Job Description

• The exact duties of a veterinary technician can vary greatly, depending on where the person works. Veterinary technicians often perform medical tests and intake at veterinary clinics. In some situations, veterinary technicians may take and prepare blood and tissue samples as part of diagnosing a problem. Veterinary technicians may weigh animals, take X-rays, develop X-rays and take notes on each animal's records.
  
  

Education Requirements

• Basic veterinary technician education is a two-year training program. In most cases, these programs are administered by a community college or junior college. Some of the clinical and laboratory training may include working with live animals on actual cases under the supervision of licensed veterinarians or licensed veterinary technologists.
  
  

School Types

• Although most veterinary technician training is through community colleges, some schools offer online training for veterinary technicians. However, online programs either will not offer or will have to collaborate with local community colleges to help students fulfill lab and hands-on training requirements.
  
  

Accreditation

• In general, veterinary technician training programs must be accredited and recognized by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Most states will then administer the National Veterinary Technician exam or a version of that exam to grant veterinary technician licensure. If you are looking for work in a research facility, graduating from a program accredited by the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science may help.
  
  

Advancement

• Veterinary technicians have a couple of possible areas for career advancement. One area is to complete a four-year program and become a veterinary technologist. Veterinary technologists are midway between a veterinary technician and a veterinarian. Another possible advancement is to complete a degree in veterinary medicine and become a licensed veterinarian.