Now that I have been admitted to vet school...

[Karlee83]

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So I am hoping that someone might be able to answer this question for me.

Now that I have been admitted to vet school, does that mean that I can do more vet tech stuff at work? Of course I would be under the supervision of a vet.

Just curious.

Karlee

 

[critterfixer]

What an unlicensed technician is able to do varies by state law. Being in veterinary school doesn't allow you to do anything more than anyone else, except at school.

 

[rugbychick16]

No you legally can't do any more.

Even once you're in vet school and you visit a private practice during breaks or for a menorship, vets are often hesitant to let you do anything more because of liability insurance and the like.

Only in your school's hospital can you sometimes do more if under direct supervision. (And here, first years aren't even supposed to be "handling" the animal in any way if they're hanging out in the clinic)

 

[lailanni]

Laws vary by state. For example here in Washington even though I'm a vet student - but not a licensed tech - I'm still not allowed to draw blood, etc in non-school clinics.

Which is awful, because at this rate I'm never going to learn how to draw blood or do anything even remotely useful 😡 I've been thinking of doing a summer externship with Banfield just because they'll teach me those things....ugh...and I'm not too fond of Banfield.

As you get into your first year, you can purchase liability insurance (PLIT - professional liability insurance trust) and that may let your clinic feel more comfortable about giving you more responsibility to some extent.

But if anything, I've found that once you've been accepted the doctors are more likely to treat you like a member of "the club". They were nice enough before, but afterwards they really went out of their way to explain/show me things.

 

[sunnex3]

does anyone have a link to somewhere where i can look at what is unlicensed technicians are allowed to do, depending on the state?

 

[sumstorm]

lailanni, I originally 'practiced' drawing blood for dogs and cats using a 'dummy' leg a vet made for me. She took the hard plastic covereing that some syringes come in, ran a piece of plastic tubing down the side with a port on it, clamped the other end, put red dyed water in through the port (undo the clamp, reclamp when full), taped the tubing in place with cloth tape, then wrapped the tubing (not including the port and clamp) and plastic with vet wrap until it 'felt' right to her (for depth of the vein.) Then she had us practice drawing from that....it replicates a leg draw pretty well. The biggest part was feeling where it was, then feeling how the needle 'feels' different once it actually enters the vein. She made several models in several sizes. I will see if I can find any laying around the clinic and take a picture for you.


I still don't do very well on jugs on fat dogs or cats.

 

[sunnex3]

lailanni, I originally 'practiced' drawing blood for dogs and cats using a 'dummy' leg a vet made for me. She took the hard plastic covereing that some syringes come in, ran a piece of plastic tubing down the side with a port on it, clamped the other end, put red dyed water in through the port (undo the clamp, reclamp when full), taped the tubing in place with cloth tape, then wrapped the tubing (not including the port and clamp) and plastic with vet wrap until it 'felt' right to her (for depth of the vein.) Then she had us practice drawing from that....it replicates a leg draw pretty well. The biggest part was feeling where it was, then feeling how the needle 'feels' different once it actually enters the vein. She made several models in several sizes. I will see if I can find any laying around the clinic and take a picture for you.


I still don't do very well on jugs on fat dogs or cats.

sumstorm, if you could get a picture of the "dummy" leg you're talking about, it would be amazing. i'm trying to get the vets where i work to let me start training to be a tech and drawing blood/etc, so it might be nice if there's something i can show them beforehand as a practicing tool (might ease their hesitation a little bit)!

 

[AgtOrange]

Don't know about other states, but here are Ohio's regulations:

http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/4741-1-19 (see first)
http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4741.19

From what I understand (and please, correct me if I'm wrong), but a first-year vet student "successfully enrolled in an approved college of veterinary medicine" can perform any work related to the practice of veterinary medicine, as long as you are under the supervision of a vet and it's not surgery. This would allow you to perform any duties a RVT can perform, as long as there's a vet in range. After the initial year of study, you can perform surgery under supervision.

