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The love towards pets can be considered equal to the love towards people, and in some cases, it is even greater.
Their owners are so concerned about their welfare which leads to veterinary medicine becoming ever-growing field, offering an abundance of the job for people interested in working on the team focused on helping the animals in need.
If you consider yourself a compassionate and responsible person who is patient and have a genuine love for animals, then you have fulfilled the first and foremost requirement for the position of a veterinary assistant and should think about becoming one.
Article Table of Contents
Job Description
As a veterinary assistant, you need to be ready to deal with all kinds of clients to teach them about animal care and support them when they are anxious about their best friend’s health.
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Being a team member, a veterinary assistant has to cooperate with other veterinary staff, as well.
The job of the veterinary assistant is to ensure that all animals brought to the clinic are in good condition, manage good hygiene by applying disinfectants to kill germs that could infect them with diseases, feed and bathe them regularly and administering medication as prescribed by the veterinarian.
When the administrative work is in question, they need to keep clear medical records of all animals attended to at the clinic, regulate payments and marketing, answer all clients’ inquiries and cooperate with other veterinary facilities.
Becoming a Veterinary Assistant in New Mexico
The ideal candidate for this kind of profession needs to be willing to learn new skills and develop his/her abilities as an assistant throughout his/her whole life.
Higher education is not necessary to get the job, but it is important for self-esteem during daily duties.
How important daily tasks will depend on the education and talents of each assistant, and that is why more and more employers look to hire people who have certifications from veterinary schools.
If you are interested in becoming a veterinary assistant in New Mexico, you should think about enrolling in one of the campuses throughout the country which offers veterinary assistant programs to their students.
These are veterinary assistant campus and programs in New Mexico:
- Central New Mexico Community College
- Pima Medical Institute
- Carrington College
Even though you do not necessarily need to enter these courses, this kind of education ameliorates your self-confidence and maks you a better candidate for the job.
Requirements
Qualifications are important when getting the job and this makes more people deciding to take the courses organized by NAVTA.
These training programs provide you with the certification which proves that you are ready to perform the role of a veterinary assistant.
It does not only improve your job prospects but once hired, gives you the chance of higher salary, since you will be able to do some examinations and minor surgery on animals, without the supervision of a veterinarian.
NAVTA offers veterinary assistants opportunities to become educated people and some of the NAVTA programs offered online are:
On the other hand, if you are interested in concrete education and real training, then you can choose among high school campus and adult campus programs throughout the country, including:
- Central Arizona Valley Institute of Technology, Coolidge, AZ
- West-MEC Veterinary Assistant Program; Western Maricopa Education Center; Phoenix, AZ
- Colorado Academy of Veterinary Technology, Veterinary Assistant Program, Colorado Springs, CO
- Front Range Community College, Fort Collins, Colo.
Getting a Job
Due to the increased number of veterinary clinics and hospitals, veterinary assistant’s positions are in constant demand.
The job growth is expected to increase in the future, and provide a variety of job offers.
Finding a job is not such a big problem, but there is a lack of educated and certified assistants.
Many people believe that they can gain knowledge by simply observing the work of a veterinarian, but this is not always the case, especially when the more serious issues are in question.
That is why the assistants with qualifications are more self-confident and prepared for all kinds of difficulties and at the same time have priority over uneducated candidates when applying for the job.
Here are some of the veterinary assistant employers in New Mexico:
- VCA (Veterinary Centers of America)
- Banfield Pet Hospital
- Albuquerque NE
- Albuquerque
- Albuquerque NW
Salary
The Bureau of Labor Statistics is collecting the data related to the annual salary of a veterinary assistant and how it varies among the cities around the USA.
The difference in salary among the cities within one particular state is somewhere more expressed, while in others it is not so great.
When it comes to New Mexico, the least paid are veterinary assistants in Las Cruces with $25 201 annually, while their colleagues in Santa Fe earn even $28 017 per year.
The table below shows the salary of a veterinary assistant in the state of New Mexico annually since it varies from one place to another.
Annual Salary Range:| Location | Avg. Annual Salary |
|---|---|
| Alamogordo,NM | $26,446 |
| Albuquerque,NM | $27,691 |
| Clovis,NM | $26,264 |
| Farmington,NM | $27,410 |
| Hobbs,NM | $25,577 |
| Las Cruces,NM | $25,201 |
| Rio Rancho,NM | $27,602 |
| Roswell,NM | $26,001 |
| Santa Fe,NM | $28,017 |
| Sunland Park,NM | $25,932 |
Regional Salary in New Mexico
| Region | Employed | Avg. Annual Salary | Avg. Hourly Pay | Top 10% Annual Salary | Bottom 10% Annual Salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Albuquerque, NM | 220 | $34,280 | $16.48 | $39,660 | $29,760 |
| Las Cruces, NM | 60 | $31,470 | $15.13 | $37,480 | $27,480 |
| Santa Fe, NM | 40 | $35,220 | $16.93 | $44,030 | $30,910 |
* Employment conditions in your area may vary.
Duties
First of all, a veterinary assistant must have excellent communication skills, because he/she is the first to come face to face with the clients.
He/she needs to be emphatic and compassionate to understand the emotions of a pet owner, and at the same time, patient enough to handle all the questions and concerns he/she has.
To successfully perform administrative duties, he/she needs to be detail-oriented and well-organized.
Answering phone calls and booking appointments are their easier duties, but they might also be involved in more challenging issues such as:
- Take and develop x-rays.
- Collect urine samples
- Perform laboratory tests
- Administer injections and medication
- Prepare and maintain the exam rooms and treatment areas.
Summary
If all the above-mentioned duties sound good and manageable for you, then a career as a veterinarian assistant should be your future vocation.
Read the full guide: How to Become a Veterinary Assistant
Veterinary Assisting by State