How to Become a Veterinary Technician in Delaware

Unlike veterinary assistants who can look for a job with just a high school degree and a passion to help veterinarians and their clients, veterinary technicians have to achieve a certain level of education before start working.

Veterinary science rapidly grows and offers numerous campuses, programs and higher education for empathetic animal lovers.

At the same time, veterinary medicine offers an abundance of the job for people interested in animal welfare and focused on helping the animals in need.

A veterinary technician’s roles are versatile, challenging, and demanding, but very rewarding at the same time.

Veterinary Technician Job Description

Veterinary technicians should know everything about animal care as they will be involved in determining their medical conditions, assisting surgeries, giving vaccines and first aid and much more.

Their daily duties are:

• patient admission,
• doing laboratory work,
• administering medications and anesthesia,
• restraining animals
• euthanasia.

To be more effective, this position requires post-secondary education, which will increase your job prospects and improves your self-confidence.

Due to their qualities, the places where they can work are numerous and the demand for them is great.

Becoming a Veterinary Technician in Delaware

The American Veterinary Medical Association’s Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities (CVTEA) determines the rules and requirements for veterinary technician education in Delaware.

Besides a high school diploma or the equivalent, the general classes such as biology, math, chemistry, sociology, and psychology are obligatory before enrolling in any of the accredited programs.

The application can be done online from November to February.

Educational Requirements for Veterinary Technicians in Delaware

The veterinary technology program accredited by the AVMA in Delaware is at Delaware Technical and Community College.

The curriculum involves classes on both critical thinking and research, as well as about anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, etc.

The students will get a chance to work with a variety of animals in classwork and labs, especially in the final semesters when they need to enter an internship.

During the internship, they are supposed to show what they have learned at school and how skillful they have become.

Associate’s Degree in Veterinary Technology is very affordable as fees and tuition are not so high.

Besides the regular financial aid available to US college students through the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) website, Delaware offers a special scholarship program called SEED (Student Excellence Equals Degree).

The students that are helped via SEED will have all their tuition costs paid and they only need to be good and devoted students with good grades.

Veterinary Technician Examination and License

The state of Delaware requires that veterinary technicians obtain a license after education.

This can be achieved by passing the Veterinary Technician National Examination which costs $300.

The exam is available only to the graduates from an accredited school.

In case you fail it for the first time, you may retake it.

The Delaware Division of Professional Regulation is in charge of licenses for veterinary technicians in Delaware and if the exam is passed, you should apply for it.

Upon getting the license, you can start working, but that is not the end of your education.

Veterinary technicians are required to pass twelve hours of continuing education every two years to keep their license current which can be done online.

The good thing for people who have gained licenses in other states is that Delaware has reciprocity agreements, which means that accredited licenses can be accepted in Delaware without taking any tests.

Job Prospects in Delaware

Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the employment of veterinary technicians is expected to grow due to the increasing number of animal owners and the necessity for new veterinary facilities which will be lacking the educated staff.

The veterinary technician can look for a job in clinics and hospitals and they can decide whether it will be a small private facility or large veterinary hospitals.

The finding of a satisfying job should not be a problem as the job offer in Delaware is huge.

All the necessary information about employment in Delaware can be found on:

• Delaware Veterinary Medical Association
• Veterinary Career Network
• National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America
• Vet Tech Life,
• Vetcetera.

Veterinary Technicians’ Average Annual Salary in Delaware

Wages for veterinary technicians are decent in most practices.

The amount of money they get is expected to increase in the years to come.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics is trying to find out how the annual salary of a veterinary technician varies among the cities around the USA and especially among the cities within one particular state.

The variations among major cities in Delaware exist but are not too significant.

It is estimated that an average veterinary technician’s annual salary ranges from $ 38 145 in Seaford up to $ 39 058 in Rehoboth Beach.

The average annual salary of technicians in Delaware is $38,860.

Regional Salary in Delaware

Veterinary Technician’s Duties

Veterinary technicians must have excellent communication skills as their job is cooperating with veterinarians and animal owners to achieve the best possible care and treatment of the animal.

Technicians must understand animal behavior to be able to help them and not get injured by them.

These people are detail-oriented and well-organized which is necessary to accomplish all their daily tasks.

Some of their duties include taking and developing x-rays, performing laboratory tests, administering injections and medication and manage pet emergency care services and first aid.

All the above-mentioned duties require highly developed skills and knowledge than can be gained only by attending appropriate veterinary education, thus making a veterinary technician more self-confident and prepared for all kinds of difficulties.

Summary

So, if you love animals, and have always dreamed about becoming a veterinarian, but you did not get a chance or could not afford to achieve this goal, a veterinarian technician may be an equally rewarding job for you.

The achieved satisfaction after the successful treatment of the animal is the same since the whole veterinary team has one goal and that is to help the animal in need.

Veterinary Technicians by State