Veterinary Medicine and Vet Tech Careers

Transcription

1 Veterinary Medicine and Vet Tech Careers Unit: Animal Science and the Industry Problem Area: Animal Health and Administering Veterinary Care Student Learning Objectives. Instruction in this lesson should result in students achieving the following objectives: 1 Define the nature of the job for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary assistants. 2 Compare and contrast educational requirements for veterinary technicians and veterinarians. List of Resources. The following resources may be useful in teaching this lesson: Corresponding E-unit(s). Danville, IL: CAERT, Inc. List of Equipment, Tools, Supplies, and Facilities Copies of sample test Visuals from accompanying masters Copies of student lab sheet Page 1

2 Terms. The following terms are presented in this lesson (shown in bold italics): large food animals large non-food animals North American Veterinary Licensing Examination public health veterinarians small animal practitioners veterinarians veterinary assistants veterinary technicians zoonotic diseases Interest Approach. Use an interest approach that will prepare the students for the lesson. Teachers often develop approaches for their unique class and student situation. Two possible approaches are included here. Have a veterinarian, a veterinarian technician, or a veterinarian assistant come to class as a guest speaker to talk about job qualifications and daily job tasks. Ask the guest speaker to talk about the educational requirements. If a veterinarian comes as a guest speaker, ask him or her to talk about the difficulties of being admitted to a veterinary school. Give the students a non-graded quiz on veterinary careers before you start the lesson. This will show how much the students already know about veterinary medicine and veterinary technician careers. There should be 10 questions dealing with educational requirements, job responsibilities, and career paths in the field. A prize can be given to the students with the most correct answers. Refer to VM A for a true/false quiz. SUMMARY OF CONTENT AND TEACHING STRATEGIES Objective 1: Define the nature of the job for veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary assistants. Anticipated Problem: What is required of veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and veterinary assistants on the job? I. Veterinarians are doctors who care for animals by diagnosing and treating diseases. They work with injured animals, give vaccinations, and help with breeding programs. Veterinary technicians do lab work, run clinical procedures, and assist the Page 2

3 veterinarian in treating and diagnosing diseases. Veterinary technicians are similar to nurses or physician s assistants in doctor s offices, and veterinary assistants work alongside vets or senior vet techs. These jobs require a lot of work and dedication. A. In the United States, approximately 80 percent of veterinarians work in private clinical practice. Small animal practitioners only practice on small companion animals (e.g., dogs, cats, birds, hamsters, and reptiles). Around 10 percent of veterinarians work with food animals (e.g., cattle, pigs, sheep, goats, and poultry) that are referred to as large food animals because they are used for human consumption. Vets can also work with large non-food animals, like horses, that are used for recreational purposes. A mixed practice allows them to work with small and large animals. Zoos or aquariums with exotic or marine animals may be ideal for the more adventurous vet. B. Around 20 percent of veterinarians work for public and corporate businesses. 1. They can work at any level of government, performing tests or working on disease control in companion animals, livestock, and poultry. Public health veterinarians investigate and try to prevent outbreaks of animal and human diseases, including rabies, avian influenza, and West Nile virus. They work with zoonotic diseases diseases carried by animals that humans can contract. 2. Veterinarians can find jobs in the research field and work for pharmaceutical and biomedical companies. In the biomedical field, they will develop, test, and supervise the production of drugs and chemicals that will be used by humans and animals. 3. Veterinarians can teach at veterinary medical schools. 4. Veterinarians can also find jobs with the military, space agencies, zoos and aquariums, or with food safety and animal health inspection agencies. C. Veterinary technicians perform many of the laboratory testing procedures that are associated with animal care. During routine examinations, the veterinary tech will help in restraining the animal, as needed. They also perform ear cleaning and nail clipping as a part of regular animal care. 1. Half of a veterinary tech s job is running laboratory tests on a daily basis. These procedures include running tests on samples of stool, urine, and blood in addition to taking radiographs or X-rays. 2. They also assist in necropsies with the veterinarian to determine cause of death. A necropsy is a dissection performed on animals to determine the cause of death, similar to an autopsy performed on humans. 3. Veterinary technicians in private practices or in a clinic also help with preparing animals for surgery. They help in surgery by monitoring anesthesia and by watching the animal s vital signs: respiration, heart rate, and temperature. 4. Veterinary technicians also administer fluids and medication to sick animals. 5. Veterinary technicians may assist in euthanization, but they cannot administer the euthanasia solution without the direct supervision of a veterinarian. 6. They cannot prescribe medicine, diagnose diseases, perform surgery, or engage in any other act prohibited by a state s practice act. Page 3

