Veterinary Medicine: The Care of Horses
This page of our website was developed as a guide for anyone who may be interested in a career in veterinary medicine and specifically its application to the care of horses. There are many facets to equine practice and many different vocations that involve to one degree or another caring for medical needs of horses.
Veterinarian: As a veterinarian, a graduate would be awarded one of two degrees. A DVM or doctor of veterinary medicine is the most awarded degree. A VMD is also a veterinary degree that stands for Veterinary Medical Doctor and is the exclusive degree awarded at the University of Pennsylvania. This is a private veterinary college located in Philadelphia. Essentially the same degree, they are earned by attendance and completion of a four-year program at an accredited veterinary college. There are currently 28 accredited programs in the United States. Compare this with medical schools, of which there are four in Missouri alone, and it is easy to understand why with classes of 80 to 100 students, there is such intense competition for admission. For a listing of accredited veterinary colleges, go to http://www.aavmc.org/students_admissions/vet_schools.htm.
Veterinary Technicians: Veterinary technicians are comparable to nurses in the medical field. Trained in all aspects of delivering care for patients, highly trained technicians are invaluable to veterinary practices and hospitals like ours. Technicians attend two or four-year programs and these are also accredited programs. The degrees that technicians obtain include RVT, Registered Veterinary Technicians, CVT, Certified Veterinary Technicians, and LVT or Licensed Veterinary Technician. For more information on a career as a veterinary technician click here.
Veterinary Assistants: In addition to the field of veterinary technology, there are programs that are abbreviated or condensed and provide training in veterinary assisting. These programs provide limited training and experience but could serve as a stepping-stone toward a licensed technician’s degree.
Intensive Care Attendants: We have developed a specific program for training and educating people interested in horses and gaining experience within the veterinary field. This program was developed in response to our need for part-time assistants that could be assigned to intensive or critical care patients and provide more one on one observation and care. The only requirement for participation in this program is established hands on experience with handling horses. For more information regarding the Attendants Program contact Tara and request a brochure.
VETERINARY TECHNICIANS IN EQUINE PRACTICE
If you care about animals, specifically horses, and are good at basic math, science, decision making, and like working with people, a career as a veterinary technician may be right for you. Veterinary technicians play a vital role in animal health care. The technician provides professional support to the veterinarian in the same way that nurses assist doctors in the human medical field.
Responsibilities of a technician may include physical evaluations, obtaining patient histories and information, assisting doctors in procedures, collecting samples (blood, urine, skin, etc.), and performing laboratory procedures. They also provide nursing care such as wound treatments, bandaging, physical therapy, placing IV catheters, installing stomach tubes and critical care on newborn animals. Technicians will also assist in surgeries including anesthesia induction, maintenance and monitoring throughout the procedure and recovery. Other skills veterinary technicians may develop include radiography, dental procedures, and the care of surgical equipment and instruments. The list of technician’s responsibilities varies widely depending on the type of practice and below is a list of some areas of opportunities for trained technicians.
Career opportunities include:
General Practice
Specialty Practice
Biomedical Research
Diagnostic Laboratory Positions
College or Veterinary Schools
Veterinary Supply Company or Sales
Zoo Practice
Humane Societiesi
Nutrition or Feed Companies
Military Positions
Education: For a career in veterinary medicine and veterinary technology you should focus on math, general sciences and biology.
Experience: This is usually required for entry into a veterinary technician program.
Experience can be obtained by volunteering or working at a local veterinary hospital, grooming or boarding facility, or stable. The St. Louis Zoo and Humane Society also
offer classes that provide students with opportunities to volunteer and gain experience.
A veterinary technician is a graduate of an AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) approved technology program. This is most commonly a two year (Associate in Applied Sciences) degree. There are 108 such programs in the United States. There are three colleges in Missouri that offer these programs: Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Maple Woods Community College in Kansas City and Sandford Brown College in St. Peters. In Illinois programs are offered at Parkland College in Champaign and Joliet Junior College in Joliet.
An externship is required between the first and second year where you work in a veterinary hospital for a total number of required hours. After completion of the veterinary technology program the student takes the national board exam and additional state testing as required by each individual state. Upon successful completion of this exam a veterinary technician license is awarded. Technicians are referred to as licensed, registered or certified, depending on the nomenclature of each specific state. Yearly continuing education (going to a state or national meeting on veterinary medicine) is required by most states to maintain licensing.
A veterinary assistant assists the technician or veterinarian. The AVMA does not accredit any veterinary assistant programs and these graduates are not eligible to take the national board exam or for licensing as a technician.
It is also possible for technicians to focus on areas of specialization. Currently there are these specialty groups where you can earn additional certification: emergency and critical care, anesthesia, dental, behavior and equine medicine.
The job market is very good for veterinary technicians. Opportunities are available locally and in many areas of the country. As medical technology advances into the veterinary field, so do the opportunities for technicians.
Resources available:
Jefferson College
Veterinary Technology Program
100 Viking Drive
Hillsboro, MO 63050
636-942-3000 www.jeffco.edu
2yr A.A.S. program fully accredited
Maple Woods Community College
Veterinary Technology Program
2601 NE Barry Road
Kansas City, MO 64156
816-437-3235 www.mcckc.edu/vettech
2yr A.A.S. program fully accredited
A veterinary technician is a graduate of an AVMA (American Veterinary Medical Association) approved technology program. This is most commonly a two year (Associate in Applied Sciences) degree. There are 108 such programs in the United States. There are three colleges in Missouri that offer these programs: Jefferson College in Hillsboro, Maple Woods Community College in Kansas City and Sandford Brown College in St. Peters. In Illinois programs are offered at Parkland College in Champaign and Joliet Junior College in Joliet.