WASHINGTON ANIMAL CLINIC DONATES $2000 IN EQUIPMENT TO BLINN VET PROGRAM

  

A local veterinary clinic is helping Blinn College’s Veterinary Technology Program provide students an array of hands-on opportunities with the donation of approximately $2,000 in laboratory equipment.

Washington Animal Clinic has donated a complete blood count (CBC) auto-reader, used for blood chemistry analysis, and a fibrinogen tester, used to evaluate a protein essential for blood clot formation.

The additional auto reader will maximize efficiency of lab time as the program continues to serve more students, and the fibrinogen tester will expose students to new equipment and specialized equine care, said David Sessum, program director.

“We are happy to have a great working relationship with Washington Animal Clinic,” Sessum said. “This donation, in addition to our students’ clinical rotations at their facility, shows how much they support our students and want to invest in the future of veterinary medicine.”

Bruce Buenger, co-owner of Washington Animal Clinic, serves on the Veterinary Technology Program Advisory Board, and two program graduates are employed full-time at the clinic.

“We are extremely satisfied with the quality graduates Blinn is producing,” said Buenger, a 1978 Blinn alumnus. “It’s important that programs like this are available so that animal care facilities have highly-qualified support staff.”

Veterinary technology is one of the fastest-growing professions in the nation, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Veterinary technicians assist in diagnosis and surgery, sample collection, sample submission, client communication and research. They provide support to veterinarians in much the same way nurses assist doctors.

Blinn’s is one of just eight accredited programs in the state that offers vet technician training. The College’s partnership with Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences allows Blinn students to get hands-on training in every aspect of the wide-ranging field.

Up to 20 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 a fully-credentialed veterinary technician.

After earning their Associate of Applied Science, program graduates are eligible to take their 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 Blinn’s Vet Tech program, visit www.blinn.edu/twe/vet_tech/

 

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