What is the difference between a veterinary assistant and a veterinary technician?

Answer 1

AnswerThe difference between a veterinary techician and a veterinary assistant is the amount of education and credentialling required.

Veterinary assistants are not required to have any education related to the field of veterinary medicine or veterinary technology. There are voluntary educational opportunities; however these are not equivalent to a college degree programs and are instead basic vocational training. There is no over-sight by a professional body to ensure that the majority of these programs provide adequate or correct information. There is no requirement for hands-on training and instructors often have little or no experience or education in the veterinary field. There are a handful of certification programs that are designed and approved by veterinary professional organizations or that are offered by colleges which also offer accredited veteirnary technology programs and these are better choices for someone who wants to be a veterinary assistant. This is an entry level position for working in the veterinary field and is not a recognized profession in any state.

In contrast, veterinary technicians or technologists (the terminology varies somewhat depending upon clinic and degree) have generally completed a college program and received either an Associate's or Bachelor's degree in vet tech. In many states, vet techs also have to maintain state licensure, including ongoing continuing education.

Answer 2

A veterinary technician is (according to the American Veterinary Medical Association and the statutes in many states) a person who has a degree in veterinary technology from an AVMA accredited veterinary technology program and has met all of their state's requirements for credentialing as a veterinary technician. This usually entails having taken and passed both the Veterinary Technician National Exam and a state exam as well as getting a set amount of Continuing Education every year. In many states it is illegal to present yourself as a veterinary technician unless you have met these requirements and are licensed as a veterinary technician in that state. There are still some states that allow anyone regardless of education and training to be presented as a veterinary technician and many veterinarians use this term to mislead clients into feeling like they have well-educated and highly traine staff. It's like calling a person with no medical training that works at a human hospital a nurse. To determine the laws governing veterinary technicians a person should contact their state veterinary medical board or veterinary technician association.

A veterinary assistant is a person who assists in the medical care of animals but has not met the requirements for being a credentialed veterinary technician. Veterinary assistants may be "certified" however this type of credentialing holds no legal value and may be handed out by ANYONE regardless of their education, experience or training in veterinarymedicine so it's important to know what group has certified a veterinary assistant. There are many many veterinary assisting certification programs available online and on-site at high schools and colleges but many of them are taught be individuals with no training or experience in the courses that they are teaching. When choosing a veterinary assisting program, it is wise to choose one that is approved by a veterinary medical professional organization like a state veterinary medical association, that is offered through a college that offers an AVMA accredited veterinary technology program or which is taught by a trained veterinary professional such as a DVM or credentialed veterinary technician.