Vet or vet tech

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vet tech or just vet

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Ehimmels12

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I just had a child and don't want to do daycare so I decided to stay home with him until he is older (around 2-4) I wanted to do school online on Penn foster for vet technician and then when he is older go to school to be a vet. I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not

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I just had a child and don't want to do daycare so I decided to stay home with him until he is older (around 2-4) I wanted to do school online on Penn foster for vet technician and then when he is older go to school to be a vet. I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not
You definitely could go this route, though the main issues I see are: 1) Vet tech schools normally do not fulfill the requirements for vet school. You would have to then take additional classes to get all the pre-reqs in, which could add 2-3 more years on to your schooling and your debt. 2) In order to go to vet school you need vet experience, outside of the hours you would get in vet tech (I am not sure if the hours in vet tech school would count, and even if it did it could be too little/not diverse enough).
 
Vet school typically requires 3-4 years of undergraduate schooling, plus the four years of veterinary school. The vet tech courses likely will not fulfill any requirements for vet school, so your plan would amount to 10 years of schooling and a LOT of tuition expenses. I would suggest figuring out which career is more appealing and realistic in your situation and put all of your focus in that area.
 
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Hi there!
I guess I can answer your questions as I am a LVT (Licensed Veterinary Technician) in NY. I finished my LVT and B.S. In Biology in 4 years. This is absolutely possible and MANY of my fellow dual major vet tech/bio (for vet school) went on to vet school. Out of my close group of friends from undergrad I'm actually the last to apply and go-but I already have interviews so I am hopeful!
Anyways- I STRONGLY believe being a technician first has helped me in many aspects to prepare for this field. I am no stranger to the emotional toll, the long hours, the nagging clients. I can place a catheter, already know my anesthesia machine and have watched/scrubbed in or assisted with many surgeries- what better way to prepare for when I'm the one cutting?
I think being a tech first is a good option for you-that way after you finish your schooling you can work as a tech, gain experience and really find out if you want to pursue being a DVM.
I know personally, I would not have done it any other way. I feel ready and equipped for vet school.


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I would focus on what you prefer to do. Being a vet tech and being a vet are two very different jobs. There are some colleges where you can get a vet tech degree and a BS at the same time, however, it sounds as if your plan would be to do vet tech now, work as a tech for at least 5 years, then apply to vet school. If you do that, your courses will expire and you will have to re-take them all again in order to apply for veterinary school.

Going to veterinary school with a young child is not easy, but people do manage to do it. So it is entirely possible for you to just go the route of becoming a vet without going to tech school first.

Also, all of the experiences this poster mentioned below:

I STRONGLY believe being a technician first has helped me in many aspects to prepare for this field. I am no stranger to the emotional toll, the long hours, the nagging clients. I can place a catheter, already know my anesthesia machine and have watched/scrubbed in or assisted with many surgeries- what better way to prepare for when I'm the one cutting?
I think being a tech first is a good option for you-that way after you finish your schooling you can work as a tech, gain experience and really find out if you want to pursue being a DVM.
I know personally, I would not have done it any other way. I feel ready and equipped for vet school.


Can easily be obtained without having to step foot into a vet tech school. I did all of the above without ever getting a technician degree. Not to mention that those above experiences really aren't all that important prior to going to veterinary school as you will learn all of that and more in vet school. You can gain meaningful experience in the veterinary community prior to veterinary school without needing to be a technician and spending the money on a degree that is not needed. Vet school is already expensive enough, so if you really want to be a vet, focus on that goal and go for it. If you want to be a vet tech, focus on that goal and go for it.
 
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Hi there!
I guess I can answer your questions as I am a LVT (Licensed Veterinary Technician) in NY. I finished my LVT and B.S. In Biology in 4 years. This is absolutely possible and MANY of my fellow dual major vet tech/bio (for vet school) went on to vet school. Out of my close group of friends from undergrad I'm actually the last to apply and go-but I already have interviews so I am hopeful!
Anyways- I STRONGLY believe being a technician first has helped me in many aspects to prepare for this field. I am no stranger to the emotional toll, the long hours, the nagging clients. I can place a catheter, already know my anesthesia machine and have watched/scrubbed in or assisted with many surgeries- what better way to prepare for when I'm the one cutting?
I think being a tech first is a good option for you-that way after you finish your schooling you can work as a tech, gain experience and really find out if you want to pursue being a DVM.
I know personally, I would not have done it any other way. I feel ready and equipped for vet school.


Eh....not trying to rain on your parade, but coming in with some technical skills in no way makes you "ready" or "equipped" for vet school. Technical skills are (relatively - of course you can't be a disaster) minor in comparison to the myriad of knowledge and more "mental" skills - problem-solving, diagnostics, etc - that you will be learning. I'm not ragging on tech experience at all, but I would't put it up on this pedestal as being this amazing thing that will make you super prepared for vet school - because *newsflash* it won't.

I liken it to research work. You can teach most people how to physically run an ELISA, do real-time PCR, genotyping, etc. Same as you can teach most people how to work anesthesia machines, draw blood, etc. What is much more important is learning how to interpret the data, put it in biomedical/physiologic context, and apply it to future experiments. That application and interpretation of diagnostic science what you are in vet school to really learn.
 
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Wow, I would hate to work with either of you!
You guys don't truly understand the role of the veterinary technician. Sure, anyone can put an anesthetic machine together. At least anyone who's halfway decent at figuring out a puzzle. So let's talk about when the animal is under anesthesia. Let's say the patients blood pressure suddenly drops...what does someone who can put the anesthetic machine (such as an assistant) do? Probably panic. What do I do without prompting by my vet? I increase the fluid rate, grab the Dexmed, readjust my cuff and grab the Petmap to double check the pressure. I also check for depth, back off of the gas and give some Propofol because of the sudden drop in gas. If all else fails, THEN I turn to my vet for guidance.
Not convinced? I'll give you another scenario.
Making blood smears is not rocket science- but what about interpreting that blood smear?
I can tell my vet when there's blood born parasites, when there's too many or not enough of WBC's. I can also tell you what's going on with the RBC's. If I see Burr cells then I tell the vet we should do a urine sample and check for kidney disease.
We are thinkers, problem solvers and are the backbone to veterinary medicine. If you do not want to agree with me on that then that's fine- but I'll let you know that your future technicians will smug you because of your lack of appreciation!

I'm just giving my opinion. I, as well as many other veterinarians and veterinary technicians I have worked with, agree, that being a technician first prepares you for vet school.
 
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Hi there!
I guess I can answer your questions as I am a LVT (Licensed Veterinary Technician) in NY. I finished my LVT and B.S. In Biology in 4 years. This is absolutely possible and MANY of my fellow dual major vet tech/bio (for vet school) went on to vet school. Out of my close group of friends from undergrad I'm actually the last to apply and go-but I already have interviews so I am hopeful!
Anyways- I STRONGLY believe being a technician first has helped me in many aspects to prepare for this field. I am no stranger to the emotional toll, the long hours, the nagging clients. I can place a catheter, already know my anesthesia machine and have watched/scrubbed in or assisted with many surgeries- what better way to prepare for when I'm the one cutting?
I think being a tech first is a good option for you-that way after you finish your schooling you can work as a tech, gain experience and really find out if you want to pursue being a DVM.
I know personally, I would not have done it any other way. I feel ready and equipped for vet school.


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Were you in a 4-year, Bachelor's vet tech program (veterinary technologist)?
 
Wow, I would hate to work with either of you!
You guys don't truly understand the role of the veterinary technician. Sure, anyone can put an anesthetic machine together. At least anyone who's halfway decent at figuring out a puzzle. So let's talk about when the animal is under anesthesia. Let's say the patients blood pressure suddenly drops...what does someone who can put the anesthetic machine (such as an assistant) do? Probably panic. What do I do without prompting by my vet? I increase the fluid rate, grab the Dexmed, readjust my cuff and grab the Petmap to double check the pressure. I also check for depth, back off of the gas and give some Propofol because of the sudden drop in gas. If all else fails, THEN I turn to my vet for guidance.
Not convinced? I'll give you another scenario.
Making blood smears is not rocket science- but what about interpreting that blood smear?
I can tell my vet when there's blood born parasites, when there's too many or not enough of WBC's. I can also tell you what's going on with the RBC's. If I see Burr cells then I tell the vet we should do a urine sample and check for kidney disease.
We are thinkers, problem solvers and are the backbone to veterinary medicine. If you do not want to agree with me on that then that's fine- but I'll let you know that your future technicians will smug you because of your lack of appreciation!

