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Becoming a Veterinary Technician or Assistant

Veterinary Technician Schools in the US are rare. Today, veterinary technicians and assistants play a vital role in the veterinary field, performing a variety of clinical and technical tasks in vet clinics, research labs, shelters, and even zoos. That enables veterinarians to spend more time diagnosing and treating our pets.



Working as a Vet Tech is often the first step in becoming a Veterinarian. You take many of the early courses that a Veterinarian needs, and if you decide to become a Veterinarian, the experience will assist you in your career planning and acceptance to the program.


Mccurnin's Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians
Clinical Textbook for Veterinary Technicians

Laboratory Procedures for Veterinary Technicians



Career opportunities in the field are expected to increase by more than 36 percent through 2012, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

In some regions, experienced, credentialed vet techs and technologists earn as much as $80,000 annually, reports the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA).

Your Career as a Veterinary Technician:

Prepare to succeed in the vet tech marketplace by pursuing formal training at one of the nation's accredited veterinary technician schools. Graduation from veterinary tech school is now a must.

This page is your gateway to quality vet tech schools, campus-based and online. You can find information on salaries on Veterinary Technical Schools.

indigo-goat
New technologies are revolutionizing the field of veterinary medicine. Not only are they improving pet health, they also are creating new jobs for trained veterinary technicians (or vet techs) credentialed by accredited programs at veterinary technician schools located throughout the country.






Here are some websites and information to get you started:

Arizona

Apollo College
Mesa, Phoenix, Tucson
Diploma
Veterinary Asst

Long Technical College
Campuses: Phoenix
Certificate
Veterinary Asst, Veterinary Tech

Pima Technical Institute
Tucson
Certificate
Veterinary Asst

California

Chula Vista
Certificate
Veterinary Asst

Colorado

Colorado Springs, Denver
Certificate
Veterinary Asst

Indiana

International Business College
Fort Wayne
Diploma
Medical Asst, Vet Technician


Exotic Animal Medicine for the Veterinary Technician

RESTRAINT & HANDLING FOR VETERINARY TECHNICIANS & ASSISTANTS

Minnesota

Argosy University
Twin Cities, Eagan
Diploma
Veterinary Tech

Education-for-Careers.com
Nevada

Las Vegas
Certificate, Associates
Veterinary Asst, Veterinary Tech

New Mexico

Allied Health Schools
Albuquerque
Certificate
Veterinary Asst

Ohio

Allied Health Schools
Columbus
Associate's
Vet Tech

Oregon

Allied Health Schools
Portland
Diploma
Veterinary Asst

Pennsylvania

Median School of Allied Health Careers
Pittsburgh
Associate's
Veterinary Technician

Utah

Utah Career College
West Jordan
Associate's
Veterinary Tech

Washington

Apollo College
Spokane
Diploma
Veterinary Asst

Pima Medical Institute
Renton, Seattle
Certificate
Veterinary Asst

Online Schools

Gatlin Education Services
Prices are set by the colleges in your area, so may vary
Certificate
Veterinary Assistant

Ashworth College Online
Earn a Career Diploma.
Program: Animal Care Specialist
Degree Offered: Diploma
Location: Online (From anywhere in the U.S.)
Animal care specialists perform a myriad of duties in veterinary clinics, such as admitting sick and injured animals for treatment; administering first aid; recording vital signs; comforting surgical patients; coordinating boarding schedules; ordering supplies and more. Veterinary skills are also useful in:

  • Breeding businesses
  • Kennels
  • Animal shelters
  • Grooming shops
  • Animal welfare groups
  • Zoos
  • Pet stores
  • Theme parks

More than 50-million U.S. households own one or more companion animals. The increasing affluence of pet owners and their willingness to pay for advanced care will raise demand for trained veterinary specialists. As such, employment in this field is expected to grow much faster than average through 2012.
Review:This is a revamped PCDI, so I need a review from my readers. I need to know if they deliver all the courses, on time and how the exam goes for you. I don't need identifying information. You can e-mail your review to me here.

Other Resources to Search:

Veterinary Technician Schools

Veterinary Schools

big ears cat




Career Outlook:

Good job opportunities are expected for most positions because many workers leave this occupation each year. The need to replace workers leaving the field will create the overwhelming majority of job openings. Many animal caretaker jobs require little or no training and have flexible work schedules, attracting people seeking their first job, students, and others looking for temporary or part-time work, including retired people. The outlook for caretakers in zoos, however, is not favorable due to slow growth in zoo capacity and keen competition for the few positions. Job opportunities for animal care and service workers may vary from year to year, because the strength of the economy affects demand for these workers. Pet owners tend to spend more on animal services when the economy is strong.

In addition to replacement needs, employment of animal care and service workers is expected to increase 18%-26% for all occupations through 2014. The companion pet population—which drives employment of animal caretakers in kennels, grooming shops, animal shelters, and veterinary clinics and hospitals—is expected to increase. Pet owners—including a large number of baby boomers, whose disposable income is expected to increase as they age—are expected to increasingly take advantage of grooming services, daily and overnight boarding services, training services, and veterinary services, resulting in more jobs for animal care and service workers. As many pet owners increasingly consider their pet as part of the family, their demand for luxury animal services and willingness to spend greater amounts of money on their pet will continue to grow.

Demand for animal care and service workers in animal shelters is expected to remain steady. Communities are increasingly recognizing the connection between animal abuse and abuse toward humans, and will probably continue to commit private funds to animal shelters, many of which are working hand-in-hand with social service agencies and law enforcement teams. Employment growth of personal and group animal trainers will stem from an increased number of animal owners seeking training services for their pets, including behavior modification and feline behavior training. Job openings as shelter workers will continue to be driven by high turnover as the job is extremely demanding and stressful.

Source: Business Outlook and Earnings, US Government



This is not an exhaustive list, but meant to get your started. I've included offerings from the websites for your review. Since I've recently checked some of these schools out myself, I'm also giving you my impressions of the program offerings. Please remember that I live in Tennessee (TN), so I couldn't check out the schools that would not talk to someone in my state.

In all cases, you will need to check with state and local authorities to see what accreditation and/or licensing you will need. With all the online schools, you will need to find a local veterinarian willing to give you the hands-on training to complete your certification. If they are willing to pay you, so much the better, but don't count on it. Your time is valuable and this may be totally a voluntary internship. However, once you receive your certification, you can go anywhere in the state, or possibly country, to work - depending on your certification.





I just found this cool resource while looking for a new flea medicine I saw advertised. It's dvm, the magazine of veterinary medicine website.
dvm News
Related Pages:

About Veterinary Medicine

How to Choose a Veterinary College

History of Veterinary Medicine

Discussion of Animal Psychology

Natural Cat Care

Working with Cats

Why We Train Cats

Careers with Animals



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