It’s no secret that veterinary technicians play a vital role in veterinary medicine. While license and certification requirements vary by state, technicians’ essential duties remain the same: caring for patients, collecting samples, running diagnostic tests, helping clients understand treatment plans, and collecting and maintaining medical histories. The range of their assistance seems endless.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of veterinary technologists and technicians is projected to grow by 9% from 2024 to 2034, “much faster than the average for all occupations.” However, a technician’s average career length is only six years, a surprisingly short time to be in the field, considering that about five years are necessary to become a veterinary technician specialist.
The high turnover rate could have several reasons, but the consensus remains the same: The demand for veterinary technicians won’t go away if we can’t develop long-term solutions. They include:
- Encourage people to pursue a veterinary technician path.
- Create better incentives to motivate technicians to remain in this line of work.
I was introduced to the veterinary technician field through my interest in human behavior. While pursuing my undergraduate degree in anthropology at Hunter College, I decided to volunteer at Schwarzman Animal Medical Center in New York City, the world’s largest nonprofit veterinary teaching hospital, where I found and developed a career as a technician. I served in roles including emergency and critical care technician, team leader of emergency and critical care, and veterinary clinical manager. Twenty years later, I am one of only three chief veterinary technicians in the nation, leading AMC’s workforce of over 120 licensed veterinary technicians, LVT directors, managers, and clinical educators, as well as veterinary assistants and coordinators.
I want to see the veterinary technician career path reach its full potential. I also want to outline some of the challenges facing technicians and what to do to ensure they feel better prepared and supported.
More Educational Opportunities
One of the biggest obstacles when pursuing a career in veterinary technology is finding the proper education to obtain a license. To become a veterinary technician in New York state, for example, you must complete a college program in veterinary technology that is accredited by the AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities. Most AVMA CVTEA-accredited programs lead to an associate’s degree after two years, while others lead to a four-year bachelor’s degree.
New York state has 10 AVMA-accredited schools: Alfred State College, Genesee Community College, LaGuardia Community College, Long Island University, Mercy University, Suffolk County Community College, Westchester Community College, and the State Universities of New York at Canton, Delhi, and Ulster. Of these 10 institutions, only four offer a bachelor’s degree program.
The foundation of any successful and sustainable career in medicine starts with education. Adding more AVMA-accredited colleges is the first step toward creating more high-level, high-paying career opportunities for veterinary technicians.
Preparing Technicians for Leadership Roles
While a college education provides veterinary technicians with the technical knowledge and skills, an issue arises when they are ready to take on more responsibility.
A variety of leadership roles are available to technicians at most clinics and hospitals. For instance, AMC offers several management pathways for experienced LVTs, from becoming team leaders, managers, and directors to developing into clinical educators and advanced clinical technicians, which acknowledges LVTs with 10-plus years of experience in a multispecialty clinic.
The opportunities for advancement are there. However, once veterinary technicians advance into a leadership role, they are rarely equipped with the soft skills that accompany the position, including conflict resolution, problem-solving, and managing relationships between co-workers, clients, and doctors. Technicians in leadership positions are often required to learn those basic skills on the job, which can add stress to someone already working in an emotionally challenging environment.
While veterinary professionals can access myriad leadership development resources, programs, and toolkits, I believe we have an opportunity to start at the source. For example, school curricula could add leadership or business management courses. This way, veterinary technicians can graduate feeling confident that they can advance in the industry when the time comes.
Strengthening Our Voices
Also contributing to the high turnover of veterinary technicians is the lack of support that often comes with the position. As crucial as LVTs are to a clinic’s day-to-day operations, their work frequently goes unnoticed, their voices left unheard.
As an LVT, I am always looking for ways to uplift the voices of my staff and the technician community. One area I am particularly passionate about is shared governance. I work with AMC’s leadership team to develop and support councils, made up of technicians and assistants, to decentralize decision-making, strengthen ownership and accountability in nursing practice, and promote empowerment throughout the organization. Shared governance creates an open and collaborative space where all input is welcome.
By providing technicians with stronger support systems, you empower them to contribute ideas and speak up about specific challenges, fostering a more innovative practice environment. Your technicians will feel more valued, which can increase retention and employee morale.
There’s no denying that technicians are the backbone of veterinary care, yet they often go overlooked and underappreciated, and they frequently lack the opportunities needed to thrive in the profession.
I hope those interested in this career path are not deterred by its challenges. Technicians are unsung heroes who deserve the same appreciation and attention as any medical professional. They are an important part of keeping a clinic running.
By addressing the obstacles in our field, we can ensure a future generation of veterinary technicians who are better supported, educated, and prepared for the job ahead.
LISTEN AND LEARN
Check out VetFolio’s four-part podcast series, “Leveraging Your Power as a Veterinary Technician,” at go.navc.com/3YHSoWF.