I'm just giving my opinion. I, as well as many other veterinarians and veterinary technicians I have worked with, agree, that being a technician first prepares you for vet school.

I think you completely misinterpreted what I was saying, and you're becoming quite defensive. Simmer down.

The things you listed are still just that - technical skills. They may increase your confidence with certain procedures, but they are not going to put you in some extra-qualified position in vet school. You don't know nearly as much about infectious disease, immunology, biochemistry, pathology, radiology, pharmacology, etc. as a veterinarian. Veterinary technicians are indeed the lifeblood of a hospital, and I have nothing but respect for them. However, a vet tech and a vet had very different areas of concentration, and working as one does no necessarily prepare you for the other.

Great, so you see too few WBCs, or you see issues with RBC morphology. Are you going to come up with a comprehensive list of differential diagnoses based on the animals' history, clinical signs, blood chemistry etc as well as set out a treatment and management plan? No, because that is not your expertise. That type of problem-solving is more than a few steps beyond being able to identify cells, or knowing what procedure to go through if there is an anesthetic event.

The people in my class who had almost no technical experience ended up doing just as well as those who did. In fact, non-vet-tech experiences such as research often helped people even MORE than their tech-savvy classmates, especially considering the first three years of vet school (at most institutions) are academic, not technical.
 
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I just had a child and don't want to do daycare so I decided to stay home with him until he is older (around 2-4) I wanted to do school online on Penn foster for vet technician and then when he is older go to school to be a vet. I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not

Anyway, back to the OP's question.

What are your pros and cons, here? How much financial and family support do you have? Do you have any veterinary experience? Do you have a bachelor's degree or have you taken any prerequisite courses for veterinary school? These are all questions we'd really need to know in order to give you better advice. Can you expand a little on your situation?
 
Wow, I would hate to work with either of you!
You guys don't truly understand the role of the veterinary technician. Sure, anyone can put an anesthetic machine together. At least anyone who's halfway decent at figuring out a puzzle. So let's talk about when the animal is under anesthesia. Let's say the patients blood pressure suddenly drops...what does someone who can put the anesthetic machine (such as an assistant) do? Probably panic. What do I do without prompting by my vet? I increase the fluid rate, grab the Dexmed, readjust my cuff and grab the Petmap to double check the pressure. I also check for depth, back off of the gas and give some Propofol because of the sudden drop in gas. If all else fails, THEN I turn to my vet for guidance.
Not convinced? I'll give you another scenario.
Making blood smears is not rocket science- but what about interpreting that blood smear?
I can tell my vet when there's blood born parasites, when there's too many or not enough of WBC's. I can also tell you what's going on with the RBC's. If I see Burr cells then I tell the vet we should do a urine sample and check for kidney disease.
We are thinkers, problem solvers and are the backbone to veterinary medicine. If you do not want to agree with me on that then that's fine- but I'll let you know that your future technicians will smug you because of your lack of appreciation!

I'm just giving my opinion. I, as well as many other veterinarians and veterinary technicians I have worked with, agree, that being a technician first prepares you for vet school.

I think what the previous posts were saying was not that what you learn as a tech won't be useful at all, but that given the final goal of being a vet, it'd be better not to invest in tech school for the following reasons:
- You'll learn what you learn in tech school in vet school; just pay for it once
- You can get the experience of a tech without going to tech school
- Tech school won't fulfill all of the requirements for admission to vet school

I think we can all agree that techs do a lot and are a vital part of practice! It's just that in light of OP's final goals, it may not be necessary to go to tech school first.
 
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I have absolutely nothing but respect for vet techs. Really. Truly. They are an integral part of a vet clinic and they don't get enough appreciation. But they are not doctors. Vets and vet techs have totally separate areas of expertise because their educations are largely separate from one another. It isn't that one is necessarily "better" than the other; they are just different.

If the OP is not paying for their vet tech program on their own dime, I don't think it is worth it for them to do it with the intent of moving on to vet school down the line. The classes won't count for anything in terms of pre-reqs, and if OP takes out loans, then that's additional debt on top of the debt that will also be taken out to get those pre-reqs done as well as attend vet school. Not to mention that you absolutely do not need to be a registered tech to gain the experience needed for vet school admission, anyway. OP, if I were you, I would see if you could find a nearby clinic to shadow at for a few days. See what roles the vet and tech play, and then decide from there which path you'd like to follow. You didn't write a whole lot of information in your post, so I'm not sure if you already have vet experience or not, but it's better to know what specific duties both hold and then decide so that you can make the most effective use of your time and money possible. IMO, doing a vet tech program with the intent to earn a DVM is a waste of money. But that's just me.
 
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I think what the previous posts were saying was not that what you learn as a tech won't be useful at all, but that given the final goal of being a vet, it'd be better not to invest in tech school for the following reasons:
- You'll learn what you learn in tech school in vet school; just pay for it once
- You can get the experience of a tech without going to tech school
- Tech school won't fulfill all of the requirements for admission to vet school


I think we can all agree that techs do a lot and are a vital part of practice! It's just that in light of OP's final goals, it may not be necessary to go to tech school first.

Exactly. Of course the skills are valuable. But it is not worth investing that time and money if your ultimate goal is being a vet, because you will be learning different things and have a different overall focus in terms of knowledge and application.
 
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Wow, I would hate to work with either of you!
You guys don't truly understand the role of the veterinary technician. Sure, anyone can put an anesthetic machine together. At least anyone who's halfway decent at figuring out a puzzle. So let's talk about when the animal is under anesthesia. Let's say the patients blood pressure suddenly drops...what does someone who can put the anesthetic machine (such as an assistant) do? Probably panic. What do I do without prompting by my vet? I increase the fluid rate, grab the Dexmed, readjust my cuff and grab the Petmap to double check the pressure. I also check for depth, back off of the gas and give some Propofol because of the sudden drop in gas. If all else fails, THEN I turn to my vet for guidance.
Not convinced? I'll give you another scenario.
Making blood smears is not rocket science- but what about interpreting that blood smear?
I can tell my vet when there's blood born parasites, when there's too many or not enough of WBC's. I can also tell you what's going on with the RBC's. If I see Burr cells then I tell the vet we should do a urine sample and check for kidney disease.
We are thinkers, problem solvers and are the backbone to veterinary medicine. If you do not want to agree with me on that then that's fine- but I'll let you know that your future technicians will smug you because of your lack of appreciation!

I'm just giving my opinion. I, as well as many other veterinarians and veterinary technicians I have worked with, agree, that being a technician first prepares you for vet school.

Holy hell do NOT give my patient with decreased BP dexmed and propofol.... there are so many better drugs and steps to take when a BP drops under anesthesia.
 
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Wow, I would hate to work with either of you!
You guys don't truly understand the role of the veterinary technician. Sure, anyone can put an anesthetic machine together. At least anyone who's halfway decent at figuring out a puzzle. So let's talk about when the animal is under anesthesia. Let's say the patients blood pressure suddenly drops...what does someone who can put the anesthetic machine (such as an assistant) do? Probably panic. What do I do without prompting by my vet? I increase the fluid rate, grab the Dexmed, readjust my cuff and grab the Petmap to double check the pressure. I also check for depth, back off of the gas and give some Propofol because of the sudden drop in gas. If all else fails, THEN I turn to my vet for guidance.
Not convinced? I'll give you another scenario.
Making blood smears is not rocket science- but what about interpreting that blood smear?
I can tell my vet when there's blood born parasites, when there's too many or not enough of WBC's. I can also tell you what's going on with the RBC's. If I see Burr cells then I tell the vet we should do a urine sample and check for kidney disease.
We are thinkers, problem solvers and are the backbone to veterinary medicine. If you do not want to agree with me on that then that's fine- but I'll let you know that your future technicians will smug you because of your lack of appreciation!

