is lower than that.
I enjoy my job, but I don't just recommend it to everyone. It takes a certain type of personality to really do well and enjoy the profession. I always recommend that anyone interested in veterinary technology take a job or volunteer at a veterinary facility and really see what the work (and workload) is like. It is a stressful job and the daily load can vary from looking for something to stay busy to running yourself silly for 2 hours past the time you were supposed to get off.
Courses covered include veterinary anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, diagnostic modalities such as radiology and ultrasonography, animal care in a hospital setting, nursing care, surgical assisting, laboratory procedures, medical terminology, etc
The daily workload can vary greatly depending on the type of practice you work in and the area of the country you are in. Most often the workload will be variable in any practice--some days will be like a wild rollercoaster ride while others are so boring and slow that you have a hard time staying awake.
A very general list of things that a veterinary technician would do would include collecting patient histories, collect biological samples (blood, urine, feces, etc), running diagnostic tests, monitoring and medicating hospitalized animals, assisting in surgery, administering and monitoring anesthesia, performing dental cleanings, providing treatment for outpatients as prescribed by the attending veterinarian, filling prescriptions, answering client questions on preventative medicine, disease processes, medications, etc, maintaining inventory, caring for surgical and medical equipment such as anesthesia machines, taking radiographs, entering medical records, etc.
Pay and benefits generally are low and make it hard to get by. You have to really pick and choose your jobs in order to make a comfortable living. I was single and working as a "well-paid veterinary technician" for many years and still had a hard time just making ends meet. Licensed veterinary technicians average about $17 per hour, but you have to take into account the cost of living in the states where technicians are licensed. In states where licensure is not practiced the pay even for credentialed technicians is lower than that.
I enjoy my job, but I don't just recommend it to everyone. It takes a certain type of personality to really do well and enjoy the profession. I always recommend that anyone interested in veterinary technology take a job or volunteer at a veterinary facility and really see what the work (and workload) is like. It is a stressful job and the daily load can vary from looking for something to stay busy to running yourself silly for 2 hours past the time you were supposed to get off.
What are some things I should know about working in a veterinary hospital?
Q. So I am starting my first (real) job at a a veterinary hospital as a veterinary assistant. I have always and still do want to become a vet and since I was 5 I've been asking our vet if I could work there. Well, I'm finally old enough and was recently hire as a state-of-the-art animal hospital. It seems really promising and I've worked with animals for years but mostly on farms. Are there any little tib bits I should know about that may help me out my first day (week, month)on the job? Or anything that isn't so obvious but I should be aware about when working there? I really can't screw up working here and I want to do the best I can because I know this will be one of the best things I could put on my college application come next fall when I apply to vet school in the UK. So any extra little tips or thing you guys could let me in on I would more than appreciated it! Thanks all!
I'd especailly love to hear from vets or other people who worked or have worked in a vet's office! ^^
I'd especailly love to hear from vets or other people who worked or have worked in a vet's office! ^^
A. Hi. I'm not 100% sure how to answer your question given that it's so broad, but I'll give it a go. I was a veterinary nurse for a time, and am now only a couple of months off qualifying as a veterinarian.
Things will come to you as you spend more time in and around the clinic and get to know where everything is and how the clinic runs, and nobody will expect you to know heaps straight up.
Make yourself useful- offer to wipe down the consult table & tidy the consult room for the vet after they've seen an animal. Get one of the experienced nurses to show you how to restrain animals properly so that you can help the vets more easily. It would also be a good idea would be to brush up on the clinic's protocols for basic health care- vaccination, worming, etc., so that you can easily give this information to clients.
Other than that...just like any other job, work on your people skills & communication- it's a huge part of being a vet and a lot of prospective vet students seem not to realise that.
I hope that helps, and please feel free to email me if you've any more specific questions.
Things will come to you as you spend more time in and around the clinic and get to know where everything is and how the clinic runs, and nobody will expect you to know heaps straight up.
