What Qualifications Does One Need to Be a Veterinary Assistant?
Veterinary assistants, or technicians, are responsible for assisting veterinarians in providing medical care to animals. These technicians perform routine clinical and laboratory procedures. All of their work is done under the supervision of a veterinarian. Veterinary assistants must be familiar with a variety of medical equipment and understand specialized nursing care for sick and injured animals. To become a qualified veterinary technician, it takes many years of education and training in order to develop the necessary skills to become successful in this field.
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Education
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Individuals interested in a career as a veterinary assistants are required to complete a 2-year associate's degree from an accredited community college. While in school, students focus on classroom and laboratory work. The classes cover different aspects of education, such as physical science, biology, physics and chemistry. Laboratory work uses live animals to teach students how to administer medications and to care for them in a medical setting.
Certification
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Once individuals complete their veterinary technician educational program, they are required to become certified. Every state has different certification requirements, but all states require prospective veterinary assistants to take a certification exam. The test includes a written, oral and practical sections. Passing this test ensures prospective employers that a candidate has the skills, qualifications and abilities to work with animals.
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Conditions
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It's important that anyone entering this field get satisfaction from working with and helping animals. Veterinary assistants work long hours and deal with severely injured, abused and ill animals on a regular basis. All of these elements make this profession stressful and emotionally draining. Technicians must be prepared to lift animals, clean cages and restrain scared and hostile animals, which my result in exposure to scratches and bites.
Skills
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Working with animals means dealing with pet owners. Technicians must develop strong communication skills in order to explain medical procedures and illnesses to owners. Because veterinarian technicians are required to work with veterinarians, they need to be able to work well with others and to follow directions accurately. Assistants need to be able to pay attention to detail and stay organized at all times.
Responsibilities
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Qualified veterinary assistants need to understand how to perform a variety of medical tests and to understand the medical conditions of animals. Technicians must know how to perform blood and urine tests, prepare tissue samples and take medical histories. More experienced veterinary assistants take and develop X-rays and provide specialized medical care. While most technicians work with dogs and cats on a regular basis, it's important to have an understanding of a variety of animals, including mice, pigs, birds, fish, monkey, horses and frogs.
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