I'm just giving my opinion. I, as well as many other veterinarians and veterinary technicians I have worked with, agree, that being a technician first prepares you for vet school.

You are missing the point of both my and WTF's posts. It isn't to say that veterinary technicians are not valuable. And believe me, I 100% understand the role of a veterinary technician considering I've been working in vet med for the past 11 years and spent many years as a non-licensed technician. I encountered numerous BP drops as an "assistant" and I never once panicked and I knew exactly how to handle the situation. Not to mention that you shouldn't just be changing things and giving drugs to a patient without alerting the veterinarian first. It isn't your license on the line if that animal dies. What if you have a patient with CHF under anesthesia and the BP drops... how is what you are going to do different than a patient in CRF? Or a young dog? What about if you have a boxer on the table? There is so much that you do not know, you need to be consulting with your vet before just upping a fluid rate, dropping anesthesia and giving drugs, besides the fact that it is illegal for a technician to give drugs without the direction of the veterinarian.

The role of a veterinarian and the role of a technician are vastly different. Yes, spending time working in a veterinary clinic will give you great exposure to the veterinary field, BUT that is not the only way to gain exposure into the veterinary field and this is the point we are trying to make. It isn't to belittle technicians, it is just that you do not need to spend thousands of dollars on veterinary technician school to become a veterinarian or gain experience. Nor is small animal medicine in a clinic the only aspect of veterinary medicine around. You, yourself, clearly only have a very small glimpse into the veterinary field. Should you get into veterinary school this year, you will meet a great number of people some of which have never worked in a small animal practice and some of which have never drawn blood, set catheters, etc. It doesn't matter, because they will be taught those things. And if you act all smug and holier than thou in vet school because you were a "tech" and have "already done those things" you are going to have a difficult time fitting in at vet school. As a veterinarian, you won't be setting many catheters anyway, that is the job of your technician, yes you should know how to set one, but I divert all catheters to my technicians unless we are busy and they need me. As a veterinarian, you are going to be responsible for that patient on the table, as in your entire career and livelihood can be on the line, you can not begin to fathom how that feels at this point.

And as someone who worked 7 years in veterinary clinics prior to veterinary school, vet school still knocked me on my ass repeatedly. You might have good exposure to the field and have some good technical skills but those don't help you with the fire hose of information you are going to get shoved down your throat no matter how badly you are already drowning.
 
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The role of a veterinarian and the role of a technician are vastly different. Yes, spending time working in a veterinary clinic will give you great exposure to the veterinary field, BUT that is not the only way to gain exposure into the veterinary field and this is the point we are trying to make. It isn't to belittle technicians, it is just that you do not need to spend thousands of dollars on veterinary technician school to become a veterinarian or gain experience. Nor is small animal medicine in a clinic the only aspect of veterinary medicine around. You, yourself, clearly only have a very small glimpse into the veterinary field. Should you get into veterinary school this year, you will meet a great number of people some of which have never worked in a small animal practice and some of which have never drawn blood, set catheters, etc. It doesn't matter, because they will be taught those things. And if you act all smug and holier than thou in vet school because you were a "tech" and have "already done those things" you are going to have a difficult time fitting in at vet school. As a veterinarian, you won't be setting many catheters anyway, that is the job of your technician, yes you should know how to set one, but I divert all catheters to my technicians unless we are busy and they need me. As a veterinarian, you are going to be responsible for that patient on the table, as in your entire career and livelihood, you can not begin to fathom how that feels at this point.

And as someone who worked 7 years in veterinary clinics prior to veterinary school, vet school still knocked me on my ass repeatedly. You might have good exposure to the field and have some good technical skills but those don't help you with the fire hose of information you are going to get shoved down your throat no matter how badly you are already drowning.

Seriously. I ran into this quite a bit in school. Ironically, these were often also the people who struggled the most, because they were so overconfident that their tech experience would just carry them through.
 
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Wow, I would hate to work with either of you!
You guys don't truly understand the role of the veterinary technician. Sure, anyone can put an anesthetic machine together. At least anyone who's halfway decent at figuring out a puzzle. So let's talk about when the animal is under anesthesia. Let's say the patients blood pressure suddenly drops...what does someone who can put the anesthetic machine (such as an assistant) do? Probably panic. What do I do without prompting by my vet? I increase the fluid rate, grab the Dexmed, readjust my cuff and grab the Petmap to double check the pressure. I also check for depth, back off of the gas and give some Propofol because of the sudden drop in gas. If all else fails, THEN I turn to my vet for guidance.
Not convinced? I'll give you another scenario.
Making blood smears is not rocket science- but what about interpreting that blood smear?
I can tell my vet when there's blood born parasites, when there's too many or not enough of WBC's. I can also tell you what's going on with the RBC's. If I see Burr cells then I tell the vet we should do a urine sample and check for kidney disease.
We are thinkers, problem solvers and are the backbone to veterinary medicine. If you do not want to agree with me on that then that's fine- but I'll let you know that your future technicians will smug you because of your lack of appreciation!

I'm just giving my opinion. I, as well as many other veterinarians and veterinary technicians I have worked with, agree, that being a technician first prepares you for vet school.
Maybe it's because I'm exhausted and have been studying for 5 straight hours on a Friday night (which will continue through the weekend...), but this post really made me bristle. I was a veterinary assistant for 5 years, so firstly, I have nothing but respect and appreciation for the role of veterinary technicians. Secondly, I have seen and done pretty much everything you listed without having to go through the cost/time of tech school... so I don't think that's a great argument for doing both.

"We are thinkers, problem solvers and are the backbone to veterinary medicine."

Okay. Yeah, fine, there's a lot of thinking and problem-solving involved in working as a tech assistant. But medicine, being a doctor, IS problem solving and thinking. It's utilizing this crap-ton of information that is crammed into our heads during school to come up with differentials, treatment plans, etc. I'm only 10 weeks in and the amount of material I've already had to learn is insane... And I know it is only going to get more intense the farther I go in school. So to imply that techs are the ones who do all the REAL thinking is really insulting. Your attitude towards veterinarians will not help you with getting into vet school, IMO.

Maybe you didn't mean it that way, maybe I'm just grouchy because vet school is really. freaking. hard. But it might benefit you to take a good, hard look at your tone and your attitude.

Plus, if one of the techs at the practice I worked for started fiddling with meds on an anesthetized patient without consulting a doctor? They probably wouldn't work there much longer.
 
Holy hell do NOT give my patient with decreased BP dexmed and propofol.... there are so many better drugs and steps to take when a BP drops under anesthesia.

Some more vasodilators to go with your vasodilators? Maybe with a little extra spritz of vasodilator on the side, too?

WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? :heckyeah:
 
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Some more vasodilators to go with your vasodilators? WHAT COULD POSSIBLY GO WRONG? :heckyeah:

Yup, let's give an animal with a dropped BP something that transiently increases BP but rapidly decreases cardiac output, then we can give a drug that can cause hypotension and apnea.... nothing to see here, should work... :hungover:
 
And as someone who worked 7 years in veterinary clinics prior to veterinary school, vet school still knocked me on my ass repeatedly. You might have good exposure to the field and have some good technical skills but those don't help you with the fire hose of information you are going to get shoved down your throat no matter how badly you are already drowning.

Seriously.

I don't have nearly as many years of experience and have never been a licensed tech. I did learn a whole lot of technical skills through working in small animal clinics. I've only been in school for a little over a month and a half, but the number of times my technical experience has been helpful so far is probably just once, during our physical exam labs. And my classmate who had zero cat handling experience compared to my many hours of wrangling cats was able to do a physical perfectly fine. Having technical skills and some of the background knowledge related to them is great, but it's just a drop in the bucket as far as the mountain of material we have to learn to become veterinarians. So much of our curriculum is academic that the most useful things for me so far have been the upper level biology/chemistry courses we were required to take. It has been no help at all to be able to identify RBCs, platelets, etc. on a blood smear (took my classmates 5 minutes to learn how to do that in lab), but it has been a great help to have already learned about hemoglobin and the Bohr effect or lipid metabolism or calcium homeostasis in other classes. If I could trade out 6 months of tech experience for an extra 6 months of prior biochem coursework, I would. Then maybe I wouldn't be spending my Friday night stuffing my head with this stuff.

