Vet Assistant Certification
Do you love animals and enjoy working with them? If so, you may want to consider a career as a veterinarian's assistant. While you only need a high school diploma, some basic office skills will be an asset. Certification as a veterinarian is not required in most states, but the education you receive while getting your certification can increase your odds of being hired. It can even increase your salary.
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Getting Started
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The easiest way to become a veterinarian's assistant is to learn on the job. Many veterinarians will hire assistants who want to learn. At the veterinary clinic, you will learn how to do basic lab work, take blood samples and assist in surgery.
Early Duties
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You can start becoming a veterinarian's assistant by getting a job helping with feeding, grooming and cleaning at a veterinary office or the local animal shelter. You can also assist with basic clerical tasks such as recording information about the clients and their pets. This is a basic entry level position that can be obtained out of high school or as a summer job.
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Veterinary Technician Assistant Program
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The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) recently created a certification process for becoming a veterinary technician assistant. The group has begun to approve schools and programs that would allow the graduates to become certified Veterinary Technician Assistants (VTA). In order to qualify, the Veterinary Assistant Technician Program is required to be associated with an American Veterinary Medical Association-accredited veterinary technology program.
Taking the Certification Exam
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To be eligible to sit for the nationally certified Veterinary Technician Assistant (VTA) exam, students must graduate from an approved program and demonstrate knowledge on the job. The online testing program VetMedTeam.com administers the exam. In order to become a certified Veterinary Technician Assistant, the student most complete an approved program and pass the exam.
Education Information
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According to the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America, the Veterinary Technician Assistant Program must be affiliated with an American Veterinary Medical Association-accredited veterinary technology program. Though this is a new certification, many veterinary technician programs have already begun to offer this option. There are programs in almost every state as well as distance programs available that are accredited by the AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities. You can find more information about the available schools at the AVMA website. (See the link in Resources.)
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References
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