4 D. Veterinary technicians also have various job opportunities. 1. Vet techs can work in zoos. The duties are similar to the duties of veterinary technicians who work in private practices, except they may be working with exotic or endangered animals. The job market for zoo veterinary technicians is competitive. Currently, there are only 50 zoo veterinary technicians working in the United States. 2. Veterinary technicians can perform research for veterinary medicine or medical science programs. Most research duties involve running lab tests. 3. Technicians are needed in rural areas to treat farm animals (e.g., pigs, cows, horses, sheep, and chickens). 4. Veterinary technicians can train animals in obedience schools or businesses that work with entertainment animals. E. Veterinary assistants 1. These jobs do not require any formal training. 2. Veterinary assistants can give medication (under direct supervision), clean cages, restrain animals during exams, and pull blood for tests. Assign the corresponding E-unit(s). Lead a discussion on the importance of jobs in the veterinary medicine field. Encourage students to discuss why we need veterinarians and veterinary technicians in today s society. Have the students take notes. Objective 2: Compare and contrast educational requirements for veterinary technicians and veterinarians. Anticipated Problem: What are the educational requirements to become a veterinarian or a veterinary technician? II. The demand for veterinarians and veterinary technicians is on the rise in today s society. People who are interested in pursuing careers in this field need to be aware of the educational requirements for various positions. A. In high school, students should be enrolled in a college-preparatory program if they are thinking of becoming veterinarians or veterinary technicians. They need to place a strong emphasis on math and science classes. Other beneficial classes are animal science classes in the agriculture department, computer programming classes, and speech classes. Extracurricular activities (e.g., FFA, 4-H, or science clubs) are suggested. Working summer jobs with a local veterinarian is also a good way to start practicing technical skills and learning about veterinary medicine. B. The educational requirements for veterinarians can be very demanding. 1. Applying to veterinary school is an involved process that includes lots of paperwork and sometimes an interview with the school. Students must first graduate with a bachelor s degree from an accredited college, with a strong background in science and math. Applicants must obtain a satisfactory score on the Grad- Page 4

5 uate Record Examination, have excellent grades, and have 200 to 500 hours of experience in the animal field. 2. Being accepted for admission is a competitive process because there are many applicants and only 28 accredited veterinary schools in the United States. It typically takes four years to graduate. All states require veterinarians to be licensed to practice, and the North American Veterinary Licensing Examination is the test students must pass to obtain their licenses. Each state also has its own examination and requirements that a veterinarian must pass to be licensed to practice in that state. C. Veterinarian technicians need to obtain an associate s degree from one of the 65 accredited colleges or technical schools in the United States. Some schools have four-year bachelor s degree programs in veterinary technology. Technicians are required to have an internship with a veterinary clinic, zoological center, research facility, or teaching institution before graduation. They need a strong background in math, science, and communication skills. In addition, veterinary technicians must pass the Veterinary Technician National Examination to become a registered veterinary technician. Have the students make a Venn diagram comparing educational requirements for veterinarians and veterinary technicians. Have the students take notes when going over this objective. Students may also research these jobs further by using the U.S. Department of Labor s resource: The Occupational Outlook Handbook, which is available online. Review/Summary. Use the student learning objectives to summarize the lesson. Have students explain the content associated with each objective. Student responses can be used to determine which objectives need to be reviewed or taught from a different angle. The anticipated problems in this lesson and Checking Your Knowledge in the corresponding E-unit(s) may also be used in the review/summary. Application. Use the included visual masters and lab sheet to apply the information presented in the lesson. Evaluation. Evaluation should focus on student achievement of the objectives for the lesson. Various techniques can be used, such as student performance on the application activities. The sample written test can also be used. Answers to Sample Test: Part One: Matching 1. b 2. e 3. d Page 5

6 4. a 5. c Part Two: Short Answer 1. Answers will vary. Below are jobs similar to what students may list. small animal practitioner public health veterinarian teaching and research at a university working with the military working at a zoo with exotic animals 2. Answers will vary. Below are high school courses similar to what students may list. upper level math courses biological sciences animal science courses chemistry biotechnology courses Part Three: Completion 1. North American Veterinary Licensing Examination 2. necropsy 3. Small animal practitioners 4. veterinary technician 5. Public health veterinarians Page 6

