How to Become a Veterinary Technician in Alabama

When people start thinking about their future vocation, they have to decide which one to choose and many of them try their luck with the jobs that they are interested in.

On the other hand, some young people try to look for a job that will earn them enough money to have a decent life and which will have a stable future.

The veterinary technician career is the perfect way for young generations to get into the veterinary field as it can become a rewarding career.

Even though the salary is not so high, it is still big enough for a normal life.

Caring for animals, helping them and their owners can be encouraging, inspiring and fulfilling.

Veterinary Technician Job Description

The veterinary personnel understands the complex relationships between animals and their owners and their main duty is to offer help and consolation in those terrifying moments.

They are people who spend all working day around animals and cooperating with people who love them as well, no matter whether they are veterinarians or owners.

The tasks that veterinary technicians often do are drawing blood, placing catheters, assisting in surgery, managing anesthesia, and giving medications.

Each of them knows what his/her duties are and caring for animals’ welfare is only one task among the vast number of other duties.

Becoming a Veterinary Technician in Alabama

Unlike other US states, the state of Alabama has to offer only one veterinary technology program accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association’s Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA).

This program can be found at Jefferson State Community College in Birmingham.

The great thing for people who do not live in Birmingham is that this is an online program done over the Internet.

Students are also supposed to spend 20 hours per week at an approved clinical site to complete the required clinical tasks which will involve traveling a few times during a semester.

Educational Requirements and Admission for Veterinary Technicians in Alabama

General education courses such as math, public speaking, biology, computer science are obligatory before the semester and you must achieve C grade on these courses to continue your education,

For the admission process, you also need to provide two letters of recommendation, one from a veterinarian, proof of health insurance and a medical malpractice policy that must be purchased through Jefferson State Community College.

The prerequisite is 360 hours of practical experience before admission.

The courses that future veterinary technicians should pass are:

• Introduction to veterinary technology
• Anatomy and physiology
• Emergency care and first aid
• Pathology
• Anesthesiology
• Radiology
• Immunology
• Pharmacology
• Parasitology
• Toxicology
• Nutrition

Only two of them do not require you to work 20 hours at an approved clinical site.

At the end of your education, you should pass a preceptorship.

It means that you will get clinical instruction in many of the areas, you will need to fulfill your graduation requirements and complete your training for a veterinary technician in Alabama.

Tuition to Become an Alabama Veterinary Technician

You, as a future veterinary technician, are supposed to finish both general education which consists of 22 hours of course work and veterinary technician curriculum which lasts 54 credit hours.

There are two ways of achieving this education.

The one is that both general and veterinary technician education is taken at Jefferson State.

That way you will have to pay either in-state tuition, which is $10,944, or out-of-state tuition which costs $19,532.

On the other hand, if only 54 veterinary technician educational hours are taken at Jefferson State, then in-state tuition is $7,776, while out-of-state tuition is $13,878.

These are figures prone to change and additional fees might also need to be paid, such as class and lab supplies, diploma, GED transcript, etc.

Veterinary Technician Exams

To be eligible to take the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE) you must possess a degree from an accredited veterinary technician program.

You will be given three hours to correctly answer 150 questions based on the subjects you had during your education.

It costs $300 and your score must be 70% or higher to be able to get the licensure by the Alabama State Board of Veterinary Medical Examiners for a fee of $100.

However, once you get the certificate, the education is not finished.

The Alabama Association of Veterinary Technicians obliges you to pass an additional eight hours of annual continuing education to maintain your license.

Finding a Job in Alabama

Accredited certification, great education, and practical experience are enough to make you an ideal candidate for a veterinary technician job.

They care about the pets and animals is hurriedly developing these days and animal lovers lay all their hope into a veterinary team in case there is something wrong with their animal, thus affecting the amount of work and job openings throughout the state.

Good job opportunities are offered by numerous veterinary technician employers in Alabama:

• Lee County Humane Society
• Auburn University Veterinary Teaching Hospital
• Advanced Veterinary Care of Vestavia (Birmingham)
• Banfield Pet Hospital (Montgomery)
• Northside Veterinary Hospital (Cullman)
• Dothan Animal Hospital
• Examination Requirements and Credentials

Veterinary Technicians’ Average Annual Salary in Alabama

If you want to earn a decent and stable salary, while at the same time you work surrounded by people interested in animal welfare as much as you are, then you can try entering the veterinary field and becoming a veterinary technician.

The average annual salaries in Alabama are not so great as in some other US states but are still enough for normal living.

The veterinary technicians in Georgiana earn $ 32 370, while their colleagues in Huntsville and Madison get $ 34 531 per year.

The table below shows the salary of a veterinary technician in the state of Alabama annually:

Regional Salary in Alabama

Veterinary Technician’s Duties

When it comes to their main tasks, it can be said that the animal clinic could not function well without them.

They are there to supports operations by providing veterinarians with supplies and instruments, they are in charge of surgery table preparation, restraining animals and completing anesthesia.

What they also might be asked to do is work with anesthetic machines, ECG monitors, maintaining sterile conditions and obtaining and verifying medications.

Veterinary Technicians by State