Going back to the OP, it really depends on what your goals are, as everyone else has already pointed out. That being said, I know a few people who are doing or have done online vet tech programs, like Penn Foster, and they've had to record themselves doing hands-on work as part of their curriculum and have had to have DVM and/or LVT mentors available to sign off on things. This requires either having a job in the field or finding externships, so you can't really do the entire program at home.
 
I'm currently an unlicensed tech and applying for vet school. If I could have, I would have jumped directly into vet school. I don't see a reason to stay a technician for any longer than necessary. Yes, I'm seeing and learning a lot but the longer I've been a tech, the more apparent how different it is from being a vet. I'm better at placing lines and blood draws than some vets I've work with, but that in no way makes me a good clinician.

I'd say that if you are going to be a tech as a pre-vet, do it for the front row seat to seeing how vets convert clinical findings into a plan/diagnosis and how they juggle their job. I would not do it with the intent of lingering and amassing technical skills - there's really no need because you'll be doing very little of that as a vet. Focus on what's relevant. Don't waste your time.
 
Seriously.

I don't have nearly as many years of experience and have never been a licensed tech. I did learn a whole lot of technical skills through working in small animal clinics. I've only been in school for a little over a month and a half, but the number of times my technical experience has been helpful so far is probably just once, during our physical exam labs. And my classmate who had zero cat handling experience compared to my many hours of wrangling cats was able to do a physical perfectly fine. Having technical skills and some of the background knowledge related to them is great, but it's just a drop in the bucket as far as the mountain of material we have to learn to become veterinarians. So much of our curriculum is academic that the most useful things for me so far have been the upper level biology/chemistry courses we were required to take. It has been no help at all to be able to identify RBCs, platelets, etc. on a blood smear (took my classmates 5 minutes to learn how to do that in lab), but it has been a great help to have already learned about hemoglobin and the Bohr effect or lipid metabolism or calcium homeostasis in other classes. If I could trade out 6 months of tech experience for an extra 6 months of prior biochem coursework, I would. Then maybe I wouldn't be spending my Friday night stuffing my head with this stuff.

Going back to the OP, it really depends on what your goals are, as everyone else has already pointed out. That being said, I know a few people who are doing or have done online vet tech programs, like Penn Foster, and they've had to record themselves doing hands-on work as part of their curriculum and have had to have DVM and/or LVT mentors available to sign off on things. This requires either having a job in the field or finding externships, so you can't really do the entire program at home.

Definitely.

I had pretty much zero clinical experience when I went to vet school. I had never even drawn blood before - in my state, only LVTs were allowed to do anything. All I was allowed to do was watch and *sometimes* help restrain.

What actually helped me the most was all of the research experience I had gotten - it strengthened my core knowledge of biochem, immunology, etc. as well as higher level problem-solving (not just troubleshooting - the two are not the same) That helped me FAR more in vet school than being an expert in placing a catheter (that being said, the techs I know could kick my ass at placing catheters - because that's what they are good at and they are wizards at the hands-on stuff). And I'm not saying this to imply that the hands-on stuff doesn't matter - of course it does. We need people who are good at all the "small" but *very* important stuff - i.e. vet techs. And they are BAMFs at it. But a lot of that will not help you in vet school, and if you think it is going to make you super secure then you obviously haven't experienced it yet.

What I'm trying to get at is, people should not think that vet tech school is going to somehow prepare them amazingly for vet school. It prepares you for being a vet tech, not a vet. The two professions each have different focuses and strengths.
 
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To the author of the post:

I received my associate’s in Veterinary Technology and sat for a licensing exam. Therefore, I am a Licensed Veterinary Technician. A Veterinary Technologist, Certified Veterinary Technician and Licensed Veterinary Technician are all interchangeable. What determines your official title depends on where you live in the country. I finished my associate’s and bachelor’s in Biology in 4 years (from the same college). I went back and forth between the two degrees instead of finishing my associate’s (2 years) and then bachelors (2 years)- I wouldn’t suggest doing this! If I would have gotten my tech degree out of the way first, it would have saved me scheduling grief and I would have been able to be a tech for an additional two years (while finishing my bachelors). I’m not sure about the online vet tech programs- if they do not prepare you to sit for a licensing or certification exam then I would say it is not worth it. One responder said that they did many of the things I stated without being a tech. People can absolutely be vet techs without being certified or licensed (in NYS you are not considered a tech if you do not have your license- someone in that position would be an assistant).

However, as a licensed tech, my schooling and path to get my degree/licensure is more valuable than just hands on experience and relying on your co-workers to teach you. At the current clinic I work at, my doctors rely on their technicians immensely. So while prescribing medication, performing surgery, diagnosing and giving a prognosis are out of my realm that I can practice with my license, that leaves a heck of a lot more for me to do, then not. While I cannot legally do the aforementioned things, I am always a big part of them. I calculate and count out DVM prescribed meds, put patients under anesthesia (which an assistant should never be the one monitoring) and since I get to monitor, I also get to see and appreciate different techniques for surgery. As far as diagnosis/prognosis goes, I don’t get to tell the client what is ailing their animal but I sure do deal with the aftermath of it, which would be the realm of client education. With my tech education, I am more equipped to explain what the client should expect after a diagnosis. Many doctors I know are book smart but lack the experience of client communication. So while the first three years of vet school may be dedicated to having your nose in a book, the last year, your clinical year, is the one where you learn how to apply all of the things you learned (for me this will include things from tech school) into real life scenarios that always include client education and communication.

As far as how I believe my tech degree helped me prepare to apply to vet school: Someone said that many classes from your tech degree wouldn’t cover your pre-req’s for vet school. While this is for the most part true, some classes do overlap, which is helpful. For me, this included, Gen Chem 1, Pre- Calc, Micro, Anatomy and Phys 1&2 and both degrees required humanity courses.

Now to go over what classes I did take for my tech degree. Besides the above vet school pre-req’s I also took Farm Animal Science, Lab Animal Science, Exotics, Gross and Clinical Pathology, Parasitology, Introduction to Animal Rehabilitation, Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging, Small Animal Disease and Nutrition (which is a pre-req for some vet schools), Surgical Nursing, Pharmacology and Veterinary Practice Management to name a few. Many of these classes required hands on lab experience which helped me accumulate ~300 hours of experience that I could put on my vet school application. This was definitely a plus for me as it was diverse experience too (farm animal, exotics, lab animal, etc). Besides the required labs, we were required to do two internships. From those internships, I gained another 250 hours of diverse experience (I did emergency for one and a shelter for the other).

It has been three years since I obtained my license. I have accumulated thousands of hours in experience since then. I currently work for a Board Certified Veterinary Dentist who does pro bono work for our local zoo. I actually got to see a root canal done on a Capuchin, an otter and a lioness. Now could you gain these same experiences without being a tech? Sure. However, it would take more time out of your life to be a volunteer then have it incorporated into your education or job.

For me personally, going this route has made a clear path for my future as a vet. Never did I say that I will do stellar in vet school but it’s really hard for me to believe that after tech school, I won’t be in better shape compared to most applicants.
 
OP, I don't think anyone is saying that being a vet tech before vet school is an absolutely wrong thing to do. It can be a way to get some experience. BUT. Vet tech school is an added cost and takes time. Even if a vet tech program does get you some of the prerequisite classes, you're going to have to take lots of those classes ts524 listed. She lists them as benefits (and to her, they may be), but vet school has those classes too and will teach you what you need to know as a vet not for a technician. It is time and money away from your child to have to take these classes twice. So why do it? If you want to be a vet tech, by all means go to vet tech school. The licensed techs I have worked with are great. But if your end goal is to become a vet, don't take any longer to get there than you need to, especially when you can get similar (though not quite exactly the same) experiences without being a licensed technician. Vet schools don't seem to put tons of emphasis toward whether your experience is shadowing or actually working as a technician. The important part is that you've seen what the job is truly like, which can be done either way. With student debt for veterinarians being what it is, go the the cheapest school you can for prerequisites, don't take a bunch of needless classes, and get the education required for vet school as cheaply as possible. Considering the debt-to-salary ratio, it can sometimes be hard to make your monthly payments, pay a mortgage, save for retirement, and save for a child's needs without careful planning and/or spousal support. The $6-8,000 for an online vet tech program may seem like a drop in the bucket, but debt balloons during school and with interest.
 
