As a career path, you could not have chosen better. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the anticipated growth in employment for veterinary technicians is projected at 36 percent. That is above normal growth for a 10 year period (2008 – 2018). The employment prospects are excellent in this field and combined with your love of animals, you will get the job you want, enabling you to enjoy doing what you love best.

Before you start thinking about what courses to take in high school, what degree will be best for you or where you will seek employment as a vet tech, the first thing you need to do is give serious consideration to becoming a veterinary technician. Not to discourage you in any way, but the job can get real hairy at times; it can be stressful and messy. But as people claim, love overcomes everything – if your love for animals is really deep, consider the following points as part of your preparation to becoming a successful veterinary technician.

Research is vital to finding information today, so go online and learn about the duties and responsibilities of veterinary technicians, what they study, what kind of job they do, the kind of programs on offer to become a vet tech, what sort of employment opportunities are available, what the pay scales are like. Basically you are information gathering and learning about a veterinary technician in real life. Some people will find that no matter how deep their love for animals, they do not want a career that keeps them in constant contact with sick animals. Let’s be practical here, if you faint at the sight of blood you are not going be much of a veterinary technician!

After the research, if you feel you are still keen on your career choice, talk to a few veterinary technicians. Set up appointments and go prepared with your list of questions. Keep an open mind and don’t let another person’s perceptions of the job skewer your thinking.

If the excitement at becoming a veterinary technician persists, ask a vet tech if you can shadow the person (on the job) for a few days. This will give you first hand appreciation for the pros and cons of the job.

Still sticking by your decision to become a veterinary technician? Great! If you’ve made it this far, you now need to consider what the next step should be. There is more to becoming a vet tech than simply getting high grades. You may want to consider volunteering in an animal shelter, humane society or vet’s office to get some hands-on experience.

After you complete high school, you need to find an accredited veterinary technology program to enroll in. These programs are offered by community colleges and regular colleges as two year associate’s degree and four year bachelor’s degree programs.

Good luck!

It is not surprising to know that the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts a faster than normal employment growth rate for veterinary technicians. Employment numbers are expected to rise by 36 percent between the years 2008 to 2018.

As an animal lover, you could play an important role in the health and well being of pets and other animals. You can choose to become a veterinary technician and be a part of one of the most in-demand professions in the country.

Vet Tech Career Requirements

There are requirements for pursuing a career as a vet tech. The preparation for becoming a qualified veterinary technician begins with choosing the right subjects in high school. A high school diploma with high scores is a positive step in the right direction. Focus on scoring high grades in math and sciences classes.

There are many vet tech schools and colleges offering associate and bachelor degrees in veterinary technology. The admission requirements vary in each institution, but there are generic requirements across the board. The first requirement is a high school diploma. Programs can be learned on-campus or through distance learning.

When choosing your vet tech school, it is recommended that you find one offering programs that are accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). The AVMA accredits two year associate degree programs offered by schools and colleges in the U.S. The institution has to meet certain qualification criteria specified by the AVMA to be granted accreditation for a program.

Students with an accredited degree will find it easier to enter the job market as employers prefer veterinary technicians to have an accredited education. The emphasis on an accredited degree is mainly due to the fact that an accredited program provides a well structured program with coursework and clinical hands-on practice through internship to provide a well-rounded education to students aspiring to become veterinary technicians.

Anyone who wants to become a vet tech should be fully convinced that this is the right career path for them. The best way to find out whether you are making the right decision is to conduct research into several aspects of the veterinary technician career including education needs, duration of study, financial aspects, employment opportunities, pay scales, employment opportunities in your area, duties and responsibilities of a veterinary technician and more.

Talk to people who are employed as veterinary technicians and find out if you can shadow a vet tech around to get a good grasp of what the job actually entails. Volunteer in zoos, animal shelters and animal societies to gain some practical experience. Your acceptability ratio improves considerably for a college when you have high academic grades and practical experience employability.

The more practical experience you have the better your employability quotient will be.

Individuals aspiring to a veterinary technician career will find the vet tech notes detailed below interesting and useful.

With a high school diploma in hand, you are equipped to enter formal educational instruction in veterinary technology. There are diplomas and associate’s degrees that provide training for entry level positions in the veterinary field. A bachelor’s degree provides a more advanced form of training and is generally sought once a person finds employment as a veterinary technician.

