2 answers
Kristen
Student
Shawnee, Oklahoma
1
Question
Asked
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I want to be a vet tech ?
I want to be a vet tech what is the best way to get information about this situation
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2 answers
Katelyn Jones
Customer Support Specialist
11
Answers
Concord, North Carolina
Updated
Katelyn’s Answer
Hey, Kristen! 👋
It's so exciting that you're interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. It is a fun, rewarding, and challenging field that is always in demand and will teach you a ton of valuable skills!
First and foremost, I recommend getting hands-on experience. As I mentioned, veterinary medicine can be challenging physically, mentally, and emotionally so it is very important to make sure that it's right for you before devoting the time and money to pursuing a degree in veterinary technology. The great news is, this experience is usually very easy to obtain! Kennel technician/assistant jobs are great entry-level positions that typically don't require any experience. If this is not an option for you, stop in to chat with your local vets and see if any of them would be willing to let you volunteer or shadow. This will also give you the opportunity to chat with current veterinary workers and learn more about all of the different opportunities available to you.
If you feel confident that you want to become a vet tech after getting this experience, you will need to find a veterinary technology program that is accredited by the AVMA (American Veterinary Medicine Association). You can find a list of all of these programs and filter by location, including online programs, here! https://bit.ly/45d11ts
When deciding which program is right for you, keep in mind that veterinary technology is a very hands-on field, and you will be learning a lot of technical skills that require physical practice. Brick-and-mortar schools will typically include labs or partner with local veterinary practices to ensure that you get this experience and meet the program requirements! Online programs allow you to go at your own pace but still require this hands-on experience, and you may be responsible for networking with veterinary practices to line up these internships yourself. This isn't usually an issue for people in larger, metropolitan areas but I have spoken with some veterinary assistants in rural areas that had to drop out of their vet tech program after being unable to find a practice that would take them on to complete their internships.
Once you have graduated from an accredited program, you will need to take and pass the VTNE (Veterinary Technician National Exam) before you are considered a registered/licensed veterinary technician. Vet tech programs are what will give you the knowledge and pre-requisites needed to take this exam, but passing the exam and earning the title of RVT/LVT is what will actually qualify you for the jobs that you want! Many resources are available to ensure that you're prepared to pass this exam on the first try, including community forums and study groups on social media platforms, online practice tests, exam prep programs, and more.
Wishing you the best of luck while you pursue your career goals! 💜
Look at veterinary technician job listings in you area to get an idea of job responsibilities, education and experience requirements, and pay range.
It's so exciting that you're interested in pursuing a career in veterinary medicine. It is a fun, rewarding, and challenging field that is always in demand and will teach you a ton of valuable skills!
First and foremost, I recommend getting hands-on experience. As I mentioned, veterinary medicine can be challenging physically, mentally, and emotionally so it is very important to make sure that it's right for you before devoting the time and money to pursuing a degree in veterinary technology. The great news is, this experience is usually very easy to obtain! Kennel technician/assistant jobs are great entry-level positions that typically don't require any experience. If this is not an option for you, stop in to chat with your local vets and see if any of them would be willing to let you volunteer or shadow. This will also give you the opportunity to chat with current veterinary workers and learn more about all of the different opportunities available to you.
If you feel confident that you want to become a vet tech after getting this experience, you will need to find a veterinary technology program that is accredited by the AVMA (American Veterinary Medicine Association). You can find a list of all of these programs and filter by location, including online programs, here! https://bit.ly/45d11ts
When deciding which program is right for you, keep in mind that veterinary technology is a very hands-on field, and you will be learning a lot of technical skills that require physical practice. Brick-and-mortar schools will typically include labs or partner with local veterinary practices to ensure that you get this experience and meet the program requirements! Online programs allow you to go at your own pace but still require this hands-on experience, and you may be responsible for networking with veterinary practices to line up these internships yourself. This isn't usually an issue for people in larger, metropolitan areas but I have spoken with some veterinary assistants in rural areas that had to drop out of their vet tech program after being unable to find a practice that would take them on to complete their internships.
Once you have graduated from an accredited program, you will need to take and pass the VTNE (Veterinary Technician National Exam) before you are considered a registered/licensed veterinary technician. Vet tech programs are what will give you the knowledge and pre-requisites needed to take this exam, but passing the exam and earning the title of RVT/LVT is what will actually qualify you for the jobs that you want! Many resources are available to ensure that you're prepared to pass this exam on the first try, including community forums and study groups on social media platforms, online practice tests, exam prep programs, and more.
Wishing you the best of luck while you pursue your career goals! 💜
Katelyn recommends the following next steps:
Keyana Beamon
Veterinary technician
25
Answers
Newport News, Virginia
Updated
Keyana’s Answer
Deciding on what career path to take in life can be an exciting time and the fact that you know what you would like to be is amazing! I am a veterinary technician myself and what I did to obtain information was start to research the best schools to attend. I personally did a online school through Penn Foster. You can also ask around at veterinary clinics or shelters to maybe shadow a veterinary technician, so you can gain insights on education and what day to day duties look like.
Thanks for sharing your experience as a vet tech, Keyana! We appreciate you!!
yoonji KIM, Admin