Technicians work in a variety of settings, including laboratories, processing plants, farms and ranches, greenhouses, and offices. Technicians who work in processing plants and agricultural settings may face noise from processing and farming machinery, extreme temperatures, and odors from chemicals or animals. They may need to lift and carry objects, and be physically active for long periods of time.
If your pet is to have lab tests run, such as a check for heartworm, a Complete Blood Count (CBC), or a check for parasites, it will be the veterinary technician who takes the appropriate samples and using high tech instruments will document the results for the veterinarian's interpretation. When further testing is required, such as X-rays, the veterinary technician will take the X-rays and deliver them to the veterinarian.
For a state with such a large population of veterinary technicians, it’s not surprising that Texas also has many schools with AVMA-approved vet tech programs. The schools with fully-accredited programs are Cedar Valley College in Lancaster (both the on-campus and distance learning programs), Lone Star College in Tomball, McLennan Community College in Waco, Palo Alto College in San Antonio and the Vet Tech Institute of Houston. There are also three programs in Texas under initial accreditation: Blinn College in Bryan, Pima Medical Institute-Houston and Vista College in Lubbock.

From the moment your pet arrives at the hospital, aren't you glad to know there is someone of education and qualifications to provide the excellent nursing care that your pet deserves? The next time you take your pet to the animal hospital, ask to meet the veterinary technician. Ask them from which of the over 80 AVMA-accredited programs they graduated.
Specialized pharmacy technician roles offer an exciting career opportunity. Instead of working in a medical facility or drugstore, some pharmacy techs assist with infusion services in homes or nursing facilities. Prefer to work in a variety of settings? Travel pharmacy technicians take on short-term assignments in various parts of the country. If this sounds interesting, contact a health care agency who specializes in placing pharmacy technicians.

Your formal training will include laboratory and clinical work with live animals. If you are a high school student who is interested in this field, make sure to take science classes such as biology, as well as math classes. You should also consider volunteering at a veterinarian's office or an animal shelter, where you can get experience and find out if you enjoy working in this environment.
In addition to the responsibilities above, veterinary technicians employed in a biomedical research facility perform other duties under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian, a biomedical research worker, or other scientist, such as supervising the humane care and handling of research animals and assisting in the implementation of research projects.
Most veterinary technicians are certified by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA). In order to qualify for certification, vet techs must complete a two-year degree program at a school accredited by the American Veterinary Medicine Association. Some vet techs, especially those looking for clinical research jobs, will go on to get a four-year degree in animal science.
Angela believes in teaching to the individual, to the extent possible within a group. Each student learns differently, so she incorporates a variety of mediums in coursework, including web-based instruction, lecture, hands-on labs, research, as well as music and other multimedia sources as learning tools. In her years as a student and teacher, both informal and formal, she has learned that playing to individual learning style preferences and strengths yield the most productive results.
Top Tech is an annual program designed to identify, recognize, and reward Ryder’s top performing technicians. Eligible participants for the award are selected from Ryder’s team of more than 5,000 U.S. and Canadian-based technicians and are measured on technical training qualifications, outstanding customer service performance, and quality workmanship. After advancing through three increasingly demanding rounds of challenging written and hands-on tests, seven finalists compete for the top honors at the Top Tech Competition.
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