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01-11-2011, 06:50 AM | #1 |
No Longer a Member | Some Q's for Veterinary Techs To those of you in the Vet Tech career field, I'm curious about a few things and was hoping maybe you could give me your inputs and maybe share some experiences with me. I'm only 2.5 years from the end of my military contract and trying to figure out the best way to survive in the civilian world Please feel free to PM if you don't want to share the information to the world 1. What school did you attend, or what kind of accreditation was important to you when choosing your tech school? 2. What difficulty level would you say this school was at? This is as in, could I possibly take night classes while working full time without dying in the first semester? 3. For someone planning a carrer as a Vet would this carrer choice be a good starting point? 4. What kind of day-to-day tasks do you find yourself doing most? 5. Pros/cons of this particular carrer choice? Any good websites you can recommend to me would be great. I'm still trying to figure out if I'm going to move back to my home state of Kansas, or I know I can also move to SoCal (grandparents and more out that way) and Penn. (Parents moved out there a few years back). 2.5 years never looked so short then it does right now, still unsure that I will for sure get out of the military, but I'm feeling more and more like I'm in the wrong career field/lifestyle. Really tired of up-rooting myself every 1-2 years, I'm ready to settle down and plant my roots (just don't know where yet, lol). |
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01-11-2011, 08:45 AM | #2 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| I'm not a tech and hopefully never will be, but I spend a good chunk of time observing them and vets. So, this is what I've learned. AVMA accreditation is important (at least to me). Some schools only offer these classes during the day. I've heard our program here is pretty intense. You would not have time for a full time job. This is not a good choice for a possible pre vet unless you want to waste a couple years just exploring the field. the classes do not overlap. And at worst it can look (to adcoms) like you are unsure of your career choice. Many techs have gone on to be vets. Not needed or recommended. However, getting a job as an assistant is a very good idea., etc. They pretty much What they do really depends on the clinic and the doctor they are teching for that day. Surgery assistance (prep, blood draws, place IV, monitoring and administering anesthesia), dental cleanings, run samples in the lab, restrain animals (and restrain more animals), cut and bottle meds, write up post op reports, see patient before vet, take temps, some phone calls, surgery discharge, answering owner questions, cleaning, putting stuff in the computer. They pretty much do it all. lol. Techs can't diagnose, prescribe, or do surgery. Pros: Can't think of many. If you love vet med but just can't go vet, then it may be a good choice. Cute animals. Good if you like lots of responsibility. Cons: Pay nothing. You listen to a doctor all day (and they are not always patient with you). Owners can be annoying and some do not care. If you have strong opinions about veterinary medicine, it can be hard to watch when a doctor isn't doing something how you think it should be done (and usually you just have to go along with it).
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
01-11-2011, 10:46 AM | #3 |
♥Momma's Bambino♥ Donating Member Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Ca
Posts: 10,026
| I used to be a Vet Tech. I worked at a couple vets for a couple different Dr's. The main thing is to like the Dr you are working for. The last vet I worked for was older, it was time for him to retire. He wasn’t in my eyes a good Vet anymore. He over charged people, didn’t care about the animals anymore. He was a real “jerk”. I think its an “ok” career, you do a lot for a little money. You work your butt of, on your feet all day, strain your back, have to deal with putting animals down, sometimes you have to deal with loosing an animal when you are assisting in a SX, you have to deal with people not wanting to get all the vaccines they are suppose to and then seeing the same dog come in with Parvo. BTW when a dog has Parvo it is the worse thing to see, plus when they poop its all bloody diarrhea, and the smell….omg you will never forget the smell, you have to see very sick animals, and deal sometimes with the owner not wanting to treat them.. Its A LOT to deal with emotional and physical. I think some can handle the job and others like me cant
__________________ "People with nothing to hide don't usually feel the need to say so." |
01-12-2011, 12:57 AM | #5 |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: FL
Posts: 7,651
| If you don't go for a full-fledge vet, then I too, would pick RN over a vet tech. Hard to make a career out of a vet tech because of the low pay ($10-$20 an hour depending on experience) and limited upward mobility. You can't take the vet's job without a degree & license, so you are basically always limited to what you start as -- a vet tech -- with only the vet assistants & file clerks to maybe be below you. Here is a good explanation: Veterinary technician - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia . A plus -- availability -- I did see quite a smattering of Vet Tech jobs advertised online although most were offering $12-$15 an hour or $25-$30,000 a year which just seemed a bit hard to accept knowing there was not much above that in the field UNLESS you went to vet's school. Those starting pays are not so bad when you think of a bigger job field with lots of steps between entry level and the CEO. Another plus, there are some interesting opportunities that don't just jump into your mind when you think Vet tech, things like working at a zoo; providing nutrition to a colony of primates; Sea World; and there was some very interesting opportunities for Army Vet Techs! Not sure which branch of the service you are in but that is one place where there is upward mobility as a Vet Tech! (Army MOS 91T) Check out A Day In The Life: Veterinary Technician in the US Army Interesting things! and About.com: http://www.goarmy.com/amedd/vet/index.jsp I spent 22 years active Navy, retired as a Senior Chief Navy Counselor (Career Recruiter). I am a bit partial to staying in and having an early retirement! A lot of benefits to a military retirement too! Young enough to still have another career but a nice little stipend coming in every month alon with educational and health benefits that are hard to beat! Okay -- recruiting pitch is over Good luck on whatever you decide!
