Veterinary technician programs are 2-year programs that can be completed at a technical school, a community college or a 4-year college that offers 2-year degrees. Veterinary technology programs require a bachelor's degree at a 4-year college. With only 131 accredited programs in the United States and Canada, enrollment is becoming more competitive as demand for the positions rise and salaries increase.
Considerations
The U.S. Department of Labor predicts a 40 percent increase in the number of vet tech jobs by 2010. Because of the small number of programs accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association, only about 3,000 students are graduating each year from schools across 44 states along with 1 in Ontario. Many of the schools have waiting lists.
Types
Graduates from an AVMA-accredited program can take the credentialing test for licensing in any state. There are several types of accreditation, four of which designate graduates as successfully completing a fully-accredited program: full, provisional, probational and terminal.
Full accreditation meets or exceeds all standards. Provisional is granted to new programs with no graduates yet, or have too small a number of graduates for an accurate assessment of the outcome. Probational programs do not meet all standards, and the designation allows 2 years for the school to get up to speed. Terminal accreditation is assigned to a program that is voluntarily discontinuing.
Features
Several distance-learning programs meet AVMA standards. Clinical experience is required for all vet tech students, and those who are already employed at a licensed veterinary clinic generally are the ones who generally choose the distance-learning option. Some colleges offer a mix of distance-learning courses and on-campus courses. The off-campus clinical experience is called a preceptorship, practicum, internship or externship.
Significance
A veterinary technician or technologist has a wide variety of job responsibilities. They administer vaccines, run diagnostic tests, function as nurses, conduct anesthesiology, and work as technicians in radiology and in the lab. They can become supervisors in large practices and in research facilities. Often, vet techs have more contact with pet owners than the veterinarian does while doing the routine testing and treatment, and providing education.
Because of these job duties, a student in a vet tech program will learn about animal diseases, comparative anatomy and physiology, hematology, pathology, parasitology, surgical techniques, and many other scientific and technical subjects. The programs also require excellent communication skills because of the amount of time a vet tech will spend discussing test results and treatments with a large number of pet owners from a variety of backgrounds.
Expert Insight
Some vet techs decide to specialize in a particular area. Specialties include anesthesiology, dental, emergency critical care, equine, internal medicine and veterinary behavior. Vet techs can join societies or academies to network and to gain further education in their area of expertise.
Identification
Some fully-accredited veterinary technician programs offer unique specialties. The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture at Curtis, for example, has a cattle facility, horse barn, llamas and exotic animals on site. Their Safari Club takes students to wildlife sanctuaries, zoos and aquariums, both in the United States and on trips abroad. This college also offers a short course in equine dentistry.
In Woodland Hills near Los Angeles, Pierce College is nestled on 427 acres with a sanctuary-like feeling amidst an urban and suburban environment. The college has a farm with sheep, pigs and cows, as well as a nature preserve.
The Colorado Mountain College in Spring Valley has a 220-acre farm, with over 150 animals including llamas, horses, cattle, sheep, turkeys, chickens, and of course, dogs and cats. There also are exotic and laboratory animals along with wildlife such as owls, eagles, hawks, tortoises and lizards. This college even operates a humane animal shelter with animals waiting for adoption.
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