How to Become a Veterinary Assistant in Vermont

Being a person who loves working with animals and is interested in their welfare might make you a good applicant for any job related to veterinary medicine.

The thing that you should have in mind is that veterinarians and their personnel must possess the ability to stay emotionally strong when working with animals, acting calm and professional when they have to face with seriously ill animals.

Finish the case with a positive outcome would give you satisfaction and fulfillment, but you have to be able to handle the unpleasant sides of this job.

If you think that all these are manageable for you, then a veterinary assistant profession is a perfect choice for your future job.

Job Description

Veterinary assistants find employment in veterinary practices, educational institutions, zoos, research labs, and animal shelters and as the demand for animal hospitals and shelters rises, veterinarians and their staff become people of greater significance.

Usually, veterinary assistants work alongside veterinarians and under their supervision.

Sometimes, those more educated ones are left to perform minor interventions alone.

Their easiest task is communication with animal owners, giving them consolation and advising them on how to take care of their pets.

They need to be careful and extremely precise when recording information and perform diagnostic tests and they must possess problem-solving skills in cases of emergency.

Becoming a Veterinary Assistant in Vermont

To become a veterinary assistant, formal education is not mandatory, being that a high school diploma and the desire to help animals is enough.

Some veterinary assistants find jobs that do not demand further education and they learn all the obligations while working alongside other assistants and technicians.

But, the key role that veterinary assistants have in the operation of any veterinary hospital demands some kind of education related to animal care.

Doing blood tests or taking X-rays is not something that can be performed by any person without appropriate knowledge.

That is the reason why more and more veterinarians do not want to hire somebody who will need to be thought basics when he/she can employ a person who already possesses significant knowledge.

Students who enter veterinary assistant programs available at colleges, universities and institutes have training in a real environment and will efficiently serve in client care and vet support.

However, if you wish to take a certification program, it is advisable to check whether it is approved by a state or national veterinary medical association.

Requirements

So, if you want to have priority among the candidates when applying for the job, it is advisable to achieve education about veterinary studies.

Future veterinary assistants can choose among the courses are available online or at certain institutions.

There are three options available for Vermont citizens in association with NAVTA to become approved veterinary assistants, no matter if they are experienced veterinary assistants who are currently working if they do not have a certificate.

After attending courses and passing the AVA examination the license is given to you and you can start searching for the appropriate job.

Getting a Job

Upon completing the studies and getting the license, veterinary assistants can seek part-time or full-time employment at a veterinary clinic, animal shelter or zoo.

This is an entry-level position in veterinary medicine and most times veterinarians train new staff on the job.

Newly licensed veterinary assistants can simply send their resume and certificate with all animal experience listed and try to get some interviews.

Vermont has an increasing number of animal hospitals where the new staff is needed, and the chances of getting a job quickly and without too many difficulties are great.

Potential veterinary assistant employers in Vermont are:

• VCA (Veterinary Centers of America)
  • VCA Brown Animal Hospital
  • VCA Windham Animal Hospital
• Vermont Animal Hospitals
  • Rutland Veterinary Clinic and Surgical Center
  • Burlington Emergency and Veterinary Specialists
  • Petit Brook Veterinary Clinic
  • Peak Veterinary Referral Center

Salary

The annual salary of a veterinary assistant depends on both social and individual factors.

It is sensible that the facilities offer competitive pay and numerous benefits for the weekend and overnight shifts as well as working during holidays.

Social factors that affect the average salary of any profession and the veterinary assistant as well are the income of its residents and the development of the region where the facilities are and the number of clinics and hospitals.

The more prominent and respected clinics will have more work, thus paying higher salaries to their staff.

Individual factors are the level of education, working hours, experience and the value of obligations that a veterinary assistant performs.

It can be said that the veterinary assistant salary is not so high about some other similar occupations, but because some states struggle to find enough certified and trained assistants, it is believed that the salary will be in constant growth.

The table below shows the salary of a veterinary assistant in the state of Vermont annually since it varies from one city to another.

Regional Salary in Vermont

Duties

Veterinary Assistants are workers who take care of animals in clinics, hospitals, and laboratories performing a very emotionally and physically demanding position.

They are the first to meet the upset and frightened pet owner, and dealing with humans is even more complicated than with animals, especially in this kind of stressful situation.

They might also be asked to manage administration, answering phone calls, preparing a surgery and sterilize the equipment,  and they often have to work long hours and nights in those clinics that work 24 hours a day.

For those licensed ones, more sensible tasks are entrusted such as preparing animals and medical instruments for surgery, give anesthesia to animals and monitor their responses.

Their job an exciting experience and full of surprises and astonishments.

Summary

The chances of becoming a veterinary assistant are equal for all the people eager to get involved in this filed.

If you think that you can stand all the difficulties that the veterinary assistant has to face, regarding both animals and even more concerned owners, you are an ideal candidate for this job.

Veterinary Assisting by State