The Benefits of Working as a Veterinary Assistant
Veterinary assistants play an important role in the veterinary medicine industry by assisting veterinarians in the diagnosis and treatment of animals. They aren’t licensed veterinarians. Rather, veterinary assistants are paravetinary professionals who work under the guidance and supervision of a licensed veterinarian. Also known simply as vet assistants, they perform a variety of tasks related to the medical care of animals, some of which include weighing, feeding, bathing, walking and even administering medication. So, what the benefits of working as a veterinary assistant?
Work With Animals
Veterinary assistants get to work firsthand with animals in their day-to-day activities. Most veterinary professionals enter this industry because they are passionate about animals. They have an innate drive to help injured and sick animals — and veterinary assistants are no exception. By working as a veterinary assistant, you’ll have the opportunity to fulfill your passion by caring for all types of animals. It’s a rewarding feeling knowing that you are making a positive difference in the lives of so many animals as well as their respective owners.
Easy to Start
The barrier of entry to become a veterinary assistant is lowering than that of most other veterinary professions. You don’t have to complete a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) program, nor do you have to complete any other degree program. The only formal education you need to become a veterinary assistant is a high school diploma.
With that said, some colleges do, in fact, offer certification programs for veterinary assistants. Certification is optional, but it can help distinguish you from other candidates when seeking a job as a veterinary assistant. Regardless, finding a job as a veterinary assistant should be relatively easy as long as you have a high school diploma and are passionate about animals.
Learn and Develop Veterinary Skills
You’ll learn and develop veterinary skills while working as a veterinary assistant. If you have aspirations of earning your DVM and becoming a licensed veterinarian one day, these skills can prove invaluable in your efforts.
Veterinary assistants work under the supervision of licensed veterinarians. Therefore, they are able to see how veterinarians perform tasks related to the medical care of animals. It’s not a substitute for formal veterinary education, such as a DVM, but seeing how veterinarians work in a practical environment can help you learn and develop essential veterinary skills. You can then apply to these skills in your pursuit of other veterinary professions.
Paid Profession
While they don’t get paid as much as their licensed counterparts, veterinary assistants still receive monetary compensation. It’s a paid profession that allows you to earn a paycheck while working with animals.
Volunteer veterinarians, on the other hand, don’t get paid. They offer their time and labor for free to various clinics. Some veterinary assistants get paid a salary, whereas others get paid hourly. Regardless, all veterinary assistants earn money for their hard work.
In Demand
With millions of Americans owning pets, it’s safe to say that veterinary assistants are in demand. Pet owners visit veterinary clinics to receive professional medical care for their animals. At veterinary clinics, veterinary assistants work alongside licensed veterinarians to care for these animals.
There’s only so much that licensed veterinarians can do themselves. Like all doctors, they often need assistance performing their activities. Veterinary assistants are the professionals who help licensed veterinarians. They are a critical asset for all veterinary clinics, so there’s a strong demand for veterinary assistants throughout the country. If veterinary clinics didn’t hire assistants, their veterinarians would be overburdened to the point where they couldn’t offer adequate and high-quality care to all their clients’ animals.
Career Advancement Opportunities
Not only will you get paid while working as a veterinary assistant, but you’ll have the opportunity to advance to other veterinary professions. You won’t get stuck in a dead-end job that offers little or no room for career advancement. As a veterinary assistant, you can progress towards other professions.
After working as a veterinary assistant for an extended period, you may want to enroll in a veterinary technician program. Like veterinary assistants, veterinary technicians must have a high school diploma. However, they must also complete a degree program, which typically takes about two years. But the career advancement opportunities don’t end there. You can go to complete a four-year program to work as a veterinary technologist, or you can enroll in a DVM program to become a licensed veterinarian. Even then, you may want to open and start your own veterinary clinic. As you can see, working as a veterinary assistant offers a myriad of career advancement opportunities.
In Conclusion
Working as a veterinary assistant offers many benefits. You’ll be able to care for animals on a daily basis, learn and develop essential veterinary skills, get paid, advance your career and more. Furthermore, no formal education other than a high school diploma is needed to become a veterinary assistant.
