How do I respond? I remain quiet.

I make no secret that I am a substantial proponent of respecting the Veterinary Technician title. It makes sense that the entry level, standardized test entitled the Veterinary Technician National Exam (VTNE) would be the major delineation between Veterinary Assistant and Veterinary Technician. It is literally the ONE THING you need in the USA to be allowed to use the Veterinary Technician title. Each state decides whether you are Certified, Registered, or Licensed, but to have the general title of Veterinary Technician, you must pass the entry level, standardized exam. This makes sense, yes?  To be a police officer, you have to pass proficiency exams. To be a cosmetologist, you have to pass proficiency exams. Everyone is held to the same basic, entry level standards of education, knowledge, and proficiency. Registered Nurses, Medical Doctors, and Veterinary Doctors all have to pass the same genre of entry level, standardized proficiency exams to obtain and use their titles and perform their jobs.

For whatever reason, a large number of people don’t think that this same basic rule applies to Veterinary Technicians. And so they’ll call everyone who is a support staff member, regardless of education, regardless of knowledge or experience, and regardless of proficiency a veterinary technician because for whatever reason, a person who provides nursing care for multiple species doesn’t need to have any form of standardized knowledge, education, or experience. Basically, the career field is just a pool of flotsam and jetsam to those who love puppies and kittens. 

Countless DVMs say they started out as vet techs before they went to Veterinary school to be a Real Professional. Keep in mind, the vast majority of these veterinarians did not hold the Veterinary Technician title, because they never went to school or took the test. This, in turn, fuels the ignorance and disregard for the Vet Tech Profession possibly because vets don’t want to look bad by being hippocrites, claiming to be former VTs but not referring to their current Vet Assistants as Assistants. Either that, or they don’t have any respect for the education, knowledge, and proficiency required to be a Vet Tech because they didn’t go through what we went through. They skipped over it to go to Vet School and don’t understand that we do, in fact, have a rigorous curriculum with actual AVMA and AAHA standards of education and medicine. 

Recently, a DVM I adore, respect, and admire said something that cut me deeply. She respects me and my license and my experience, along with my talents...or so I thought. We were discussing how we had just hired a person who had gone through Vet School but didn’t pass the NAVLE, the standardized entry level test to call yourself a Veterinarian. The person was to be scheduled for Vet Tech shifts. The DVM I admire said it would be “demeaning” to have gone through all that school “just to work as a Tech”. 

I don’t understand. 

I went through “all that school” to actually claim MY title. I took the test to claim MY title. I keep my license and CE up to date to claim MY title. And she calls people without any experience, schooling, proficiency, or VTNE score MY title. MY CAREER FIELD IS VALID AND WORTHY OF RESPECT.  And saying that someone who has not performed all the duties to be called a Veterinarian  (yet) would be “demeaned” by taking on a roll so unworthy of them. 

Why is it that YOUR schooling is so important that not respecting the degree is so abhorrent, but the schooling for a Veterinary Technician isn’t?  

I am hurt. This is one big reason why we aren’t a respected field. We need the support of Veterinarians. But they can’t seem to be bothered. 

Welcome to the Void

The Veterinary field, like most career fields, tends to attract strongly opinionated people. Unfortunately, social media isn’t a great outlet for venting frustrations because Management can see your posts and find reason to terminate your employment.  Nobody with a valid, legal frustration should be fired because they HAD to say something and get the negative thoughts out there.  Burnout is real, and being worried that you’re going to lose your job because you say something makes it worse.

This blog is here to remain anonymous and is moderated by a single individual who understands that many of us face similar obstacles and frustrations at work, and don’t want to disrupt our relationships with our coworkers or lose our jobs. This is a safe haven for those who wish to articulately commiserate and share well thought out venting.

Please keep it professional. I’m not going to post anything about he said-she said. We need real meaty topics like how some clinics think Torb is an effective pain medicine, the opiate crisis, how some vets still prescribe aspirin and pepto bismol, if Veterinary schools are preparing their students properly, pre-mixed drug cocktails, or the Veterinary Nurse Initiative.  Current events or chronic groan-worthy practices are ideal. Clients and client education can absolutely be a vent here. For sure. Just make it constructive.

For those who read a blog post and Just Know it’s your coworker who wrote it - relax. You’d be surprised at how many people react the same way to situations, and it’s not likely your coworker who wrote the post. Seriously. Chill.

Submit venting blog posts AT YOUR OWN RISK.  It’s not my fault if you send me something that incriminates you. I choose what to post, but I won’t edit your words.

Please submit your blog posts to VeterinaryVoid@gmail.com and abide by the following rules:
1) all names MUST be changed
2) DO NOT mention your location/clinic/city/state/anything that could identify you
3) DO articulate your point. Don’t just kvetch.
4) DO offer solutions, if possible, in case someone out there has the same frustrations you do, and they could use advice.
5) again, submit AT YOUR OWN RISK. You will not hold me liable for any repercussions related to your blog post.
6) give me time to read and post - it won’t be immediate. If a blog needs tweaking I’ll let you know.

Thanks everyone. I look forward to reading your submissions.