Roles in Veterinary Medicine
The Patient Experience
Walking into a veterinary clinic is overwhelming. If you are an introverted extrovert like me, the fact that you made the appointment and didn't cancel just because you didn't want to leave the house is a minor miracle.
It is stressful enough trying to remember why you are there, while answering millions of questions multiple times.
"It takes a team of employees all working together to have an appointment run smoothly. As a veterinarian, I could not do my job without them."
The goal of this post is to answer the question: Who are all of you people?
Two of the greatest veterinary assistants in the profession.
1. Licensed Veterinary Technician (LVT)
The Anatomy: The Backbone
The Qualifications: While it varies by state, an LVT must attend an accredited college, pass a national board exam, and complete continuing education annually.
The Role: They do everything in the hospital except perform surgery and prescribe medication.
They are usually covered in scratches and bruises.
2. Veterinary Assistants
The Anatomy: The Muscle
The Qualifications: There are no formal degree requirements, but on-the-job training is intense.
The Role: Restraining animals, drawing blood, running lab work, and caring for hospitalized patients.
Fearless. In my experience, assistants will charge into a room to restrain a fractious cat or walk a dog three times their size without hesitation.
3. Reception Staff
The Anatomy: The Face (I started with anatomy terms accidentally, and it is too late to turn back now).
The Role: They are the first and last people you see. They handle the tasks the rest of us are terrified of (phones, money, and scheduling).
The Power: They are the Triage Masters. They determine if your pet needs to be seen immediately (Emergency) or if it can wait.
The Safety Net: They are the last line of defense to catch any mistakes the medical staff might have made.
4. Veterinarians
The Anatomy: The Digestive System (I don't know, I'm committed to the bit at this point).
The Role: With years of schooling, mentorship, and reliance on the internet, we process all the information (history, symptoms, labs) to provide a diagnosis and treatment without having a "brain fart."
The Joke: Sorry, I probably pushed too hard for a poop joke there. It ended up sounding corny.
Summary: Choose Your Character
Are you interested in a career in veterinary medicine? Watch the team during your next visit to see where you fit in:
The Assistant: If you are a fan of wrangling a pug for a nail trim or want to see if the profession is for you, start here.
The Technician: If drawing blood, placing IV catheters, and monitoring anesthesia sounds fun, go to tech school.
The Veterinarian: If you like spending 20 years in school to accrue insurmountable debt just so you can write pun-filled blogs... congratulations, you too can become a DVM.