__________________ FlDebra and her ABCs Annie, Ben, Candy Promoting Healthy Breeding to the AKC Yorkshire Terrier Standard |
01-12-2011, 03:07 AM | #6 |
No Longer a Member | Lol, I'm in the Air Force and I work around a lot of Army people. I just couldn't spend years deployed at a time, and AF deployments aren't so bad. 6 months at a time, and I get at least a year downtime after so at least I have a schedule I can work with. Mostly, I'm tired of moving all the time, and I want a new job. I've tried applying for re-training but I get the same responses every time, you're not qualified to retrain now because of the "transformation" of your career field (or something along those lines). The retirement benefits seem to be under a lot of fire these days, there is even talk about us not being able to draw the benefits (i.e. the paycheck) until we're 60+, meaning I'll retire at 20 years, I'll be 37, thats another 23+ years before I see any retirement from the military. As long as Democrats are in office they're going to keep passing bills which take benefits from the military and put them who knows where. Besides, dealing with military people gets old, I get the "oldies" who just know how things are run, even though things stopped being run that way since before Windows 2000, and then the newbies who try to change everything, even things that run really smooth. I don't really know, I'll probably change my mind in 2 years anyway, lol. I think it's mostly fear of failing in the "real world" that is keeping me in, steady paycheck, medical is taken care of, etc. But on the flipside, not sure you've read up on this Post 9/11 GI Bill, but wow, thats incentive enough to get out and go to school full time I can actually see myself enjoying being a nurse, I like being helpful to people and that's pretty much what a nurse does. Plus, people always get sick so at least I know there will always be work to do, lol. I need to start making a list, things are always easier when I write them down... |
01-12-2011, 07:30 AM | #7 |
BANNED! Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Illinois
Posts: 4,603
| Have you considered the Marine Corps? J/K. What about additional education in a totally different field? What is it that you have a passion to do? What would you love to do? Healthcare? Marketing? HR? Technology? You are young, you can just go for it! THen again, La Cosa Nostra in Naples is always looking for a few recruits. |
01-12-2011, 07:47 AM | #8 | |
YT 2000 Club Donating Member | Quote:
Nursing is a challenging career. There will be shift work certainly in the beginning years, you will be on your feet for most of the shift, you will deal with all the vagarities of human nature all day/night long. The job is physically demanding, lifting/adjusing patients in bed, for example. Still there are many different nursing situations, that might appeal to you. Maternity ward, neonatal care, surgery, etc. One of the huge growth industries is "geriatric care". There is an old book entitled What Color is my Parachute? It is a book designed to help you search out what type of career would appeal to you. If you haven't done something like this, it would be an interesting exercise for you.
__________________ Razzle and Dara. Our clan. RIP Karma Dec 24th 2004-July 14 2013 RIP Zoey Jun9 th 2008-May 12 2012. RIP Magic,Mar 26 2006July 1st 2018 | |
01-12-2011, 09:46 AM | #9 | |
No Longer a Member | Quote:
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01-12-2011, 09:52 AM | #10 | |
No Longer a Member | Quote:
The bf told me that I need to stay in so he can get out and get all the benefits of military life without all the baggage that goes along with it, lol. Then again he's in the Navy so I understand, haha. He did say that he can see me working with kids or animals, but doesn't think that I'd get along as with all the gory stuff, but I really don't think I'd be all that affected by it. I think I have an aunt or great aunt in the nursing field...I need to talk to my Grandma, she knows who it'd be. | |
01-12-2011, 10:01 AM | #11 |
And Rylee Finnegan Donating Member Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: Metro Detroit, MI
Posts: 17,928
| It definitely sounds like you aren't convinced it would be for you, so I'd just not. I met a tech last year who works two tech jobs just to pay the bills and another that loves her job but is looking at nursing because she needs more money. So if your heart isn't set on it, I'd skip it. But there are a couple ways to advance. You can become a practice manager, especially with business knowledge. You can also get certified in a certain area like internal medicine and possibly be more employable at specialty hospitals. How about grooming or training? Because you like kids, how about special education? peds nurse? Pediatric sonography?
__________________ Crystal, Ellie May (RIP), Rylee Finnegan, and Gracie Boo🐶 |
01-12-2011, 10:53 AM | #12 | |
Donating YT 2000 Club Member Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: FL
Posts: 7,651
| Quote:
I have heard the Post 9/11 GI Bill is great. I retired a "few years" before that program. Since you are young -- why not take advantage of it and go to school. you don't even have to declare a major at first -- might test the waters and make a decision as you go. Getting a degree can never hurt, that's for sure! I think you are in an exciting point in life -- so many choices! The medical field offers a HUGE selection. My sister started as an Xray tech and now is on a heart cath team. She is a tech but now administrative as well and she actually travels and trains others. She has done a lot of things, ultrasound, CTs, MRIs -- if there was schooling offered, she took it and she finally settled with heart cath team work. She has saved lives! I have another sister that started off working for an optomistrist and wound up on the team doing laser eye surgeries. So, there is almost no limit to the opportunities out there. Your military start will be a big plus to future employers. They love the fact that you have already proven yourself -- responsible, team worker, persistence, tenacity, confidence, independent -- these are the traits a military veteran usually brings to the table and employers know it! Don't feel that you have not "tried it in the real world" or are somehow "untested." The military prepares you in so many ways most civilian jobs cannot. Sure it may be a bit more secure, but you have had to sacrifice and adjust more than most civilians do in a lifetime. You might even decide to come back in after college as an officer or to go to med school? Who knows? We always kidded that the Air Force had it the easiest of the services. But you all probably thought it was the Navy. I miss all of the comraderie! But it was time for me to retire -- I did not want to become that old codger that wouldn't adapt to change. Good luck to you!
__________________ FlDebra and her ABCs Annie, Ben, Candy Promoting Healthy Breeding to the AKC Yorkshire Terrier Standard | |
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