I am very seriously considering going back to school to be a vet tech. I'm looking for a little feedback from those that are actually in the field.
What does your job entail?
I started my mornings by cleaning cages, walking dogs, changing litter boxes, medicating whatever needed medicating, starting fluids on whatever needed fluids, pulled blood, etc.
Once the clinic opened, my job depended on where I was stationed that day. Some days I was in surgery, so I prepped animals, assisted during surgeries, me ran the autoclave. Some days I was teching in the exam rooms, which included expressing anal glands, cutting nails, pulling blood, prepping vaccines, getting patient history, holding for exams, etc. Some days I was in the lab, so I spent my time checking fecals, running bloodwork (complete profiles and CBCs), spinning urine, doing heartworm tests, parvo tests, prepping tubes and samples that needed to be sent off to LSU, and cleaning slides. Some days I was in charge of treatments, so I stayed in the back monitoring fluids, giving meds, assisting with new intakes and getting them settled, cleaning cages, and whatever else was needed.
Once the clinic was closed for lunch or end of day, we grouped together to get all treatments done, assisted vets in whatever they needed to, and then massive cleaning commenced (sweeping, mopping, disinfecting floors, walls, tables). We also restocked all exam rooms, treatment areas, and surgery.
What do you do on a day to day basis?
See above.
What are your favorite parts of the job?
Hands-on animal care. But I like variety, which is why I chose that clinic.
Least favorite?
Cleaning litter boxes and parvo cages. LOL
If you had to do over, would you still choose the job?
Absolutely. In fact, I already had my BS in Exercise Physiology and was/am only 16 hours away from a Masters in Exercise Science before I went back and got an associate's degree in Veterinary Technology, which I did through an accredited online program while working at the clinic.
What advise would you give someone looking to get I to the field?
RVTs/CVTs are in demand in some areas, but not in others. Fewer vets care to pay for such than others, IMO, whether it's because they cannot afford to do so or whatever. See what's the "thing" in your area. Some clinics want you to go to school, and others don't care. Some want prior experience, and some would prefer to train you fresh with their own ways. While I love school and I always prefer education, financially you may not need to go into debt if you can get an assistant job that offers you the chance to work your way up within that clinic.
Just know that you aren't going to get rich doing it. The pay sucks in my area, however, my clinic gave 100% free veterinary care to all techs, so holy cow that made a huge difference! Especially since I had sooo many dogs! Some clinics offer a discount to their employees, but some do none of the above. You'll need to figure out what is best for you.