BLINN LAUNCHES NEW PRE-VETERINARY TECHNOLOGY STUDENT ORGANIZATION
Blinn College’s Veterinary Technology Program has launched a new organization that is setting students on the path to veterinary careers.
The Pre-Veterinary Technology Student Organization (PVTSO) assists students in applying for Blinn’s Veterinary Technology Program, one of just eight accredited programs in the state training students to become veterinary technicians. Veterinary technicians assist in diagnosis and surgery, sample collection, sample submission, client communication and research.
Blinn’s partnership with Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biological Sciences allows Blinn students to get hands-on training in every aspect of veterinary care.
The club welcomes any student interested in veterinary care to join, even if veterinary technology is not their selected major. Meetings are held on the third Wednesday of each month at noon in Student Center Room 120. The Oct. 21 meeting will double as an informational session for the program. Attendance at an informational session, either in-person or online, is mandatory to apply for admission.
Beginning Wednesday, Nov. 18, attendance for official club members is required. Membership is $10 per year.
“The Pre-Vet Tech Student Organization provides a great experience for students who want to enroll in the vet tech program at Blinn or go on to vet school,” said Brooke Merta, club advisor. “We help members gain volunteer hours and animal experience so they can be competitive applicants.”
Students accepted to the Veterinary Technology Program become members of their own club, the Vet Tech Student Organization (VTSO). Up to 30 students are admitted to the program each Fall. A strong science and math background is required to complete the academically rigorous two-year commitment, and students must demonstrate an interest in the profession with 40 hours of supervised veterinary experience before submitting an application for admission.
Each student is required to participate in one-week clinical rotations at five different veterinary clinics, where they perform the same tasks as fully-credentialed veterinary technicians.
After earning an Associate of Applied Science degree, program graduates are eligible to take state and national exams to become fully-credentialed licensed veterinary technicians (LVTs), with an average starting salary of $31,000. While most LVTs will work in private practices, graduates also find employment with animal shelters, stables, reproductive facilities, zoos, wildlife facilities, pharmaceutical sales, the military and homeland security.
For more information on the Vet Tech Program or the PVTSO, visit www.blinn.edu/twe/vet_tech or contact Merta at brooke.merta@blinn.edu.
