What Level of Training Do You Need to Become a Veterinary Assistant?
A love of animals and a lifetime of caring for family pets may make a person well-versed in animal care, but it doesn't quite prepare him for a career as a veterinary assistant. Vet assistants, also known as veterinary technicians, train in subjects such as animal anatomy, pharmacology and immunology to ensure their abilities to assist veterinarians in the office.
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Preparation
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High schoolers who intend to seek employment in the veterinary assistant field should fill their junior and senior year schedules with science, math and biology classes, if possible. Veterinary tech schools' minimum requirements vary. Miami Dade College's program, for example, requires applicants to have earned a high school diploma or GED, be at least 18, and have completed courses in English composition, general education, biology and introduction to computers with a minimum grade of "C."
Veterinary Assistant Schools
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The veterinary assistant/technology field requires post-secondary education at the associate degree level, a two-year program offered by community colleges and technical schools. The American Veterinary Association accredits veterinary technology programs at institutions countrywide, including New Hampshire's Great Bay Community College, Kentucky's Morehead State University, Florida's Brevard Community College and Minnesota's Argosy University. Schools prepare students to take the National Veterinary Technician exam.
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Courses
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Prospective veterinary assistants in programs such as the Globe University Minnesota School of Business take classes including veterinary medical terminology, introduction to veterinary technology, animal physiology, animal anatomy, immunology, veterinary office procedures, veterinary pharmacology, basic hematology, parasitology and small-animal nutrition.
Average Salaries
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The average veterinary assistant salary was $30,580 in 2009, as reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The BLS noted that vet assistants employed by the federal executive branch of the government earned significantly higher salaries: $47,020 per year. Vet assistants in the pharmaceutical and medicine manufacturing industries also earned higher wages: $40,630 annually. Eastern coast states provided the highest salaries for vet assistants in 2009. Connecticut led the country with a salary of $36,360 for the profession, but New York, at $36,250 and the District of Columbia, at $36,160, were close behind.
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References
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Veterinary Technologists and Technicians
- American Veterinary Medical Association: Programs Accredited by the AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities
- Miami Dade College: Requirements
- Globe University Minnesota School of Business: Veterinary Course Descriptions
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Occupational Employment Statistics
- Photo Credit cats image by Zbigniew Nowak from Fotolia.com
