Becoming a Veterinary Technician

Career Plan: a step by step approach…

Do you love animals? That’s a good start for a career as a veterinary assistant or pet care worker. A career as veterinary technician also requires an associate’s degree and a professional license. The following tips were designed for high school students and graduates alike.

1. Take a college prep curriculum. Make sure you have a solid foundation in science. Consider advanced coursework in chemistry – it does indeed have real world applications.

2. Do some career exploration. Attend career fairs and health care camps.

3. Volunteer at a shelter, animal hospital, or other animal care setting. This will help you confirm your choice of veterinary technology as a career. The experience will also look good on your application, provided you put in significant time and cultivate some professional relationships.

   Featured Programs:

   Sponsored School(s)

   

   Purdue Global

   Featured Program: Online programs at the Certificate (Medical Assisting, Medical Billing & Coding), Associate's (Fire Science and many others), Bachelor's (Fires Science, Fire and Emergency Management, Health & Wellness, Nutrition, Health Care Administration, Health Information Management, Psychology, Legal Studies, and more)

   Request Info

   

   Grand Canyon University

   Featured Program: Online Degrees in Nursing & Health Care

   Request Info

   

   Rasmussen University

   Featured Program: Radiologic Technology Associate’s Degree

   Request Info

   

   Southern New Hampshire University

   Featured Program: Various Degrees in Nursing & Health Care

   Request Info

4. If you are interested in becoming a veterinary technician, select an associate’s level program. If you are interest in working in a research setting, you will want to choose a bachelor’s level technologist program. Veterinary technology programs should be accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association.

5. Take placement tests, if required. Complete program prerequisites. These may include composition, cell biology, and chemistry. Your grades in these classes are often a factor in determining whether or not you get into the program.

6. Complete veterinary technology coursework. Meanwhile, continue to participate in career-related activities. You may want to get a job as a veterinarian assistant. Also consider becoming a member of a professional organization. Some schools have chapters of the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA). If your school does not have a chapter, you can become a student member of the national organization for $25.

7. Pursue professional licensing.

8. It’s time for your first position as a vet tech. There are career resources available on the NAVTA site.

Personality Traits: Veterinary technicians are friendly, compassionate, and able to work as part of a team.

How to Become a Vet Tech - Select Your State

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• DC
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New Jersey
• New Mexico
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wisconsin
• Wyoming