Veterinary Technician Requirements

Animal lovers all over the world dream to have a career that involves taking care of and spending time with their favorite companions—be that dogs, cats, birds, or even pigs and horses. There are several paths you could take in order to realize that dream. Taking up veterinary medicine, of course, would immediately come to mind. This is a four-year course that is almost equivalent to taking a degree in medicine. Others would consider taking a job at the local pet store, but this is not as rewarding money-wise as taking vet med.

A viable alternative for people with this highly specialized interest is to aim to become a veterinary technician. For one thing, it is not as demanding as taking a vet med program. It is also recommended for people who have less resources available at hand for a degree.

After you graduate, you would have a career equivalent to being a nurse for animals or other pets. Your scope of work includes, but is not limited to, providing medication, administering shots, working the x-ray apparatus, suturing after operations and helping with pets staying the night in a clinic.

Some would argue that vet technicians and vet assistants are one and the same. That is far from the truth. In fact, there is a huge difference between the level of familiarity, skill and expertise of a vet technician than a veterinary assistant. A veterinary technician is a licensed professional, while an assistant does not necessarily require a license. Vet technicians can often care for minor injuries, even if the pet doctor is not available. Therefore, getting a vet tech degree can compensate you well and you would enjoy your time being with all creatures, big and small.

The requirements needed to become a veterinary technician are as follows:

1. A degree from a school with accreditation from the American Veterinary Medicine Association. If you’re not from the US, seek out the authority for veterinary medicine in your country and make sure the school you’re going to is accredited by this association. Securing this would make it easier for you to find a job and will help you avoid annoying red tape in the future.

Associate’s degrees will take up to two years to take. Bachelor’s degrees take up four. It’s up to you which degree you’ll take; it all boils down to how deep you want your knowledge to become in this industry.

2. Certification by taking the Veterinary Technician National Exam. This exam is given by state licensing boards, and is required of all aspiring veterinary technicians, as most animal hospitals or clinics look for this. Again, if you’re not from the US, check if you need to pass any exams before you can practice your profession. Better be safe than be called a fraud!

3. Get down and dirty and do hands-on internship/on-the-job training at your local animal hospital. Don’t settle for simple classroom lectures. Make sure you get top-notch, hands-on experience. Pick out one of the major hospitals in your area. Try to do as much as possible, covering all the bases so you could expand your awareness. It also improves your craft.

After you’ve landed your first job, make sure you secure it. Look around your area for an association for veterinary technicians. The members of these associations are helpful to one another, as they try to give everyone a boost in their respective careers. Being able to catch this network will surely open a lot of doors for possible job offers or additional education credentials. You might also want to take up a specialization while you’re at it.