What is the difference between a veterinary technician and a laboratory animal technician?

Answer 1

A veterinary technician in most states is someone who has graduated from an AVMA accredited veterinary technology college degree program and then taken both the Veterinary Technician National Exam and a state exam to achieve credentials. Licensure, registration or certification are all types of credentials that may be granted depending on the state that the veterinary technician lives/works in. However, there are still some states where there is no requirement for a formal education in veterinary technology in order to work as a veterinary technician. A Laboratory Animal Technician is a person who has been certified by the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science. Certification represents a requisite number of years experience specifically in laboratory animal science with the requirement varying based upon education. There are no specific educational requirements to become an LAT except that you are required to have fewer years of hands on experience if you have some sort of college degree. Many LAT's earn a degree in Veterinary Technology prior to going to work in a laboratory and earning their LAT because the course material for a veterinary technician is applicable in many ways--anatomy and physiology, biological sample collection, etc. Veterinary Technology programs generally offer a laboratory animal course that specifically covers the special care and handling of laboratory animlas.