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Two year program prepares future veterinarians

BY ANNE STRAUB
Brevard Technical Journal

Many people who enter the veterinary profession have nursed a love for animals since childhood. At Brevard Community College, they acquire the head knowledge to put their passion to use.
BCC’s Veterinary Technology program works to train students to fill what those in the industry say is a shortage of certified veterinary technicians.
“There’s a huge need,” said Dr. Jeff Godwin, a veterinarian for Animal Medical Clinic in Melbourne. As part of the Brevard County Veterinary Medical Association, his practice and others worked to start the local program, which graduated its first class in 1997.
At the time, St. Petersburg College was the only institution in Florida training veterinary technicians. BCC became the second, and later was joined by Hillsborough Community College and Miami Dade College.
For technicians without formal education in the field, on-the-job training fills the gap. But that teaches primarily only the hows without the whys, noted Dr. Laura Earle, a veterinarian who serves as program coordinator for BCC. Students who earn a degree and then pass the national certification exam are better at assisting a veterinarian, she said. They know anesthesiology better, they know more about parasites, and they have knowledge that helps them know what to look for when examining cells under a microscope, for example, she said.
“We like to think, too, they have more critical thinking skills,” said Michelle Earltinez, clinical coordinator for the program. They compare the difference in technical skills between a technician trained on the job and a certified technician to the difference between a licensed practical nurse and a registered nurse.
The two-year program offers an associate of science degree and is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association. Most graduates take jobs at private veterinary practices, where they earn $10 to $12 an hour to start, and up to $13 to $15 an hour after they have some experience. Most practices offer benefits, as well, including medical insurance, a retirement plan and pet care at cost.
The program’s facility on the Cocoa campus is filled with high-tech equipment, primarily acquired through donations. Students learn about anesthesiology, radiology, dental exams, surgery and more using equipment similar to what they’ll find in the field.
As part of the program, students perform internships with a roster of more than 50 veterinarians throughout the state. They’ll have worked in four different practices by the time they graduate.
Animal Medical Clinic provides a site for students to get experience and has hired graduates. “They have more skills and knowledge than we’re able to teach as on-the-job training,” Godwin said, noting the certified technicians are able to perform tasks with less supervision, freeing the veterinarian to see to other needs.
Technicians without formal training can pursue coursework through the program, either full time or through continuing education. Opportunities are available to focus on a particular area – such as dentistry or critical care –through continuing education.
Each year, the program gets about 50 applications for the two-year program and accepts no more than 25. The class just starting includes 22 students. They have a high standard to uphold: The program boasts a 100 percent pass rate on the national certification exam.
Students spend much of the first year in classroom instruction, with more hands-on experience coming in the second year. “It’s a very hard program. There’s a lot of science involved,” said Earle, a graduate of the University of Florida. She and Earltinez, a certified veterinary technician trained at the University of Maine, make up the only full-time faculty. Instructors are primarily practicing veterinarians and vet techs.
Most graduates work for vets in private practices, but possibilities are varied. There are jobs to be had at Lion Country Safari in West Palm Beach, Mote Marine Laboratory in Sarasota, and in military service, humane societies, research and vet supply sales
The program fields three to five calls a week from veterinary practices across the country looking for certified technicians. “There are lots of jobs out there,” Earle said.
For more information visit www.brevard.cc.fl.us