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OP, I don't think anyone is saying that being a vet tech before vet school is an absolutely wrong thing to do. It can be a way to get some experience. BUT. Vet tech school is an added cost and takes time. Even if a vet tech program does get you some of the prerequisite classes, you're going to have to take lots of those classes ts524 listed. She lists them as benefits (and to her, they may be), but vet school has those classes too and will teach you what you need to know as a vet not for a technician. It is time and money away from your child to have to take these classes twice. So why do it? If you want to be a vet tech, by all means go to vet tech school. The licensed techs I have worked with are great. But if your end goal is to become a vet, don't take any longer to get there than you need to, especially when you can get similar (though not quite exactly the same) experiences without being a licensed technician. Vet schools don't seem to put tons of emphasis toward whether your experience is shadowing or actually working as a technician. The important part is that you've seen what the job is truly like, which can be done either way. With student debt for veterinarians being what it is, go the the cheapest school you can for prerequisites, don't take a bunch of needless classes, and get the education required for vet school as cheaply as possible. Considering the debt-to-salary ratio, it can sometimes be hard to make your monthly payments, pay a mortgage, save for retirement, and save for a child's needs without careful planning and/or spousal support. The $6-8,000 for an online vet tech program may seem like a drop in the bucket, but debt balloons during school and with interest.
This.

OP. If you do not have any prior veterinary experience, you really need to go out and shadow at a clinic for at least a couple of days. You don't have to spend all day there (I'd imagine that it'd be quite difficult to do that with a young child), but I think you need to at least get exposure to what roles the vet and tech play so that you can make an informed decision as to which profession you think would be more desirable and realistic for you to pursue.

Ts524's experiences sound great, and there isn't really anything wrong with techs deciding to switch careers down the line, but it would require added investment. If you get out, shadow, see what both positions are like, and then decide that you want take the DVM route, don't bother spending the time and money on a tech program. Cut out the middleman, enroll in a four-year school and do your vet school pre-reqs. The experiences that vet schools are looking for are not technical ones, but rather those that make you truly understand the scope of the profession--shadowing and asking good questions to the vets is more than adequete for that. Technical skills are generally pretty easily picked up once you're in school and, for the most part, your techs will doing that, anyway (not that you shouldn't know how to do them if need be or if it gets busy), but the diagnostics side of things is often not. Vet school is already far, far too expensive--if you're going to be relying on student loans for tech school and finishing your pre-reqs, and THEN vet school on top, you're going to be in quite a bit of debt. Heck, even if you are paying for it or having someone fund it... I still don't think it's worth it.

If, on the other hand, you do decide that you would prefer to be a tech, then absolutely, go for it. That being said, I personally (meaning that your experiences might differ!) have not heard great things about online vet tech programs. If I were going that route, I would have looked into going to an established brick-and-mortar school, but again... I don't have a young child, and I know that complicates things. Do what you need to do! Just make sure that you get plenty of hands-on experience while in the online program.
 
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To the author of the post:

I received my associate’s in Veterinary Technology and sat for a licensing exam. Therefore, I am a Licensed Veterinary Technician. A Veterinary Technologist, Certified Veterinary Technician and Licensed Veterinary Technician are all interchangeable. What determines your official title depends on where you live in the country. I finished my associate’s and bachelor’s in Biology in 4 years (from the same college). I went back and forth between the two degrees instead of finishing my associate’s (2 years) and then bachelors (2 years)- I wouldn’t suggest doing this! If I would have gotten my tech degree out of the way first, it would have saved me scheduling grief and I would have been able to be a tech for an additional two years (while finishing my bachelors). I’m not sure about the online vet tech programs- if they do not prepare you to sit for a licensing or certification exam then I would say it is not worth it. One responder said that they did many of the things I stated without being a tech. People can absolutely be vet techs without being certified or licensed (in NYS you are not considered a tech if you do not have your license- someone in that position would be an assistant).

However, as a licensed tech, my schooling and path to get my degree/licensure is more valuable than just hands on experience and relying on your co-workers to teach you. At the current clinic I work at, my doctors rely on their technicians immensely. So while prescribing medication, performing surgery, diagnosing and giving a prognosis are out of my realm that I can practice with my license, that leaves a heck of a lot more for me to do, then not. While I cannot legally do the aforementioned things, I am always a big part of them. I calculate and count out DVM prescribed meds, put patients under anesthesia (which an assistant should never be the one monitoring) and since I get to monitor, I also get to see and appreciate different techniques for surgery. As far as diagnosis/prognosis goes, I don’t get to tell the client what is ailing their animal but I sure do deal with the aftermath of it, which would be the realm of client education. With my tech education, I am more equipped to explain what the client should expect after a diagnosis. Many doctors I know are book smart but lack the experience of client communication. So while the first three years of vet school may be dedicated to having your nose in a book, the last year, your clinical year, is the one where you learn how to apply all of the things you learned (for me this will include things from tech school) into real life scenarios that always include client education and communication.

As far as how I believe my tech degree helped me prepare to apply to vet school: Someone said that many classes from your tech degree wouldn’t cover your pre-req’s for vet school. While this is for the most part true, some classes do overlap, which is helpful. For me, this included, Gen Chem 1, Pre- Calc, Micro, Anatomy and Phys 1&2 and both degrees required humanity courses.

Now to go over what classes I did take for my tech degree. Besides the above vet school pre-req’s I also took Farm Animal Science, Lab Animal Science, Exotics, Gross and Clinical Pathology, Parasitology, Introduction to Animal Rehabilitation, Veterinary Diagnostic Imaging, Small Animal Disease and Nutrition (which is a pre-req for some vet schools), Surgical Nursing, Pharmacology and Veterinary Practice Management to name a few. Many of these classes required hands on lab experience which helped me accumulate ~300 hours of experience that I could put on my vet school application. This was definitely a plus for me as it was diverse experience too (farm animal, exotics, lab animal, etc). Besides the required labs, we were required to do two internships. From those internships, I gained another 250 hours of diverse experience (I did emergency for one and a shelter for the other).

It has been three years since I obtained my license. I have accumulated thousands of hours in experience since then. I currently work for a Board Certified Veterinary Dentist who does pro bono work for our local zoo. I actually got to see a root canal done on a Capuchin, an otter and a lioness. Now could you gain these same experiences without being a tech? Sure. However, it would take more time out of your life to be a volunteer then have it incorporated into your education or job.

For me personally, going this route has made a clear path for my future as a vet. Never did I say that I will do stellar in vet school but it’s really hard for me to believe that after tech school, I won’t be in better shape compared to most applicants.
I have taught at a tech school, and I have CVTs in my practice.

That said, on the job trained assistants can monitor anesthesia safely. Just like you went to school and learned how to monitor, they can be trained in it without having the degree.

I would not recommend that you go the CVT/LVT route in order to go to vet school. They are drastically different degrees. And the knowledge base expected for a vet tech is pretty different than for a vet. You can become a vet assistant or kennel worker without a degree and gain experience. Or you can also volunteer. There is no requirement that you be licensed or certified in order to work for a vet.
 
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As far as diagnosis/prognosis goes, I don’t get to tell the client what is ailing their animal but I sure do deal with the aftermath of it, which would be the realm of client education. With my tech education, I am more equipped to explain what the client should expect after a diagnosis. Many doctors I know are book smart but lack the experience of client communication. So while the first three years of vet school may be dedicated to having your nose in a book, the last year, your clinical year, is the one where you learn how to apply all of the things you learned (for me this will include things from tech school) into real life scenarios that always include client education and communication.

