Veterinary Technician –
training and careers
Secure your future – start a career as a
Veterinary Technician!
Train for career that’s in high
demand. According to the U.S. Department of Labor,
employment of
Veterinary Technicians is expected to grow much faster than
average. Pet owners are becoming more affluent and more willing
to pay for
advanced medical care because many of them consider
their pet to be part of the
family. This growing affluence
and view of pets will continue stimulate increased
employment
growth for Veterinary Technicians.
Owners of pets and other animals
expect state-of-the-art veterinary care. To provide
this service,
veterinarians use the skills of Veterinary Technicians to perform many
of the same duties for a veterinarian that a nurse would for a
physician. This may
include routine laboratory and clinical
procedures. Veterinary Technicians typically
conduct clinical
work in a private practice under the supervision of a veterinarian.
Veterinary Technicians often perform various medical tests along with
treating and
diagnosing medical conditions and diseases in
animals. Duties may include:
- Performing laboratory tests
-
Assisting with dental exams
- Preparing tissue samples
- Taking
blood samples
- Assisting in a variety of other tests and
analyses
There are primarily 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.
Most entry-level Veterinary Technicians have a 2-year degree,
usually an associate’s degree, from an accredited community college
program in
veterinary technology in which courses are taught in
clinical and laboratory settings.
Depending on the state,
Veterinary Technicians are credentialed as Licensed
Veterinary
Technicians (LVTs), Certified Veterinary Technicians (CVTs), or
Registered Veterinary Technicians (RVTs).
If you love animals
and get satisfaction from working with and helping them, a career
as a Veterinary Technician may be right for you. Training and
certification as a
Veterinary Technician can provide you with a
path to greater job security, personal
satisfaction and financial
reward.