 

[HeartSong]

lailanni, I originally 'practiced' drawing blood for dogs and cats using a 'dummy' leg a vet made for me. She took the hard plastic covereing that some syringes come in, ran a piece of plastic tubing down the side with a port on it, clamped the other end, put red dyed water in through the port (undo the clamp, reclamp when full), taped the tubing in place with cloth tape, then wrapped the tubing (not including the port and clamp) and plastic with vet wrap until it 'felt' right to her (for depth of the vein.) Then she had us practice drawing from that....it replicates a leg draw pretty well. The biggest part was feeling where it was, then feeling how the needle 'feels' different once it actually enters the vein. She made several models in several sizes. I will see if I can find any laying around the clinic and take a picture for you.

That sounds awesome. She should totally market that! Find a company that will mass produce and she could retire early. 😀

 

[cRose]

Sunnex3, I assume you'd be working in PA.

Here is a link to the state's guidelines for what a tech can do (there is very little that a RVT can do that a non-licensed cannot):
http://www.pacode.com/secure/data/049/chapter31/s31.31.html

If you are thinking of working somewhere else, then you should Google that state's laws.

 

[Pandacinny]

Sunnex, I know you're from the DC metro area, so I can cover MD for you. I've got the regulations right in front of me, so this should be pretty accurate. You must be an RVT in MD to:

• Induce anesthesia by inhalation, IV injection, or IM injection
• Apply casts and splints
• Perform dental extractions
• Suture existing surgical skin incisions

In VA, the law is much more strict and you must be an LVT (LVT/RVT/CVT basically means the same thing, but each state uses different language) to do most anything involving needles or injections, from what I've heard. You can probably look up the regulations online.

 

[sunnex3]

yup i've heard that it's much more strict in VA too, that's why i've been keeping my job in DC (I heard it's a lot less strict in DC...all the techs where i work are uncertified). the vets where i work are extremely extremely wary about teaching new workers things (although i've been there for a while now, and have contributed a lot when they needed extra shifts covered) so i'm hoping to ask them to let me start at least learning how to do more things...otherwise i'm going to go crazy - i'm eager to learn!

 

[Pandacinny]

From what I understand (and please, correct me if I'm wrong), but a first-year vet student "successfully enrolled in an approved college of veterinary medicine" can perform any work related to the practice of veterinary medicine, as long as you are under the supervision of a vet and it's not surgery. This would allow you to perform any duties a RVT can perform, as long as there's a vet in range. After the initial year of study, you can perform surgery under supervision.

Like everyone else has said, you do need to check your state laws for this. I know that this is NOT the case in Maryland - there's no exemption in the practice act for vet students here. Emailing your state board is a good way to find out if you're unsure.

 

[TSUJC]

How strictly are these laws enforced? I worked in a clinic where the doctor's never drew blood, only the techs did. We also performed dentals, induced anesthesia, just about anything except for surgery. None of us were licensed / registered vet techs (doctors didn't want to pay for RVT).

Until now I didn’t know there were laws about what a tech could and could not do!! I am glad I got the experience but wonder if the clinic is putting themselves at risk?

 

[TSUJC]

According to the Texas State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners an unlicensed individual (someone who is not a veterinarian) shall not perform the following health care services:

(1) surgery;
(2) invasive dental procedures;
(3) diagnosis and prognosis of animal diseases and/or conditions; or
(4) prescribing drugs and appliances.

When feasible, a licensee (veterinarian) should delegate greater responsibility to a registered veterinary technician (RVT) than to a non-RVT. An RVT is a person who performs the duties specified by the American Veterinary Medical Association's Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities and is qualified and registered by the Texas Veterinary Medical Association. Under the direct or immediate supervision of a licensee, an RVT may:

(1) suture existing surgical skin incisions; and
(2) induce anesthesia.

The procedures authorized to be performed by an RVT may be performed by a non-registered veterinary technician only under the immediate supervision of a veterinarian.

(3) Euthanasia may be performed by a veterinary technician only under the immediate supervision of a veterinarian

I am glad I checked, it looks like I really didn't do anything that was not allowed by the state of Texas. I guess I should be glad that I was allowed to do so much!

 

[4paws]

I second that, TSUJC. Until recently, I didn't know that some places were so restrictive.

I too work at a clinic where injections, blood-draws, catheters, and often anesthesia induction are left up to the techs. Some are RVT's, most are not. I am so grateful that I've gotten so much hands on experience.