Did you really just insinuate that you have better client communication skills than actual vets? Good lord.

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For me personally, going this route has made a clear path for my future as a vet. Never did I say that I will do stellar in vet school but it’s really hard for me to believe that after tech school, I won’t be in better shape compared to most applicants.

Hint: believe it. It's going to help you in maybe 5-10% of what you have to do in vet school - and other people are going to have legs up in different but just as important areas as well based on their individual experiences.

You are not special.
 
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Did you really just insinuate that you have better client communication skills than actual vets? Good lord.

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Hint: believe it. It's going to help you in maybe 5-10% of what you have to do in vet school.
that's a generous percentage.
 
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Hint: believe it. It's going to help you in maybe 5-10% of what you have to do in vet school.

Maybe. What I experienced in vet school was that there are two types of techs-turned-dvm-student: The first are the ones who felt they were already a dvm but just needed the license - they tended to be real PITAs. The second were the ones who put their knowledge to use as a bare bones foundation but realized that it didn't really put them very far ahead of anyone else except in terms of basic technical skill development. And *definitely* not in the communication category like @ts524 seems to think. That comment was over the top.....

People who fall into the first pile? Having tech experience probably hurts them more than it helps them.
 
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However, as a licensed tech, my schooling and path to get my degree/licensure is more valuable than just hands on experience and relying on your co-workers to teach you.

Yes, veterinary technician schooling is very valuable for veterinary technicians. It is really pointless if you want to be a veterinarian. And I wouldn't crap on those who work after just getting hands on experience, after all, the field used to never have certified, registered or licensed techs, it used to be that everyone was a "learn on the job" employee and I can guarantee there are some veterinary assistants who have been doing this job for 20 years that could run circles around you. This isn't to say that the schooling you went through isn't valuable, it is, but you are sure spitting on a lot of people that have a wealth of knowledge.


At the current clinic I work at, my doctors rely on their technicians immensely. So while prescribing medication, performing surgery, diagnosing and giving a prognosis are out of my realm that I can practice with my license, that leaves a heck of a lot more for me to do, then not. While I cannot legally do the aforementioned things, I am always a big part of them. I calculate and count out DVM prescribed meds, put patients under anesthesia (which an assistant should never be the one monitoring) and since I get to monitor I also get to see and appreciate different techniques for surgery

As a non-licensed technician or "assistant" I monitored a hell of a lot of surgical procedures. It is 100% legal in some states. Guess how many patients died in the 7 years I spent as an assistant under anesthesia while I was monitoring? zip, zilch, zero. That has a bit to do with not being afraid to mention things to the vet that I noticed, that also had to do with me paying super close attention to what I was doing and paying attention to my patient. I was taught how to do that. Taught. Yes, my teaching didn't occur in a classroom, it occurred right there, next to the animals, with an experienced technician explaining it to me. You don't need a classroom setting to learn these things.

Also, you can see and appreciate different techniques for surgery as a shadow. You can actually probably see and appreciate those things MORE as a shadow than if you are a tech monitoring the procedure because your focus as the tech should be on the patient and anesthesia. The only focus of the shadow will be on the surgery.

. Many doctors I know are book smart but lack the experience of client communication. So while the first three years of vet school may be dedicated to having your nose in a book, the last year, your clinical year, is the one where you learn how to apply all of the things you learned (for me this will include things from tech school) into real life scenarios that always include client education and communication.

Ego check.

It has been three years since I obtained my license. I have accumulated thousands of hours in experience since then. I currently work for a Board Certified Veterinary Dentist who does pro bono work for our local zoo. I actually got to see a root canal done on a Capuchin, an otter and a lioness. Now could you gain these same experiences without being a tech? Sure. However, it would take more time out of your life to be a volunteer then have it incorporated into your education or job.

You can also make more money by doing a different job than that of a technician or assistant and then set up your own schedule for shadowing vets. You also have more freedom to pick which experiences you want. Not only that, most vet schools like to see breadth of experience... most tech positions are centered around small animals, equine, large animals, etc... as a shadow you can shadow all of the animal types as well as consider adding in some research or other experience that is just as important as working in a clinic. Remember clinical medicine is not the only thing available for a veterinarian to do. It also just isn't worth the extra money to become a certified/licensed/registered tech if the end goal is to be a vet. It really isn't. You can gain the necessary experience without doing that and you can even work in a veterinary clinic without needed to do that. Heck, I had 10,000+ hours in a veterinary clinic without being licensed/registered or certified.

For me personally, going this route has made a clear path for my future as a vet. Never did I say that I will do stellar in vet school but it’s really hard for me to believe that after tech school, I won’t be in better shape compared to most applicants.

:laugh: :lol: :rofl: :roflcopter:

Good luck with the above, you will need it. I can't wait until someone with little to no tech experience knocks you on your ass in some of the veterinary courses because they spent years in biochemistry research or something crazy smart like that.
 
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Is it even legal for a tech to make a decision to give drugs like that without consulting the vet? Serious question. I've experienced some really scary anesthesia moments myself as an assistant monitoring anesthesia (and, I'll tell you what..I was capable of doing so), but I've always been instructed never to give a drug until the vet tells me to.

Also, I've found that some of the techs who want (or wanted, but never went down that path) to be DVMs always seem to have the same attitude. Small sample size, but damn. Inferiority complex, constantly playing doctor when the actual doctor wasn't around. Don't be like that.

Anyways, OP, I know a first year DVM student who has 3 children. With a good support system, it's possible.
 
Ha! Clearly this forum is skewed to say become a vet... I've heard stories of having multiple children while in vet school and that takes special circumstance with a lot of help at home. I'd say skip the schooling altogether and become a vet tech (Unless you live in one of those states it's required but then just become a vet assistant). Can you take a CVT program online?! ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
I think you're misreading what people are saying. We're not saying don't be a tech, just be a vet. We're saying if the end goal is to be a vet, going to school to be a tech is likely a waste of time and money. You never hear people tell future doctors that they should first go to nursing school. It's just not the same thing. If she wants to be a tech, that's great! We need good techs in the world and it's absolutely a profession to respect. But it's not the same as being a vet and one is not necessarily a perfect stepping stone to reach the other.
 
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I just had a child and don't want to do daycare so I decided to stay home with him until he is older (around 2-4) I wanted to do school online on Penn foster for vet technician and then when he is older go to school to be a vet. I'm not sure if this is a good idea or not

So I'm gonna throw out a couple ideas assuming that regardless of whether or not you go to tech school, you'll still be working in a clinic.
There are only two real factors that should influence your decision in whether or not going through the two years of tech school is right for you. First and foremost is economics. I'm not sure what Penn Foster costs, but at the end of the day I wouldn't be eager to pay for the tuition if you're not going to make it back, and then some, before you enter vet school and can't hardly work until you graduate. Like a lot of people have pointed out, it won't necessarily give you an edge that volunteering or working at a zoo, lab, or some other unique venue wouldn't. If on the other hand going through tech school lends to a significant difference in your pay for 2-3 years well then hazaa itd be a great idea. For better or worse though I doubt it would give you more than a dollar or so per hour, save in a university or specialty setting, or in a state with stringent regulations on what non certified people can do.
The second idea kinda spring boards off the whole state regulations. If you're hell bent on working in a vet office, but can't doing anything beyond a nail trim until your a vet or licensed tech, well then you just gotta ask what your sanity will work with (I'd hate to have to sit around all day as a receptionist personally). I kinda realize you could probably handle doing whatever you needed to get by for 4 years, but if you don't love what you do, a job in a vet clinic will burn you out pretty quick.
As a disclaimer, I'm an LVT going through his first year of vet school. Personally I think working as a vet tech did wonders for me, as did working as a kennel tech, and regularly helping the receptionist. Of course at the end of it all, you just have to decide what's best for you. If it'll make you some money (which I sadly doubt), or if it'll allow you to work at a vet school as a tech (there are some that require you be certified) and thus make some connections, then it may be worth looking into. If not, like everyone before me as said, there are plenty of other ways to make money and/or get the experience you need without going through school. I myself, while very happy I did so, only became a tech because I believed there was no hope of me becoming a vet, and I was looking for a plan B (if you're certified you're more likely to go off and become a practice manager which can pay a bit better than normal tech salaries).
 
