Vet Techs, former Vet Techs....

[sillysally]

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?
What do you do on a day to day basis?
What are your favorite parts of the job?
Least favorite?
If you had to do over, would you still choose the job?
What advise would you give someone looking to get I to the field?

 

[*blackrose]

I'll answer this later tonight when I'm on my computer.

 

[Southpaw]

What does your job entail?
Little bit of everything! An average day for me can include: checking in/discharging surgeries, monitoring anesthesia, performing dental cleanings, getting patient histories for appointments, drawing blood, placing IV catheters, running labwork, taking/developing x-rays, assisting with euthanasia, reception duties (answering phone, scheduling appointments, checking clients out). And probably 1000 other things that I don't even realize I do.

What do you do on a day to day basis?
So here's kind of how a typical day for me would be set up:
I open the clinic. Check in the surgery patients for the day. Then me and another tech would do a little pre-op exam, run bloodwork/place an IV catheter if needed. Get all the supplies set up for the surgery. Once Dr. does their full exam, I'll draw up the anesthetic drugs, we'll get the animal knocked down/intubated/shaved and scrubbed for surgery. Monitor anesthesia during surgery. Monitor the animal as they're waking up. Go over aftercare with owners when they pick up.

Then for appointments, I'll go in first and get a history about what's going on. Get vitals. Present history to Dr, get together any supplies I know they'll need (ie, vaccines). Enter charges in computer. Help with anything needed for the appointment... whether it's restraint, drawing blood, getting a urine sample, taking an x-ray, trimming nails etc. etc. etc.

That's kind of the "basics" of it, there's all the other little things that go on in the middle of that like - filling prescriptions, returning messages, taking care of hospitalized pets, cleaning up dirty cages and cleaning up after the Drs p).

What are your favorite parts of the job?
Of course, seeing a sick pet get better. And seeing how much that means to the owner.
Meeting new puppies.

Least favorite?
Euthanasia, clients who don't seem to care about their pet's health/don't want to do anything when they're sick.


If you had to do over, would you still choose the job?
Yes. Finding the right clinic to work at is HUGE. I worked at a couple places right out of school that, for whatever reason, I just didn't enjoy and it made me rethink the career as a whole. But I ended up at a clinic I like and realized that the job itself was never the problem.

What advise would you give someone looking to get I to the field?
Shadow somewhere first! Seeing a day (or more) first hand is super helpful, as far as understanding WHAT the job is and if it's an environment you want to be in. The school I went to, this is a requirement your first semester... buuuut if possible it would have been smarter to do that before committing to school first

 

[crazedACD]

If you had to do over, would you still choose the job?
Yes. Finding the right clinic to work at is HUGE. I worked at a couple places right out of school that, for whatever reason, I just didn't enjoy and it made me rethink the career as a whole. But I ended up at a clinic I like and realized that the job itself was never the problem.

I'll write more later but this... I worked at two vet clinics that had too many dirty little secrets and both lacked compassion. I did a working interview at another clinic and they were like no fun... no joking around, all srs and uber professional. I'm sure there are some awesome clinics out there with a good balance but these were not.

 

[*blackrose]

What does your job entail?
Everything. LOL Taking appointments, stabilizing critical patients, performing nursing care on hospitalized patients, restraining fractious animals, obtaining lab samples, running lab samples, reading lab samples, giving injections, filling meds, giving meds, performing dentals, monitoring for surgeries, taking x-rays, reception duties, kennel duties...everything.

What do you do on a day to day basis?
Come in, turn on all the of the lab equipment, check in drop offs, and get ready to see appointments. Rest of the day is filled with seeing patients - whether they're dogs just coming in for routine vaccines, or the 5 year old Labrador who got into the garbage two weeks ago and now hasn't been eating/drinking/pooping for the past week and can barely walk. After appointments are done for the day, you shut everything down and make sure the place is pristine.

What are your favorite parts of the job?
Interacting with (good) clients and the (good) animals. Getting to know them as more than just clients and helping them with any issues they have with their four legged family member. Also, the sheer variety of things I'm able to do during the day. It keeps me engaged and interested.

Least favorite?
Bad owners, hands down. Sometimes I get off a shift and go home and have a drink, because that is all you can do sometimes. I'm lazy and wish I had a strict 9-5 job, but you need to be ready to come in early, stay past your shift end time, and come in after hours (and on holidays) to take care of ill patients.

If you had to do over, would you still choose the job?
Probably, although maybe I would have gone in to something that had higher pay and more reliable hours. Who knows. LOL

What advise would you give someone looking to get I to the field?
Not all vet clinics are created equal. Finding the right fit for you is IMPERATIVE to being happy. The way things are managed and your chemistry with your coworkers is a BIG DEAL. Go on working interviews. Job shadow. Make sure what you're seeing is actually what happens behind the scenes.

 

[SpringerLover]

What does your job entail? and What do you do on a day to day basis?
I work in a specialty practice. My "by myself" duties are underwater treadmill, laser, and ultrasound therapy sessions. All are overseen/directed by the doctor but I carry out the treatments. I assist with consult appointments which can range from restraining animals to writing down what the doctor says. And sometimes the doctors just need someone to hold a regular patient for various things. I also answer the phone a lot. And type quite a bit-we have digital records.

What are your favorite parts of the job?
Getting to really know each patient and client. Dogs graduating is bittersweet.

Least favorite?
When my favorite patients aren't doing well.

If you had to do over, would you still choose the job?
Yes, yes, yes. This is where I was meant to be.

What advise would you give someone looking to get I to the field?
Shadow at a few different places. I've really found my niche, and I'm happy. I wouldn't be/wasn't happy in general practice.

 

[JustaLilBitaLuck]

What does your job entail?
What do you do on a day to day basis?
I work as a triage technician in an emergency clinic. I do intakes (assess stability of the patient, finish paperwork, take a history, vitals, etc), go over estimates for care, collect deposits/payments, and go over discharges. I also handle euthanasias from start to finish. I answer phones, do callbacks, and stock/clean. I'm also there to assist the doctors/technicians with whatever they need help doing.

What are your favorite parts of the job?
I really enjoy when we're sending patients home, and the clients are so grateful that we were there and able to take care of their pet. And the people I work with are pretty awesome.

Least favorite?
When people have a pet that is medically treatable, but don't have the financial means to treat them.

If you had to do over, would you still choose the job?
Absolutely. About halfway through school (when I wasn't working in the field), I started to have some serious doubts about whether this was what I wanted to do. This job alleviated those doubts. I love it.

What advise would you give someone looking to get I to the field?
I would shadow at a few different places. Possibly get a part-time job at a clinic as a receptionist or assistant or something, so you really get a feel for it. It is very common to have a shadow/working interview in this field, and I did a ton of them when I was looking for a job. There were some clinics that I didn't click with AT ALL, and I couldn't imagine working there. The individual environment (clinic, doctors, techs, clients, etc) really makes or breaks it.

 

[Miakoda]

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.

My replies in...pink. Was supposed to be red. :lol-sign:

 

[Miakoda]

I should add that the worst is seeing the crap that brings their animals in. My clinic is located in north Baton Rouge, so we saw a lot of thugs with their pathetic abused money-makers. I got so angry one time that I told some guys where to go (as in "go to hell") and I walked out.

And technically I'm a SAHM now, but it still maintain my licensing as a RVT.