Where do you train to become a vet?

Veterinarian surgical technicians assist veterinarians and veterinary surgeons with surgical procedures. They may also be expected to assist with pre-surgery preparations including scrubbing and shaving or disinfecting a surgical site, sterilizing instruments and equipment, diagnostic lab tests, preparing surgical equipment and materials, bandaging wounds or surgical sites, and changing wound dressings. Depending on the veterinarian (s) and the practice, they may also be involved with administrative paperwork, patient intake, or emergency treatment and triage.

Veterinary surgical technicians may specialize in a particular field, for instance, small animals, large animals, or as equine surgical technicians. In all cases, they need to be extremely comfortable working with animals who are ill or in pain, they may need to have better than average physical agility and strength, strong powers of observation, the ability to pay attention to details, and a willingness to work non-standard and long hours that will frequently involve shift work, nights and weekends, and possibly working outside in inclement weather.

Veterinary surgical technicians have at least two years of specialized college training after high school. Often prospective veterinary surgical technicians train as a veterinary technician first, then apply for certification as a surgical tech after meeting the criteria. There are a number of schools offering two-year courses for veterinary technicians, but fewer that specifically train future veterinary surgical technicians. The best schools offer hands-on clinics and are accredited by The National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA). You can find a list of veterinary technician programs with a surgical emphasis here.

The Academy of Veterinary Surgical Technicians (AVST) offers VTS certification to vet techs that have at least 6000 hours (3 years) of vet tech work experience, with at least 4500 of those hours consisting of supervised surgical work. This is an exceedingly common way to specialize as a veterinary surgical technician.

Once you have met the requirements for hands-on experience, you can take the specialized veterinary surgical technician exam administered each year at the American College of Veterinary Surgeons Symposium (ACVS). After certification as a qualified veterinary surgical technician, state requirements regarding certification and licensing must still be met. The requirements for licensing vary from state to state, but most states require successfully passing The Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE) in addition to any other exam or certification.