How to Become a Veterinary Assistant or Veterinary Technician

With all the concentration on high school graduates going on to college, a lot of job opportunities are opening up in fields that do not require a 4 year, or longer, college degree. College is not right for everyone, for a variety of reasons, not the least of them the cost. Jobs like these are perfect for situations like that as well as for someone re entering the work force, or looking to change occupations. They are easily attainable with a lesser commitment of time and less out lay of money.

These are two jobs perfect for someone who has a passion for animals. And they do not require a four year degree. Becoming a Veterinarian is the dream of a lot of animal lovers, but lets face it, it is one of the hardest to accomplish. First of all there is a large commitment of time. You need four years of college, four years of graduate school and then an internship. It is just not feasible for everyone.

You can become a Veterinary Technician with a 2 year associates degree or you can take a 4 year bachelors degree course. There are even some schools that are accredited for distance learning, but there are also a lot of correspondence schools that advertise a Veterinary Technician Course that are not. Veterinary Technicians must be certified by the American Veterinary Medical Association and the schools must be certified also. Check with any school you look at about their placement record, Check out what the requirements are for your state. The certifying exams and requirements differ from state to state.

As a Veterinary Technician you will be part nurse, part dentist, part radiologist, part record keeper and the one who explains many things to the client. In a busy practice, you will be the one who sees the animal first and does an initial valuation. It is the closest to being a Veterinarian as you can be. Like being a highly trained triage nurse in a hospital A well trained and highly skilled Veterinary Technician is worth his weight in gold and gets paid accordingly.