# Becoming a vet tech **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 17, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/becoming-a-vet-tech/622283 "2012-05-17T04:18:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MyMack\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MyMack\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyMack_1)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/becoming-a-vet-tech/622283/1 "2012-05-17T04:18:39Z")
Hey I’ve been a semi-longterm lurker, but I had to ask a few questions if that’s ok? I’m about to finish my 2 yr Bus degree and I’m about to start looking into college/uni’s that offer a vet tech program and I’m a bit cautious. 1. did you go to a CC or Uni? 2. you said prior to being licensed, you were an assistant/receptionist; well I am currently looking for work and naturally want to work with animals. How easy/hard is it for a person like me to apply for ANYTHING at a vet office? I have a resume which includes a period of over two years working at an animal shelter/boarding/bath business in edition to owning my own sheep business. 3. Lastly any advice for a pre-vet tech? Sorry the ramble, OP I hope I didn’t hijack your thread:smack: ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2012, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/becoming-a-vet-tech/622283/2 "2012-05-17T06:30:21Z")
> [@MyMack\_1](#): > > Hey I’ve been a semi-longterm lurker, but I had to ask a few questions if that’s ok? > > I’m about to finish my 2 yr Bus degree and I’m about to start looking into college/uni’s that offer a vet tech program and I’m a bit cautious. > > 1. did you go to a CC or Uni? > 2. you said prior to being licensed, you were an assistant/receptionist; well I am currently looking for work and naturally want to work with animals. How easy/hard is it for a person like me to apply for ANYTHING at a vet office? I have a resume which includes a period of over two years working at an animal shelter/boarding/bath business in edition to owning my own sheep business. > 3. Lastly any advice for a pre-vet tech? > > Sorry the ramble, OP I hope I didn’t hijack your thread:smack: Wow, you owned your own sheep business? Why’d you give that up? That sounds like enough material on its own to warrant an “Ask the shepherd!” thread 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Avarie537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/48db29/32.png) [@Avarie537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Avarie537)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/becoming-a-vet-tech/622283/3 "2012-05-18T01:49:39Z")
> [@MyMack\_1](#): > > Hey I’ve been a semi-longterm lurker, but I had to ask a few questions if that’s ok? > > I’m about to finish my 2 yr Bus degree and I’m about to start looking into college/uni’s that offer a vet tech program and I’m a bit cautious. > > 1. did you go to a CC or Uni? > 2. you said prior to being licensed, you were an assistant/receptionist; well I am currently looking for work and naturally want to work with animals. How easy/hard is it for a person like me to apply for ANYTHING at a vet office? I have a resume which includes a period of over two years working at an animal shelter/boarding/bath business in edition to owning my own sheep business. > 3. Lastly any advice for a pre-vet tech? > > Sorry the ramble, OP I hope I didn’t hijack your thread:smack: I’m in the states, so I went to a private college that offered a 2-year associate’s degree program (as opposed to a 4-year bachelor’s program). Previous animal experience is a great start. What did you do? Most of an assistant’s duties can be picked up fairly quickly by anyone with half a brain - proper restraint for various procedures, taking basic history, maybe getting temp/respirations/heart rate, preparing vaccines, preparing stool samples, and cleaning! As opposed to advice I will ask a question … why do you want to be a tech? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/becoming-a-vet-tech/622283/4 "2012-05-18T02:37:16Z")
**MyMack\_1** , your questions seemed worth starting a new thread for, so I did that for you. That way people who might be interested in the topic but didn’t realize what “I’m looking for a job” was about can find the discussion also. **twickster** , MPSIMS moderator ---
**Author:** ![MyMack\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MyMack\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyMack_1)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/becoming-a-vet-tech/622283/5 "2012-05-18T03:05:00Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Wow, you owned your own sheep business? Why’d you give that up? That sounds like enough material on its own to warrant an “Ask the shepherd!” thread 🙂 I actually still own it. Creating the business was part of a deal I made with my parents when I started college. Its taught me a lot but because I have the sheep on my parent’s farm, it doesn’t allow me to expand. Small flocks like mine aren’t the most profitable gamble… And while I love talking about my kids (the sheep), in no way do I consider myself expert enough to warrant an “Ask the… anything” thread! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Washoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/ecae2f/32.png) [@Washoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Washoe)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/becoming-a-vet-tech/622283/6 "2012-05-18T03:08:14Z")
> [@rachelellogram](#): > > Wow, you owned your own sheep business? Why’d you give that up? That sounds like enough material on its own to warrant an “Ask the shepherd!” thread 🙂 Not if he’s Armenian. Trust me—you _don’t_ wanna go there. ---