Make yourself useful- offer to wipe down the consult table & tidy the consult room for the vet after they've seen an animal. Get one of the experienced nurses to show you how to restrain animals properly so that you can help the vets more easily. It would also be a good idea would be to brush up on the clinic's protocols for basic health care- vaccination, worming, etc., so that you can easily give this information to clients.
Other than that...just like any other job, work on your people skills & communication- it's a huge part of being a vet and a lot of prospective vet students seem not to realise that.
I hope that helps, and please feel free to email me if you've any more specific questions.
What would you expect from a veterinary visit?
Q. If you had to take your pet to the veterinarian, what would you consider to be exceptional customer service? What would you expect (beyond medical compitance)? Now what if you had to take your pet to an emergency veterinary clinic, what would you expect as a client (again, beyond medical expertise)? What would you like to see regarding outstanding customer service in these instances?
A. I would want to be treated respectfully. If I were to ask a question I would expect an answer. And have them put into a term that I could understand.
I would also want the staff there to recognize me and be pleasant. I would want them to remember me and my pet. I would want the staff to "really" love animals and show it. I would also want them to appreciate my business.
I would also want the staff there to recognize me and be pleasant. I would want them to remember me and my pet. I would want the staff to "really" love animals and show it. I would also want them to appreciate my business.
What is the difference between an Animal Scientist and a Veterinary Technician?
Q. What is a animal scientist?
What does an animal scientist do?
What does a veterinary technician do that an animal scientist doesn't do?
Can u work as a veterinary technician with a animal science degree?
Can u open up a "veterinary clinic(a clinic)" with a animal science degree?
Please answer all of my questions if possible with detail.
If u have any more information about animal science and veterinary technology please feel free to let me know.
Thank you in advance for answering my questions.
What does an animal scientist do?
What does a veterinary technician do that an animal scientist doesn't do?
Can u work as a veterinary technician with a animal science degree?
Can u open up a "veterinary clinic(a clinic)" with a animal science degree?
Please answer all of my questions if possible with detail.
If u have any more information about animal science and veterinary technology please feel free to let me know.
Thank you in advance for answering my questions.
A. Answers for questions 1 and 2: An animal scientist is anyone who studies a type or types of animals. It is a very wide, open field that can cover everything from genetics to ecology to behavior and it covers any animal that the scientist wishes to study. Usually an animal scientist will focus on a certain group of animals and a certain topic within that field.
Answers for questions 3 and 4: A veterinary technician is specifically trained to assist a veterinarian in the care and treatment of animals. A veterinary technician focuses more on the care of many types of animals rather that just one or two. That being said, vet techs and animal scientists overlap. Yes, you can be a vet tech with a degree in animal science, however, there is a specific two to four year certification that veterinarians often prefer that their staff have and you can have both a degree in animal science and certification to be a vet tech.
Lastly NO you may not start a vet clinic unless you are a fully certified veterinarian in the state in which you reside. That means that you completed high school, went to college, got AT LEAST a bachelor's degree in something (usually a science) and then went through 4 to 6 years of vet school before appearing before a state board to obtain a license to practice and use pharmaceuticals.
Feel free to toss me an email @ faithbyrd@hotmail.com and I can answer any more specific questions you may have.
Hope this helped!
Answers for questions 3 and 4: A veterinary technician is specifically trained to assist a veterinarian in the care and treatment of animals. A veterinary technician focuses more on the care of many types of animals rather that just one or two. That being said, vet techs and animal scientists overlap. Yes, you can be a vet tech with a degree in animal science, however, there is a specific two to four year certification that veterinarians often prefer that their staff have and you can have both a degree in animal science and certification to be a vet tech.
Lastly NO you may not start a vet clinic unless you are a fully certified veterinarian in the state in which you reside. That means that you completed high school, went to college, got AT LEAST a bachelor's degree in something (usually a science) and then went through 4 to 6 years of vet school before appearing before a state board to obtain a license to practice and use pharmaceuticals.
Feel free to toss me an email @ faithbyrd@hotmail.com and I can answer any more specific questions you may have.
Hope this helped!
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