Are there advancement opportunities for a veterinarian

Lectures and courses on ultrasonography, dentistry, low-stress handling, emergency medicine, and many other topics are available. Low-cost or free online CE webinars have increased since the start of the pandemic. Be sure to showcase your career development during your annual review by highlighting any CE courses you have completed. Licensing and formal certification carry many benefits, including standardized education criteria and credentials that potential employers can easily peruse.

Additional certifications might also open the door to new positions and increased compensation. Here are 3 examples of certifications you can pursue depending on your current position and career goals:. To pursue certification, research the requirements in your state and find a program near you keep in mind that many programs are now online. Your certification may also include hands-on hands-on training in a veterinary practice. For licensed technicians, specialization offers an avenue to expand your knowledge, skills, responsibilities, and opportunities.

Most specialties are practiced in specialty and emergency hospitals, but some specialty areas, such as dentistry and nutrition, are practiced commonly in general practices as well. Either way, your specialized knowledge will help you become more valuable to your practice while improving the quality of care you provide your patients. Becoming certified allows potential employers to verify that the vet tech has graduated from an accredited program of veterinary technology, in addition to successfully passing the Veterinary Technician National Examination VTNE.

These achievements verify the fact that the certified vet tech is capable of carrying out all of the duties his or her profession requires, without requiring any onsite training. In fact, many employers generally will not hire non-certified vet techs. Finally, for vet techs who intend to move at some point in their career, certification can make it much easier to obtain a license in their destination state.

Licensure by endorsement is usually available only to those individuals who hold either a state certification or a certification conferred by a recognized private organization. This makes obtaining certification a vital step in the professional career of any vet tech, especially those who may at some point decide to work as a veterinary technician in another state.

An excellent method to ensure fast advancement as a veterinary technician is to obtain as much hands on experience as possible. In many cases, working as an intern before or immediately after the vet tech graduates from his or her program can provide invaluable experience in the veterinary field. In general, vet techs that have completed internships are attractive to potential employers because they have demonstrated an ability to work in a functioning veterinary setting, as opposed to having no real world veterinary experience.

Veterinarians who specialize in diagnostics include those with advanced training in pathology and microbiology. These specialists focus their careers on developing and utilizing state of the art equipment and techniques to analyze samples such as tissue or blood in order to deliver accurate, innovative, and timely diagnostic and consultative services to the veterinary and animal health community. Diagnostic laboratories may be associated with veterinary or medical teaching hospitals or may be privately owned and operated.

In diagnostic labs affiliated with teaching hospitals, veterinary specialists are often also involved with teaching and research. Various businesses and organizations employ experienced veterinarians as full-time or part-time consultants. To be a successful consultant requires advanced skills developed through years of experience and advanced training and education.

These veterinarians advise private businesses such as ranches, dairies, poultry farms, and meat processing facilities. All states in the U.

As public health officials, they continually inspect milk, meats, and other animal food products to make sure they are safe to consume. In regulatory medicine, public health veterinarians inspect meat, poultry, and dairy products, test for livestock disease, and oversee interstate transport of animals.

Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, most states have continuing education requirements for vets; these vary by state but will involve attending a class or demonstrating knowledge of recent medical techniques. There is also an opportunity for advancement for vets who gain knowledge in nontraditional services such as cancer treatment, preventative dental care, and healing therapies such as acupuncture and massage. Based in Allentown, Penn. What Opportunites for Advancement Exist for Veterinarians?

Lindy Speakman.