7 Sample Test Name Veterinary Medicine and Vet Tech Careers Part One: Matching Instructions: Match the term with the correct definition. a. zoonotic diseases b. veterinarian c. veterinarian technician d. large food animal e. large non-food animal 1. A person who cares for animals by diagnosing and treating diseases 2. An animal that is used for recreational purposes 3. An animal that is used for human consumption 4. Something that is carried by animals that humans can contract 5. A person who does lab work for the animals, runs clinical procedures, and assists the veterinarian in treating and diagnosing diseases Part Two: Short Answer Instructions: Complete the following. 1. Name three jobs in veterinary medicine. 2. What are some high school courses a student should take if he or she is considering a career in veterinary medicine? Page 7

8 Part Three: Completion Instructions: Provide the word or words to complete the following statements. 1. The test every veterinary student must pass to obtain his or her license to practice in known as the. 2. A(n) is an autopsy performed on animals. 3. only practice on little companion animals, such as dogs, cats, and birds. 4. A(n) works next to a veterinarian or senior technician in surgery or assists with lab work. 5. investigate and try to prevent outbreaks of animal and human diseases. Page 8

9 VM A LIST OF SCHOOLS OF VETERINARY MEDICINE Auburn Colorado State Cornell Iowa State Kansas State Louisiana State Michigan State Mississippi State North Carolina State Ohio State Oklahoma State Oregon State Purdue Texas A&M Tufts Tuskegee of California, Davis of Florida of Georgia of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign of Minnesota of Missouri of Pennsylvania of Tennessee of Wisconsin-Madison Virginia-Maryland Regional of Veterinary Medicine Washington State Western of Health Sciences Page 9

10 VM B LIST OF SCHOOLS WITH VETERINARY TECHNICIAN PROGRAMS The lists of schools below have full accreditation from AVMA. There are a total of 145 schools that are accredited through AVMA. If a state is not listed, no accredited program exists in that state. Alabama Jefferson State Community Arizona Pima Community California California State Polytechnic Colorado Colorado Mountain Connecticut Quinnipiac Delaware Delaware Technical and Community Florida Brevard Community Georgia Fort Valley State Idaho of Southern Idaho Illinois Parkland Indiana Purdue Iowa Kirkwood Community Kansas Colby Community Kentucky Morehead State Louisiana Northwestern State of Louisiana Maine of Bangor Maryland Essex Campus of the Community Page 10

11 Massachusetts Becker Michigan Michigan State Minnesota Argosy Mississippi Hinds Community Missouri Jefferson Nebraska Nebraska college of Technical Agriculture Nevada of Southern Nevada New Hampshire Great Bay Community New Jersey Camden County New Mexico Central New Mexico Community New York Mercy North Carolina Asheville-Buncombe Technical Community North Dakota North Dakota State Ohio Columbus State Community Oklahoma Oklahoma State Oregon Portland Community Puerto Rico of Puerto Rico South Carolina Tri-County Technical South Dakota National American Tennessee Lincoln Memorial Texas Cedar Valley Utah Utah Career Vermont Vermont Technical Virginia Blue Ridge Community Washington Pierce Ft. Steilacoom Wisconsin Madison Area Technical Wyoming Eastern Wyoming Page 11

12 LS A Name Veterinary Medicine Careers Purpose The purpose of this activity is to have the students prepare a PowerPoint to have a more in-depth look at all career options in veterinary medicine. Objectives 1. Demonstrate computer skills by conducting research on the computer. 2. Create a PowerPoint presentation. 3. Explain opportunities for specific jobs in the veterinary medicine and veterinary tech careers to your classmates. Materials computers with online access computer projector writing utensil paper Procedure 1. Select a veterinary medicine career field or obtain an assignment from your teacher. Some sample careers in veterinary medicine are listed below to get you started. 2. Schedule two or more hours to research the job on the Internet, in the library, or through interviews with people in the field. 3. Prepare a five- to 10-minute presentation on the career using PowerPoint. 4. Present the information you have found on the veterinary medicine career to the class using your PowerPoint presentation. Sample Jobs in Veterinary Medicine Private small animal practice Private large animal practice Equestrian veterinarian Zoo veterinarian Animal and plant health inspection service Food safety and inspection service U.S. Public Health Service Communicable disease research United States Food and Drug Administration The Peace Corps Animal pharmaceuticals Institutional teaching and research Marine biology Extension veterinarian Military care of dogs and horses Military disease prevention Page 12