If you adore your furry friends, and your hoping for a rewarding career, a registered veterinary technician might be what your looking for. To work in this field only two years of college to receive your associates degree and it does not require the many years of education and costly monetary investment that is demanded of veterinarians.
Becoming a registered veterinary technician provides you with a professional edge. It means greater recognition with other vet techs and businesses that employ vet techs. Registered veterinary technicians have better job certainty and more job advancement opportunities.
Registered Veterinary technician certification requirements are different for various states, but general requirements include a a two-year associate degree and up to three years on the job training. More work related experience is important for those who desire to become a registered veterinary technician but did not graduate from an accredited veterinay technician school.
The registered veterinary technician can do a lot of the same things as a veterinarian can except diagnose, subscribe prescription medications, and perform surgery. Its the same thing as the duties that a nurse performs who works with a medical doctor. You will usually work in a veterinary office or clinic. Your day at work would consist of arranging appointments, filling out medical records, or updating current patient records. Vet techs can work with animals of all kinds and sizes. You may help in blood draws or collecting specimens and other items needed for lab testing. You also might assist in surgery, taking x-rays, or pet grooming, or even giving vaccinations.
Because there are various responsibilities, a registered veterinary technician needs to be able to handle multiple tasks efficiently while providing satisfactory care to patients. You must be detail oriented and a decision maker. Medical charts must be concise and legible so mistakes during treatment do not occur. A love for animals is essential for anyone pursuing a degree in veterinary technology. You will spend most of your time around animals and should have a calm misdemeanor for animals under stress or illness, as well as their owners.
Pet food and pet supply companies also employ registered veterinary technicians for their Research and Development divisions. These companies are always looking for ways to improve the quality and appeal of products like cat and dog food, pet treats and pet toys. They need employees who can work with their products by testing them on animals to determine what is most appealing and also healthiest for their target animals.
To get a rewarding career as a registered veterinary technician you must have a two year Associate’s Degree, which you should seek from a technical school that is approved by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The course curriculum will consist of basic courses in math and business as well as other veterinary related courses in areas such as zoology, anesthesiology, pharmacology, animal nursing, surgical principles, comparative anatomy, public health and more. Volunteer work is required or intership duties to get hands on experience. You will usually perform job duties while being supervised by a veterinarian while practicing the skills you’ve learned in school.