For those that have not, I've heard that when it comes time for learning catheter placement in vet school, it's kind of understood that students that have had less experience with it get first dibs and more practice.

 

[rugbychick16]

I am amazed at this because I have never worked/been in a private practice where the tech work is not by anyone unlicensed...its always done by LVT/RVTs, whether its due to safety, liability, or state laws I never asked I guess.

I've never seen an unlicensed tech get to do anything but restrain, clean, run lab tests, clip nails, etc. Which means I have never done anything but that. You guys are lucky.

 

[david594]

Don't know about other states, but here are Ohio's regulations:

http://codes.ohio.gov/oac/4741-1-19 (see first)
http://codes.ohio.gov/orc/4741.19

From what I understand (and please, correct me if I'm wrong), but a first-year vet student "successfully enrolled in an approved college of veterinary medicine" can perform any work related to the practice of veterinary medicine, as long as you are under the supervision of a vet and it's not surgery. This would allow you to perform any duties a RVT can perform, as long as there's a vet in range. After the initial year of study, you can perform surgery under supervision.

I like the way that law reads. From that I get the impression that there shouldn't be anything legally stopping me from getting a job as a tech in Ohio since I will be a veterinary student.

It actually reads like we technically have more freedom than registered vet techs in Ohio. As vet students we can do anything but surgery under "veterinary supervision" as opposed to RVT's were half of the things they are allowed are only under "direct veterinary supervision".

 

[Pandacinny]

How strictly are these laws enforced? I worked in a clinic where the doctor's never drew blood, only the techs did. We also performed dentals, induced anesthesia, just about anything except for surgery. None of us were licensed / registered vet techs (doctors didn't want to pay for RVT).

Not very, but that doesn't mean you should flout them in your clinic. If an animal dies, for any reason, and an unlicensed tech was working on them outside of their legal capacity, it's not only that person's butt on the line but the doctor's. It's one of those things where if you never get caught, you might not care, but boy is it bad if you do. Considering that animals are unpredictable and things happen, I wouldn't want to risk it.

 

[haydukelives]

Laws vary by state. For example here in Washington even though I'm a vet student - but not a licensed tech - I'm still not allowed to draw blood, etc in non-school clinics.

Which is awful, because at this rate I'm never going to learn how to draw blood or do anything even remotely useful 😡 I've been thinking of doing a summer externship with Banfield just because they'll teach me those things....ugh...and I'm not too fond of Banfield.

As you get into your first year, you can purchase liability insurance (PLIT - professional liability insurance trust) and that may let your clinic feel more comfortable about giving you more responsibility to some extent.

But if anything, I've found that once you've been accepted the doctors are more likely to treat you like a member of "the club". They were nice enough before, but afterwards they really went out of their way to explain/show me things.

lailanni, are you sure that's a Washington law? I learned to draw blood when I was fifteen and the clinic I learned at didn't have any licensed techs. I've worked/shadowed in other clinics that also had unlicensed techs drawing blood.

 

[Caninerepro]

I as well volunteered at a clinic in WA, and was allowed to do pretty much what a tech was, if a vet was around. Actually, the vet and I did not do a lot of blood draws, but that was becasue the techs were far better at them, not that we never did! I did not do actual surgical procedures, other than on my own dogs, but beyond that, no differences. I actually did assist on a few routine procedures, because I happened to be better at them than the techs, and was interested in them. But the vet was always about 10 feet away from me, I was simply assisting her. Here in CO there is no LVT requirement at all.

 

[AgtOrange]

I like the way that law reads. From that I get the impression that there shouldn't be anything legally stopping me from getting a job as a tech in Ohio since I will be a veterinary student.

It actually reads like we technically have more freedom than registered vet techs in Ohio. As vet students we can do anything but surgery under "veterinary supervision" as opposed to RVT's were half of the things they are allowed are only under "direct veterinary supervision".

That's the impression I got, too. Yay Ohio! Performing surgery under supervision after the first year seems really lenient - we don't even start to cover surgical procedures in the first year, so it would be up to the supervising vet to teach the procedure. That could be good or bad 🙂