Education and preparation needed to become a veterinary technician.

Education and preparation needed to become a veterinary technician.

If you love to spend time with animals and wish to promote their health and wellbeing, then veterinary technician is the best profession. Veterinary technicians are often confused with veterinary technologists. While these occupations share some of the same job responsibilities and they work under a veterinarian to test animals and diagnose illnesses and injuries, a veterinary technician requires less education. A typical degree program completed by a veterinary technician lasts for two years and is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vet tech certification, licensing, and registration requirements vary by state.   

A two-year associate's degree in veterinary technology is required in order to become the Veterinary technicians, which equips the students with necessary knowledge and skills for the sake of working with animals. Some community colleges require that applicants have at least 16-20 hours of observation in a veterinary hospital in addition to a high school diploma before they enroll in an associate's degree program for veterinary technology.

Communication is one of the major skills, which is required in order to become Veterinary technicians. This is the mode of working collaboratively with pet owners and work efficiently with other veterinarians. Practical experience is one of the major skills of Veterinary technicians. This is often part of the curriculum in an associate's degree program for aspiring veterinary technicians. An externship can be completed during a student's last semester of an associate's degree program for veterinary technology or animal science. However, if there is a high hourly requirement to fulfill this externship, then it may need to be completed during the summer between the first and second years of enrollment.

Veterinary technician play a critical role in terms of supporting the veterinarian and provide the animal with high quality of medical and health care. The duties comprises of taking blood samples and administrating medication to animals, as well as assisting during examinations and procedure. In addition, certification is also required in order to get job as veterinary technician.  Though high school graduates can qualify academically for a job as a veterinary assistant, there are several educational options available at the college level. Degree or certificate programs are often supplemented by on-the-job training or through an internship or externship.

Community colleges with a veterinarian assistant program accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association may offer a 2-year associate's degree program for interested students. Alternatively, 4-year Bachelor of Science programs are available at some colleges and universities for students looking for additional education. Regardless of the program, work experience is the most common path for this job.

Scientific principles are the main factors on the basis of which, the courses, related to veterinary assistant are build. Classes are designed to be a mixture of lecture and laboratory work, allowing for students to develop an understanding of scientific theory as well as hands-on experience. Courses in animal nursing, diagnostic imaging, physiology, animal terminology and anatomy help students develop the skills needed to handle and assist animals.

Veterinary technicians hold the responsibility to provide front-line care animal patients need to recover from illness and injury and maintain good health. Working under the direction and supervision of a licensed veterinarian, veterinary technicians improve the welfare of dogs, cats, exotic pets, lab animals, farm animals and zoo animals by assisting in their healthcare and thereby make them comfortable to the fullest extent permitted. The duties, which Veterinary technicians need to perform are as follows:

• Offering the animals with first aid and nursing care
• Helping veterinarians during examinations and procedures
• Placement of Phlebotomy and intravenous catheter
• Working collaboratively with veterinarians during diagnostic tests such as radiographs, urinalysis, fecal exams and blood tests
• Arranging routine procedures like dental cleanings and immunizations
• Making the animals, ready for the surgery and inducing anesthesia, assisting in surgery and post-anesthetic recovery.
• Evaluating the condition of the animals after surgery
• Educating pet owners on animal care and welfare, disease prevention, disease treatment and behavior concerns
• Ensuring the fact that the animals are acquiring treatment like human.

For animal lovers with a passion for science, a career as a veterinary technician is extremely rewarding. Technicians often see the same patients throughout their entire lives and develop close, caring relationships with the animals and their owners. The care and education technicians provide make an immense difference in an animal’s quality of life, both in the medical setting and in the animal’s home environment. There are multiple steps, which you should follow for the sake of becoming veterinary technician. The steps are discussed below:

• Identification of the skill is the first step, which will help you to move ahead in order to develop the skills and necessary for being a veterinary technician, if you already possess the qualities you need to excel at the job, then you have an advantage. The qualities that are strong communication and interpersonal skills, compassion, attention to detail and problem-solving skill.
• Determine whether you can stay emotionally strong when working with animals is the second step of becoming veterinary technician. In this step, you should make yourself strong enough to act calm and professional when you have to euthanize seriously ill animals.
• Another option to enrolling in a veterinary technician program is to enter a U.S. university that offers a bachelor's degree in veterinary technology. This is the gold standard of vet tech programs and many employers prefer to hire people who have completed one of these programs.