Veterinary Technician Career Training

Veterinary Technicians assist veterinarians with a wide variety of procedures and tasks, typically at veterinary hospitals and clinics. That means you’ll be supporting veterinary doctors with lab procedures, exams, and animal care. You’ll also work with pet owners and animal care providers to provide education and guidance for proper care and treatment, based upon the doctor’s instructions. Your patients might include exotic animals, birds, large animals, and typical household pets, such as cats and dogs. You’ll provide comfort to both the pet and the pet’s caregiver and great customer service and help ensure a clean and safe veterinary environment.

Veterinary Technicians (vet techs) perform a wide variety of functions, depending on the type of practice they work within. Vet techs might administer anesthesia, perform dental prophylaxis, establish and open airways, administer resuscitative oxygen procedures, administer external cardiac resuscitation, and administer medication. You’ll provide wellness care, assist with exams, and more.

Administrative duties might include supporting, scheduling, and communicating with animals owners/care providers; billing and bookkeeping; and general office management or support.

The IMBC Veterinary Technician A.S.T. training program will teach you to perform these administrative and clinical skills. Since this is a specialized associate degree program, you will also take general courses, such as English, math, and biology.

Toward the completion of your program, all students will participate in an externship that lets you practice your new skills in a real veterinary setting with professional supervision. Before beginning an externship, you will be required to meet the following:

• Ability to tolerate walking and standing for sustained and prolonged periods of time (85% of workday).
• Capable of lifting from floor to waist level and/or carrying up to fifty pounds unassisted frequently and more with assistance occasionally.
• Ability to bend over at the waist, twist the trunk, squat, kneel, reach above the head, and have sufficient grip strength. Have the body size, conformation, and fitness to do the physical work required of a technician.
• Ability to see, to speak in English, and to hear well enough to communicate observations about animals, and to possess arm and hand steadiness — as well as finger dexterity — to operate equipment and work with animals.
• Obtain medical insurance prior to the start of the clinical procedures course.

Some employers and externship sites may require a criminal background check or drug test. Please speak with your admissions representative prior to enrolling in this program if this presents an obstacle for you. Additionally, graduates may need to relocate to obtain gainful employment.