How to Begin a Vet Tech Career (and Be Successful)
Deciding to begin a vet tech career is a big decision; but this guide will help you to determine if this path is right for you, and what you need to succeed.
While veterinarians have to go through a rigorous 4-year program after completing a bachelor’s degree of pre-med in order to become a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, vet techs only need go through a two-year postsecondary program and get certified as a veterinary technician.
Veterinarians stand to earn more than vet techs, but have additional responsibilities, and a much longer (and more expensive) education. Nevertheless, the two must work together on a daily basis to fulfill crucial tasks in the care of livestock, household pets, research animals, wildlife, and more.
Just like veterinarians, vet techs can specialize to focus on a specific field of veterinary medicine.
Vet Technician or Vet Technology?
For a vet tech career, you must undergo a two-year program in veterinary technology to receive an associate’s degree and get certified as a veterinary technician. However, veterinary technologists must receive a bachelor’s degree in veterinary technology after a four-year program.
On the surface, the only difference between the two is the degree, and the name. However, being a veterinary technologist can potentially lead to higher income. The difference is arguably negligible, as both veterinary technicians and veterinary technologists can qualify for high-paying positions in research and pharmaceuticals, cutting-edge care, and more, through experience and a thorough career plan.
Furthermore, veterinary technicians and veterinary technologists largely share the same job descriptions.
- Both careers focus on treating animals by performing tests and doing the legwork that leads to successful diagnoses and assisting during treatment.
- They both work through labs, through animal hospitals, and through private practices.
Statistically, the demand for both veterinary technicians and veterinary technologists is on the rise, more so than the average for other jobs. Veterinarians are increasingly working with techs in order to improve outcomes, delegating smaller tasks, from general care to treatment preparation and lab work to their techs.
Some of the other tasks veterinary technicians perform include being a lab tech, operating radiography equipment, being a surgical nurse, working with clients to help educate them on conditions, treatments, and medication, being an animal anesthetist, and more.
Veterinary assistants are typically distinct from technicians in that:
- They haven’t received education as a veterinary technician but are hired and trained on-the-job to assist veterinary technicians in a variety of basic tasks
- They typically require a high school diploma and basic training through a local certificate program or through a distant-learning program over the Internet.
Education Level for Vet Tech Careers
The step-by-step of starting a vet tech career is fairly simple:
- You must complete a two-year or four-year program, depending on whether you choose to work for an associate’s degree and become a technician or work towards a bachelor’s degree and become a technologist
- Then you must complete your registration as a vet tech in your state of residence typically by passing a certification exam. The exact requirements differ from state to state.
The first step is to find a college that offers veterinary technology programs. Choose a college with a program that is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA).
The AVMA is the nation’s largest veterinary association. It has over 93,000 members, and it’s their accreditation and certification programs that carry the most weight and lead to the best career possibilities for veterinarians and vet techs alike.
The AVMA offers a myriad of resources to help those aspiring to begin a vet tech career to choose the right program, plan their respective careers, find work, learn more about the job, and consider a specific veterinary technician specialty.
Getting Certified as a Vet Tech
There are various titles for vet techs, including:
- Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT)
- Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT)
- Certified Veterinary Technician (CVT)
These titles are bestowed onto individuals who have received certification through a private or independent association or board of professionals in their state.
Because many different private organizations can claim that they certify veterinary technicians, things can get complicated. Government agencies and large associations like the AVMA and National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) work to help aspiring vet techs navigate their way to receiving proper credentials and working as vet techs in the industry.
Some states require that all their vet techs are licensed (LVT). Some require that their vet techs are registered (RVT). Others require that their vet techs are certified (CVT). It is possible to accrue several titles. NAVTA and the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB) can help you figure out which path is best to take for your state.
While seeking accreditation, you may seek to work for a veterinary clinic. You may start out working the front desk or taking on janitorial responsibilities until you become a certified, licensed, and/or registered veterinary technician.
There is also a long list of associations, academies and programs that help vet techs work in very specific industries, including:
- Veterinary dentistry
- Veterinary critical care
- Veterinary internal medicine
- Veterinary behavior medicine
- Veterinary pathology
- Veterinary dermatology
- Veterinary anesthesia
- And more
Be sure to check with NAVTA if a vet tech specialty program of your choice has successfully met their requirements for recognition.
Risks and Work Schedules
Vet techs often have to work with veterinarians as per their schedules. Therefore, work schedules will differ highly from practice to practice, and from industry to industry.
- A research position at a laboratory is more likely to be similar to a basic 9-to-5
- A position at a private clinic that specializes in critical care and emergency care might require that you’re on-call even on weekends, evenings, and holidays.
Work schedules for vet techs, as with many other medical professionals, are very varied.
There are also certain risks of working in a vet tech career. Because you are often working with agitated animals, and potentially even wild animals, there is a risk of being scratched, bitten, or hurt while on the job. Proper precautions and training are necessary to help stay safe and still provide critical care to wounded animals.
The emotional toll of being a veterinary technician can be quite high as well. It is not unlikely to witness the results of animal abuse or animal neglect. There may be cases when you or your employer have no choice but to euthanize a sick or unwanted animal.
Is a Vet Tech Career for You?
This is a position that is physically and emotionally demanding. There might be long hours and difficult situations. Private clinics and hospitals are often open 24/7, so there may be days when you have to work back-to-back shifts or skip the holidays.
It can still be a very rewarding job. Vet techs are in growing demand, and they earn a respectable salary on average, especially if they land jobs in universities, professional schools, or private institutions.
Helping save the life of an animal can be very rewarding. Those in a vet tech career have the opportunity to work within a specialization that they have a great interest or passion in, such as equine veterinary services, wildlife, and more.