Is it even legal for a tech to make a decision to give drugs like that without consulting the vet? Serious question. I've experienced some really scary anesthesia moments myself as an assistant monitoring anesthesia (and, I'll tell you what..I was capable of doing so), but I've always been instructed never to give a drug until the vet tells me to.

It *may* have some state dependency, but in broader terms it really depends on what you mean by "consulting the vet". The operating phrase is really "under the direction of a vet" and how you want to define/interpret that.

For instance, I regularly give my techs broad latitude when it comes to certain drugs and certain patients. Lots of PRN stuff where they may be giving a drug that I previously directed in a vague sense ("propofol prn," "fentanyl 1-6mcg cri adjust as needed," etc) but where they aren't looking for specific "give x drug now" type of instructions.

I can't offhand think of a time they would give a medication totally on their own initiative from scratch. They do calculate fluid rates - I just tell them "2x maint" or whatever. From a legal standpoint I am responsible for any drug given, whether I directly authorized it or not.
 
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It *may* have some state dependency, but in broader terms it really depends on what you mean by "consulting the vet". The operating phrase is really "under the direction of a vet" and how you want to define/interpret that.

For instance, I regularly give my techs broad latitude when it comes to certain drugs and certain patients. Lots of PRN stuff where they may be giving a drug that I previously directed in a vague sense ("propofol prn," "fentanyl 1-6mcg cri adjust as needed," etc) but where they aren't looking for specific "give x drug now" type of instructions.

I can't offhand think of a time they would give a medication totally on their own initiative from scratch. They do calculate fluid rates - I just tell them "2x maint" or whatever. From a legal standpoint I am responsible for any drug given, whether I directly authorized it or not.
Makes sense.

I feel like it'd be good for vet students to know more about what techs learn, exactly. I couldn't tell you how in depth tech programs go when it comes to drugs, physiology, etc. I mean...I feel like I know nothing, but giving a vasodilator during a BP crisis...? Seems like common sense not to do that.
 
I think you're misreading what people are saying. We're not saying don't be a tech, just be a vet. We're saying if the end goal is to be a vet, going to school to be a tech is likely a waste of time and money. You never hear people tell future doctors that they should first go to nursing school. It's just not the same thing. If she wants to be a tech, that's great! We need good techs in the world and it's absolutely a profession to respect. But it's not the same as being a vet and one is not necessarily a perfect stepping stone to reach the other.
 
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Anyways, OP, I know a first year DVM student who has 3 children. With a good support system, it's possible.
There are at least two women in my class with kids, one of which has I think a 2-year-old daughter and her husband is deployed in the military. I don't know how they do it.
 
I definitely don't think tech school is a good pre-req for vet school. For the reasons everyone has already said - doesn't count as pre-reqs, expensive, etc. I thing I got the most beneficial experiences from the first two years I worked as a tech assistant (our of four). Primarily the clinical exposure, animal handling, and general understanding of the flow of the hospital, vocab, etc. I'm not a particularly self-confident person but it has provided a modicum of reassurance to feel competent at *something* in vet school. But really, if I could pick, I would have worked as a tech for 1.5 years and spent the other 2.5 years taking more biochem/immunology/physiology/anatomy/neuro.

I will say the one thing I've anecdotally experienced is that once you work as a tech, you're less likely to treat your techs like **** once you're a doctor. All the doctors I worked for who had worked as techs understood what teching was like and weren't jerks. Also the techs I worked with made fun of doctors who couldn't draw blood or put in a catheter, but you can definitely hone those skills in vet school, you just need to practice.
 
I definitely don't think tech school is a good pre-req for vet school. For the reasons everyone has already said - doesn't count as pre-reqs, expensive, etc. I thing I got the most beneficial experiences from the first two years I worked as a tech assistant (our of four). Primarily the clinical exposure, animal handling, and general understanding of the flow of the hospital, vocab, etc. I'm not a particularly self-confident person but it has provided a modicum of reassurance to feel competent at *something* in vet school. But really, if I could pick, I would have worked as a tech for 1.5 years and spent the other 2.5 years taking more biochem/immunology/physiology/anatomy/neuro.

I will say the one thing I've anecdotally experienced is that once you work as a tech, you're less likely to treat your techs like **** once you're a doctor. All the doctors I worked for who had worked as techs understood what teching was like and weren't jerks. Also the techs I worked with made fun of doctors who couldn't draw blood or put in a catheter, but you can definitely hone those skills in vet school, you just need to practice.
Sorry, but this rubbed me the wrong way. I worked with a tech who talked mad **** about the doctors when they couldn't hit a vein or whatever. Always made my blood boil, because this same tech didn't have a 100% success rate. No one does.

Yeah, techs never have off days when it comes to blood draws and catheters :rolleyes: A DVM doesn't have to go through a tech program to be a decent person and not a crappy boss. Just like techs don't have to assume a doctor is incompetent if they can't get a catheter in one day. It's called not getting a thrill off of watching your coworker/supervisor/employer have a bad day or slip up. I wouldn't want a tech who laughed at me on my staff, even if it was behind my back and they thought I'd never find out. To me, that makes a crappy tech with a bad attitude who needs an ego check. Perhaps that's why some doctors were jerks to them....because the techs were jerks. Just a thought.

I've seen both DVMs and techs have off days and not be able to hit a vessel for a million dollars. Sometimes you just can't get it on one animal, but someone else gets it on their first try. It happens. Doesn't have any impact on someone's competency as a doctor or a tech.

Honestly though, if you were working for gossipy giggling techs and doctors that were jerks, you probably weren't learning what a good veterinary team can be like. I feel like this is becoming more common on this board. I've been lucky enough to be part of one of what I think was the worst teams to one of the best teams. The differences between the two are astounding, and you really get to identify what works and what doesn't work when you're the DVM.
 
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Makes sense.

I feel like it'd be good for vet students to know more about what techs learn, exactly. I couldn't tell you how in depth tech programs go when it comes to drugs, physiology, etc. I mean...I feel like I know nothing, but giving a vasodilator during a BP crisis...? Seems like common sense not to do that.

Hehehehe. When I read your response, I was like "vasodilator during a BP crisis??? What the hell is PP talking about?"

I totally missed that person's absurd post about giving an anesthetized patient whose BP is declining Dexmed and Propofol. Hahaahahahaha. I love it. That is such an inappropriate response that it is BAFFLING that anyone would think it makes sense. (If they actually did what they described to an anesthetized patient of mine during surgery, I'd push very hard to have them fired.)

So now that I have a little more context - no, I would never expect my technicians to respond like that. I expect them to operate at the level of "Hey Dr. LIS, Fluffy's pressures are dropping. Can I do .... ?" or "... what would you like me to do?" When I was talking about giving techs some latitude, it's more in the arena of them administering things in a decision-tree sorta way. The type of thing where I've said "if the glucose is this, do X, if it's this, do Y" or "run their fentanyl in this range based on your assessment of pain" or "if you can't TPR that fractious cat, give it some propofol to get your TPR and treatments done" or "if fluffy seizures, give X mgs of diazepam and come wake me up." That sort of if/then type of scenario. They aren't ever just arbitrarily deciding to give a medication to a patient entirely out of the blue, yanno? But I do give them plenty of discretion about when and how to give meds. With CRIs I almost never tell them whether to put it on a syringe pump or put it in fluids or whether drug X can go down the same line as drug Y, or whether to dilute a certain drug with sterile water or sterile saline - those are all things that I trust them to know how to do better than me.

Technicians with advanced training - like we have have VTS(ECC) technicians with advanced certification - I would expect to operate at a little higher level. They're going to do something like, in the case of the anesthetized patient who is dropping a bit in blood pressure, bolus an appropriate amount of crystalloid (presumably after they've already tried dropping the gas rate a bit), and if they still have issues, they're going to come talk to me and recommend action or ask for direction. (Usually it will be something like "Hey, I'm having trouble, can we start some Vetstarch" as an example.) They aren't just going to go wing it on their own. That would be inappropriate. And most importantly - even before they're pushing fluids or whatever, they're going to keep me informed about my patient's blood pressure. They aren't just going to sit there and try and make it better without letting me, the surgeon, know what's happening. To not keep the doctor informed is ludicrous.

