Kezia Endsley - Veterinary Technicians and Assistants: A Practical Career Guide

Kezia Endsley is an editor and author from Indianapolis, Indiana. In addition to editing technical publications and writing books for teens, she enjoys running and triathlons, traveling, reading, and spending time with her family and seven pets.

EDITORIAL BOARD

Eric Evitts has been working with teens in the high school setting for twenty-three years. Most of his career has dealt with getting teens, especially at-risk students, to find and follow a career path of interest. He has developed curriculum for Frederick County Public Schools focusing on antibullying and career development. He is currently a counselor at South Hagerstown High School.

Danielle Irving-Johnson, MA, EdS, is currently the career services specialist at the American Counseling Association. She exercises her specialty in career counseling by providing career guidance, services, and resources designed to encourage and assist students and professionals in obtaining their educational, employment, and career goals while also promoting the importance of self-care, wellness, work-life balance, and burnout prevention. Danielle has also previously served as a mental health counselor and clinical intake assessor in community agency settings assisting diverse populations with various diagnoses.

Joyce Rhine Shull, BS, MS, is an active member of the Maryland Association of Community Colleges Career Affinity Group and the Maryland Career Development Association. She presently serves as an academic adviser in higher education and teaches Professionalism in the Workplace as an adjunct professor. Her experience also includes two decades of management and career education of vocational courses and seminars for high school students.

Lisa Adams Somerlot is the president of the American College Counseling Association and also serves as director of counseling at the University of West Georgia. She has a PhD in counselor education from Auburn University and is a licensed professional counselor in Georgia and a nationally approved clinical supervisor. She is certified in Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, Strong Interest Inventory, and Strengths Quest administration.

Y ou learned in the introduction that paraveterinary medicine is a healthy and growing career field. You also learned a little bit about how careers in this field are split depending on your degree and level of schooling. You also were reminded that its important to pursue a career that you enjoy, are good at, and are passionate about. You will spend a lot of your life working; it makes sense to find something you enjoy doing. Of course, you want to make money and support yourself while doing it. If you love the idea of helping animals for a living, youve come to the right book.

This chapter discusses in more detail the main responsibilities and job duties of careers in paraveterinary medicine and covers the basics of each. After reading this chapter, you should have a good understanding of these roles and can then start to determine if one of them is a good fit for you. Lets start with the veterinary assistant.

The introduction mentioned that working as a veterinary assistant can be a great way to get your foot in the door and try paraveterinary medicine without committing to years of schooling. This is because the job typically requires only a high school diploma. Before committing to postsecondary schooling, you can get into a clinic, lab, or hospital setting and work with animalsand be able to determine if this is the right career path for you. Most employers also provide on-the-job training, but some will hire only those who have prior experience working with animals.

Vet assistants perform everyday duties that need to be done in the clinic or lab. They assist veterinarians and veterinary technicians with routine animal care and daily tasks, including:

• Feeding and exercising the animals
• Bathing animals and cleaning their cages
• Cleaning and sterilizing equipment
• Monitoring animals and recording their findings
• Transporting animals within the facility for procedures and tests
• Comforting and restraining animals during procedures

You need to be comfortable and confident working with scared or injured animals in order to be successful as a vet assistant.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) is part of the US Department of Labor. It tracks statistical information about thousands of careers in the United States. These statistics show just how promising this career is now and in the foreseeable future:

• Education: High school diploma or equivalent
• 2018 median pay: $27,540
• Job outlook 20182028: 19 percent (much faster than average)
• Work environment: Most work in private clinics and animal hospitals (87%); a small subset works in university research labs (5%)

So the vet assistant position is a good place to start, but you may find yourself eventually wanting more responsibility, more recognition, and a higher salary. Lets move on to discussing the veterinary technician role, which is the next step on the ladder of paraveterinary medicine.

Krista King received her associates degree in applied science of veterinary technology in 2012. She found an entry-level job in a very small general practice, where she was able to do a large variety of jobs. She did her externship there and stayed for three or four years. Her next job was at a veterinary hospital, where the medicine and protocols were newer. She then worked in an emergency hospital, where she did three different overnight shifts for two years.

Krista King. Courtesy of Krista King

After about five years in the industry, Krista experienced burnout and hit a wall. She noticed that she wasnt seeing the joy in it anymore. She left the field for almost two years and explored other options. This time helped her focus on her career goals. She realized that veterinary medicine was what she likes to do. She came back to the animal hospital where she had previously worked and has been there about two years.

Can you explain how you became interested in being a vet tech?

I wanted to do something with animals since I was little. When I was younger, my neighbors and I used to set up a pretend vet clinic in their RV and give our stuffed animals pretend shots! After high school, I didnt really know what I wanted to do. I applied to a few colleges in my state but didnt know what to do.

I knew I wanted more hands-on with animals. I shadowed a bit before college and realized that vets dont always do the hands-on stuff like vaccines, drawing blood, and so on. The vet tech does all that. I wanted to do stuff but not have the huge responsibility of making life-and-death decisions that veterinarians have.

Can you talk about your current position? Whats a typical day in your job?

I am a surgery technician. In our practice, technicians and assistants do pretty much the same things. I am not licensed at the moment, so I am technically an assistant. But I can do everything my employer allows me to do.

I get there early and set up all instruments and supplies for surgeries, calculate drugs needed, and type up surgery notes and take-home instructions. I take vitals of the patients too. When the doctor arrives, I sedate the animals. All our surgeries are in the morning. Then one surgery tech usually leaves early and one helps with afternoon appointments.