**Author:** ![SnakesCatLady](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4af34b/32.png) [@SnakesCatLady](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SnakesCatLady)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/becoming-a-vet-tech/622283/7 "2012-05-18T03:08:23Z")
Getting a vet tech degree really depends on what the vets in your area want. Around here, the vets seem to prefer to train their own techs, so a degree isn’t really required. I don’t have one and have worked as a tech both in shelters and in clinics. Animal care experience with no “vet tech” experience around here would get you in the door at the vets I worked for and the shelters I ran - no experience means you don’t have any bad habits to unlearn! If I were you, before I started a degree program, I would actually talk with some of the vets in your area - find out what they are looking for when they hire vet techs. A couple of the techs at the clinic where I last worked started out cleaning kennels. ---
**Author:** ![MyMack\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MyMack\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyMack_1)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/becoming-a-vet-tech/622283/8 "2012-05-18T03:14:44Z")
> [@Avarie537](#): > > I’m in the states, so I went to a private college that offered a 2-year associate’s degree program (as opposed to a 4-year bachelor’s program). Previous animal experience is a great start. What did you do? Most of an assistant’s duties can be picked up fairly quickly by anyone with half a brain - proper restraint for various procedures, taking basic history, maybe getting temp/respirations/heart rate, preparing vaccines, preparing stool samples, and cleaning! > > As opposed to advice I will ask a question … why do you want to be a tech? At the animal shelter, anything from bathing to giving shots. Having had horses all my life I’m fair with a needle and don’t mind maggot infested ducks or sticking my hand up the private parts of a sheep. Honestly, I’m too old-well not really but I feel like it-and while I have a modicum of intelligence most of the time I’m not smart enough to be a vet. If I had my druthers I would be an exotic large animal vet working on a preservation. I’ll settle for a vet tech. Please don’t take that the wrong way, I love my large animal vet techs and really appreciate the extra hands and advice when their out. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/becoming-a-vet-tech/622283/9 "2012-05-18T03:51:35Z")
> [@SnakesCatLady](#): > > Getting a vet tech degree really depends on what the vets in your area want. Around here, the vets seem to prefer to train their own techs, so a degree isn’t really required. I don’t have one and have worked as a tech both in shelters and in clinics. > > Animal care experience with no “vet tech” experience around here would get you in the door at the vets I worked for and the shelters I ran - no experience means you don’t have any bad habits to unlearn! > > If I were you, before I started a degree program, I would actually talk with some of the vets in your area - find out what they are looking for when they hire vet techs. A couple of the techs at the clinic where I last worked started out cleaning kennels. Many states are moving to required certification. Here in CT all those informal vet tech will have to go to school to get at least an AS degree to continue working. Check with the state you’re in before deciding you don’t need the degree. ---
**Author:** ![MyMack\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/9fc29f/32.png) [@MyMack\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MyMack_1)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/becoming-a-vet-tech/622283/10 "2012-05-18T04:23:12Z")
Yes I forgot to add that my large animal vets, its a clinic of 4 vets, all their vet techs have gone through college and have a degree. Most of my small animal vet techs are the same way. ---
**Author:** ![annakaye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@annakaye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/annakaye)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/becoming-a-vet-tech/622283/11 "2012-05-18T10:03:02Z")
> [@MyMack\_1](#): > > Hey I’ve been a semi-longterm lurker, but I had to ask a few questions if that’s ok? > > I’m about to finish my 2 yr Bus degree and I’m about to start looking into college/uni’s that offer a vet tech program and I’m a bit cautious. > > 1. did you go to a CC or Uni? > 2. you said prior to being licensed, you were an assistant/receptionist; well I am currently looking for work and naturally want to work with animals. How easy/hard is it for a person like me to apply for ANYTHING at a vet office? I have a resume which includes a period of over two years working at an animal shelter/boarding/bath business in edition to owning my own sheep business. > 3. Lastly any advice for a pre-vet tech? > > Sorry the ramble, OP I hope I didn’t hijack your thread:smack: when i was 38, i switched careers for personal assistant to vet tech, so here are my 2 cents 🙂 1. if you know for sure you want to become a vet tech, then save yourself the tuition $$ money and just goto a CC. it will only cost a couple hundred bucks a semester versus $20k/year for university 2. it is easy to get experience if you start off as a vet ASSISTANT. you will be paid nearly minimum wage, but this site has a lot of good info for vet techs [http://www.veterinarytechnician.com/is-becoming-a-vet-tech-a-good-choice/](http://www.veterinarytechnician.com/is-becoming-a-vet-tech-a-good-choice/) 1. pre-vet tech is a straightforward path. the hardest part, imo is dealing with the death of animals on a daily basis. if you are a sentimental person, then u should reconsider careers. otherwise, the academics of becoming a vet tech are quite easy. i had to take biology and animal anatomy classes when i was in my 30s, but it was all very basic level stuff. good luck! if you love animals, this is a great career to be in 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/6bbea6/32.png) [@Living\_Well\_Is\_Best\_Revenge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Well_Is_Best_Revenge)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2012, 1:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/becoming-a-vet-tech/622283/12 "2012-05-18T13:10:57Z")
Consider the research field. Pays higher and there are more opportunities for advancement.