Higher education in the form of a master’s degree or PhD may be pursued by professionals seeking to expand their career choices or to move into related employment fields.

With the completion of an associate’s degree or bachelor’s degree, the individual is qualified to work as a veterinary technician, but credentialing is a necessary requirement in all states and regions in America, to practice the profession.

Veterinary technicians need to make sure they choose an accredited program for study as it is a requirement for credentialing. The American Veterinary Medical Association accredits vet tech programs offered by schools and colleges.

After successful completion of the graduate program, the aspirant needs to pass the National Veterinary Technician (NVT) exam to receive credentialing. With this certification in hand, you are ready to launch your career as a veterinary technician.

Veterinary technicians are known in the United States by specific initials that include: CVT – Certified Veterinary Technician; LVT – Licensed Veterinary Technician;

RVT – Registered Veterinary Technician. Titling may vary depending on state specific regulations where the profession is practiced. NAVTA (The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America) has stated that regardless of the initials, the mandated term in use is “veterinary technician”.

Veterinary technicians work in a variety of settings that provide animal healthcare including private veterinary clinics, animal hospitals, animal shelters, zoos, research facilities, animal farms, wildlife reserves, aquariums, wildlife sanctuaries and certain state and federal government institutions.

Apart from credentialing, veterinary technicians can choose to specialize by earning veterinary technician specialty certification. This provides the individual with advanced skills in several specialized areas including: dentistry, emergency and critical care, small animal internal medicine, anesthesiology, cardiology, zoological medicine, surgery, equine veterinary nursing, oncology, nutrition, behavior, exotic animals and clinical practice. When certified, the veterinary technician carries the additional initials “VTS” with the specialization added after the initials.

Veterinary technicians take an oath like doctors generally do, dedicating themselves to helping animals and society by providing services and care for animals. They also have to abide by the veterinary profession’s code of ethics in the practice of their occupation.

The veterinary technician career is one of the most promising in the healthcare industry. Though the pay scales are not too high, they are fairly decent. But the greatest satisfaction comes from doing a job you love.

Veterinary technicians work with trained veterinarians to provide a range of animal healthcare services. After completing your training through a college or school that offers accredited programs in veterinary technology, you will enter the work environment to seek employment in a setting that includes zoos, private or public animal clinics, animal farms, aquariums, animal hospitals or animal shelters to provide animal healthcare services.

The education opportunities available are diplomas generally completed within a year, associate’s degree programs that take two years to complete and bachelor’s degrees that take four years to complete.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredits associate’s degree and bachelor’s degree programs offered by various education institutions in the country.

When you graduate from a veterinary technology degree program by successfully passing the vet tech exam you can enhance your career opportunities by earning credentialing. To receive credentialing you need to first pass the National Veterinary Technician (NVT) exam. Success in the NVT exam depends on the kind of education you receive. When you study in an accredited program you receive a well-round education with a solid foundation in various aspects of animal healthcare including animal medicine, veterinary diseases, animal behavior, veterinary pharmacology, laboratory procedures, animal dentistry, surgical assisting and anesthesiology.

Let us pause a moment to consider the process for sitting vet tech exams. You will first need to complete your vet tech degree and pass the exam to graduate from the program.

Following the completion of your degree program, you need to pass the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE). The VTNE in turn is administered by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB). It may sound complicated at first, but it is quite simple really. You pass the vet tech exam to get your degree and then you pass the VTNE exam. The VTNE exam is a process that evaluates the veterinary technician’s competency in practicing and serves as a stepping stone to credentialing. Actually, most states in America require students to receive a passing score on the VTNE exam as it is one of the criteria for credentialing.

Veterinary technicians graduating from an accredited program are allowed to take the veterinary technician credentialing exam. It should be understood that regulations pertaining to veterinary technicians vary between states. But the standard for veterinary technicians in all states is to take the credentialing exam once the degree is completed. The credentialing exam comprises three parts: oral, written and practical exams.

Successful completion of the credentialing exam by a veterinary technician will lead to the individual becoming registered, licensed or certified. The exact procedure will depend on state regulations for veterinary technicians.

It may seem like an awful lot of vet tech exams before you get to be a qualified veterinary technician. But the end result is well worth it in terms of job satisfaction.