I think ts524 is overreaching in the extreme, at least in that example he/she gave. It's probably a classic case of someone who has just enough knowledge to be dangerous - they know just enough to think they're competent to manage a situation like that, but in actuality they aren't anywhere nearly knowledgeable enough to do so, and it places a patient at risk for them to be making decisions like ts524 described. If ts524 has actually done those things, it's probably a case where they've been lucky and gotten away with it, and now they think it's the right sort of thing to do.

It would be nice for vets to know to what extent techs are taught, I agree.
 
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I will say the one thing I've anecdotally experienced is that once you work as a tech, you're less likely to treat your techs like **** once you're a doctor. All the doctors I worked for who had worked as techs understood what teching was like and weren't jerks. Also the techs I worked with made fun of doctors who couldn't draw blood or put in a catheter, but you can definitely hone those skills in vet school, you just need to practice.

I can believe there's some truth to this. When I tech'd in vet school, I always rolled my eyes at some of the treatment sheets that came from new interns. You'd be giving one drug at 4PM, one at 5PM, one at 6PM, and it would be something like 4.268mL, and you're just standing there sighing. Or you'd have a stable patient and they want a TPR every 2 hours when you've got an ICU full of patients.

That experience has helped me make my treatments as reasonable as possible to implement. I mean, the patient comes first - if I need a TPR frequently, or a Resp Rate every hour on a pneumo, or whatever ... that's just part of the job and a tech needs to suck it up no matter how annoying it is. But I do my best to stack treatments, pick <reasonable> monitoring parameters, etc.

Any tech who is making fun of a doctor in more than just a teasing way is a tech who doesn't have an appreciation for what a doctor's role is versus their role. I don't make fun of my techs because they can't perform a surgical procedure, I wouldn't expect to be made fun of for not being as skilled at them at roles that are in their wheelhouse. That attitude would be unprofessional.
 
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Any tech who is making fun of a doctor in more than just a teasing way is a tech who doesn't have an appreciation for what a doctor's role is versus their role. I don't make fun of my techs because they can't perform a surgical procedure, I wouldn't expect to be made fun of for not being as skilled at them at roles that are in their wheelhouse. That attitude would be unprofessional.
As a jumping off point, I actively make fun of myself for my tech skills. My usual statement is "I'm a good vet, and a mediocre tech." That said, my techs would NEVER make fun of me for it. I do have clients comment on it sometimes, when I have the tech inject or draw blood. My response is always, "Does the doctor take your blood when you go to the hospital?"

Some random thoughts, most of which have already been said but I'll reiterate.
1) I went through an assistant course first before vet school. That's how I figured out I wanted to be a vet instead. If I could have figured that out withoit wasting that money and a year, I would have done so.
2) Techs are phenomenal and a good tech will absolutely save your arse as a new grad vet. But they aren't vets. I trust my techs implicitly, but at the end of the day, it's my license on the line and I'd have a huge problem with a tech just giving drugs without consulting me first.
3) While legalities vary by region, assistants can and do monitor anesthesia and do lots of other CVT duties depending on jurisdiction. I have an on the job trained assistant who's is great with anesthesia.
4) Once more with feeling: If you want to be a tech, go to tech school. If you want to be a vet, shadow and go to vet school.
 
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To offer some personal insight -

Re: the "doesn't count for prereqs" aspect--this isn't necessarily always true, because they can--IF you are in an accredited 4-year program (called a "vet technologist"--BS in Veterinary Technology). Essentially, technologists have the same scope of practice as any other licensed technician (sit for VTNE and state boards), just with the added benefits/career flexibility that comes with a Bachelors degree vs. 2-year. There aren't many of these programs around, but those courses carry as much weight as any other undergraduate coursework. I am currently a Vet Technology student, and my A&P course has been approved as an in-progress physiology prerequisite for OSU.

That being said, I definitely echo the rest of this thread in that I wouldn't recommend pursuing tech school if you're already sure you want to follow the DVM path. There's just no reason--I like the "nursing school before med school" comparison. Licensed or not, you don't even need to work as a tech/assistant to gain veterinary experience, so why spend the time and money on an online program if you don't actually want to pursue tech as a career?

I'm kind of a special case, so don't take me as an example. :p since this is a 4-yr technology program, I'm taking it as a second bachelor's/post-bacc to improve my academics (already had all gen-ed and science prereqs covered from my first degree, so I'm right in to the actual tech education years). Never imagined I'd end up here since I don't intend to be a tech, but I was actually recommended to apply to this program rather than pursue a Masters. I'm only in the first semester, and so far it's given me a lot of insight as to what tech work entails and the vet field as a whole (how all the pieces fit together). While I'd be kidding myself to believe it will give me many "advantages" in vet school, I do feel like I'm gaining a very valuable knowledge base--especially once I get to the more advanced courses next year like pharmacology.

I guess I can imagine someone going the tech-school-to-vet-school route if they did it via one of these 4yr programs--however, you'd have to be diligent with prereqs and take a few on the side, since several upper-level science courses required by most vet schools (e.g. biochem) are not covered by the vet technology programs. Many schools will straight out say that their V.T. degree program on its own will not be suitable for applying to vet school and recommend a pre-vet degree for this purpose instead, but remember you can major in whatever you want as long as you get all your prereqs sorted.
 
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To offer some personal insight -

Re: the "doesn't count for prereqs" aspect--this isn't necessarily always true, because they can--IF you are in an accredited 4-year program (called a "vet technologist"--BS in Veterinary Technology). Essentially, technologists have the same scope of practice as any other licensed technician (sit for NAVLE and state boards), just with the added benefits/career flexibility that comes with a Bachelors degree vs. 2-year. There aren't many of these programs around, but those courses carry as much weight as any other undergraduate coursework. I am currently a Vet Technology student, and my A&P course has been approved as an in-progress physiology prerequisite for OSU.
I think you mean the VTNE. ;)
 
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Any tech who is making fun of a doctor in more than just a teasing way is a tech who doesn't have an appreciation for what a doctor's role is versus their role. I don't make fun of my techs because they can't perform a surgical procedure, I wouldn't expect to be made fun of for not being as skilled at them at roles that are in their wheelhouse. That attitude would be unprofessional.

Part of it was this particular doctor was a jerk. Part of it was most of the techs were used to working with "old-school" doctors, back before having skilled techs were a thing, and those doctors were all good at blood draws and catheters. Part of it, too, was the techs felt a lack of doctor technical skills led to unnecessary interventions for the animal--for example, having to struggle to put in an IVC in a dying animal because the doctor couldn't hit the vein with a butterfly. I can see both sides of the argument--doctors aren't nurses and can't be expected to be as good at all the things nurses do on a daily basis. But it also seems like since doctors often have to do some injections or prefer to do their own injections that a basic level of competency should be expected.
 
Part of it was this particular doctor was a jerk. Part of it was most of the techs were used to working with "old-school" doctors, back before having skilled techs were a thing, and those doctors were all good at blood draws and catheters. Part of it, too, was the techs felt a lack of doctor technical skills led to unnecessary interventions for the animal--for example, having to struggle to put in an IVC in a dying animal because the doctor couldn't hit the vein with a butterfly. I can see both sides of the argument--doctors aren't nurses and can't be expected to be as good at all the things nurses do on a daily basis. But it also seems like since doctors often have to do some injections or prefer to do their own injections that a basic level of competency should be expected.

Ok. But none of those excuse unprofessional behavior. Period.

There really aren't "both sides" to this: nobody should be "making fun of" a colleague. Doesn't matter if that colleague is a jerk. There are more appropriate ways to handle that.

I practically never place catheters or give injections. Like, almost never. Why on earth would I be as good at it as my techs who do it a couple dozen times per day? That is nonsensical.
 
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