Becoming a Vet Tech – Helpful Tips

There are some people who simply melt when they see animals or have their hearts broken when they encounter sick or injured animals. Do you care deeply enough to want to help? If you do care, the perfect way to help is to become a veterinary technician.

As a career path, you could not have chosen better. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the anticipated growth in employment for veterinary technicians is projected at 36 percent. That is above normal growth for a 10 year period (2008 – 2018). The employment prospects are excellent in this field and combined with your love of animals, you will get the job you want, enabling you to enjoy doing what you love best.

Before you start thinking about what courses to take in high school, what degree will be best for you or where you will seek employment as a vet tech, the first thing you need to do is give serious consideration to becoming a veterinary technician. Not to discourage you in any way, but the job can get real hairy at times; it can be stressful and messy. But as people claim, love overcomes everything – if your love for animals is really deep, consider the following points as part of your preparation to becoming a successful veterinary technician.

Research is vital to finding information today, so go online and learn about the duties and responsibilities of veterinary technicians, what they study, what kind of job they do, the kind of programs offered to become a vet tech, what sort of employment opportunities are available, what the pay scales are like. Basically you are information gathering and learning about a veterinary technician in real life. Some people will find that no matter how deep their love for animals, they do not want a career that keeps them in constant contact with sick animals. Let’s be practical here, if you faint at the sight of blood you are not going be much of a veterinary technician!

After the research, if you feel you are still keen on your career choice, talk to a few veterinary technicians. Set up appointments and go prepared with your list of questions. Keep an open mind and don’t let another person’s perceptions of the job skewer your thinking.

If the excitement at becoming a veterinary technician persists, ask a vet tech if you can shadow the person (on the job) for a few days. This will give you first hand appreciation for the pros and cons of the job.

Still sticking by your decision to become a veterinary technician? Great! If you’ve made it this far, you now need to consider what the next step should be. There is more to becoming a vet tech than simply getting high grades. You may want to consider volunteering in an animal shelter, humane society or vet’s office to get some hands-on experience.

After you complete high school, you need to find an accredited veterinary technology program to enroll in. These programs are offered by community colleges and regular colleges as two year associate’s degree and four year bachelor’s degree programs.

Veterinary Technician Interview Tips

A veterinary technician job interview, can be a very broad based interview. It will include both technical and behavioral interview questions. The nature of the work requires interviewers to examine both your past work practices and your technical knowledge base.

Interview Presentation and Communications

The veterinary technician job interview requires you to present yourself very effectively.

These are the main issues for interviewers:
• Situational awareness: This covers both your answers and your understanding of the question. The veterinary technician job requires a very good level of situational comprehension of issues, and excellent communications skills.
• Communications skills: This is a job which can require you to think on your feet at short notice, and provide good information to the people with whom you’re working. Your answers need to be technically clear, with no vague elements.

Interview Questions and Issues

What experience have you had in extended treatment of an animal? How would you describe the experience, and how did it turn out?

There’s nothing subtle about this question, and with good reason. Animal care, particularly extended care, can be emotionally draining. Experience allows vets and veterinary technician learn to cope with the situations.

Give an example of prior experience which spells out the duties, the type of care, the health issues, and the outcome.

Have you ever had to put down an animal you’ve been treating? How did you feel about that?

This is another experience-based question. For all veterinary technician, the answer to the first part of the question is inevitably “Yes”. Not all animals make it. Nor do some people in veterinary medicine, who can’t deal with this part of the job.

Client relationships are important in this industry, because of the strong personal issues in animal care. Give us an example of working with a client under these circumstances.

The client relationship is part of the veterinary technician job. It’s important to ensure the client is fully informed and supported in making decisions and coping with situations. Explain a case of this kind to the interviewers, making your role in the client relationship clear.

Technical Skills Questions
These questions will cover basic technical procedures, like:

• Urinanalysis
• Dental procedures and prophylaxis
• Tissue sample processes and analysis
• Imaging

The technical questions will often include questions like problem solving, or asking you to give an example of your work in a particular area.

Set out your answers exactly like a procedure, in a logical order.

For example: What are the steps in a urinalysis? What issues might arise in a standard test environment?

A urinalysis requires a series of procedures:

• Obtain sample
• Run a series of tests as per vet’s instructions
• Check tests and verify results if necessary.
• Prepare report for vet.

Issues that might arise:

• Presence of medications or supplements in samples requiring test reconfigurations
• Tests may be mixed up
• Contamination of samples by local lab environment
• Presence of certain exotic pathogens or byproducts may require notification

It’s a very straightforward process, and that’s the sort of answer required, extremely simple, just .

Important: Never clutter up any answer to a technical question, particularly a procedure. Just make sure the procedure is fully and accurately described.

Veterinary Technical National Exam Information

The Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE) is administered by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB), which is a non-profit organization consisting of 57 veterinary licensing boards. The exam evaluates candidates to determine if they’re qualified to practice and obtain licensure as entry-level technicians. The VTNE is taken at Prometric testing sites that are located throughout the United States.
Eligibility Requirements

In order to be eligible for the exam, a candidate must have completed a veterinary technology program that is accredited by the American or Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). On-the-job training may be sufficient for eligibility in some states. Before they can take the test, candidates must apply and pay any fees associated with the exam. They must also provide a government-issued form of identification.

The exam is offered in March, July and October and is constantly reviewed and updated to ensure it’s current. Candidates are allowed to attempt the exam five times. If a candidate wishes to try the VTNE more than that, he or she must make a special request to the AAVSB.
Exam Questions

The 4-hour exam is made up of 200 multiple-choice operational questions and 25 pilot questions, although the tester’s scores are only based on the 200 operational questions. A few of the seven most important areas of animal healthcare include radiography, ultrasound, anesthesia and surgical preparation. The exam also covers 23 task areas and 47 knowledge areas.
Study Tips

Before taking the test, candidates may wish to review topics studied in their veterinary technician lab classes. The Association of Veterinary Technician Educators Inc. (AVTE) recommends a variety of books that can help you prepare for the exam.
Practice Test Opportunities

A practice test is offered by the AAVSB and can be taken online. The practice test is 75 questions and must be completed in 90 minutes to simulate the actual exam period. This simulation helps candidates become better acquainted with both the exam structure and types of questions asked.