BLINN VET TECH STUDENTS ACE FINALS FOR A SECOND YEAR
All thirteen students who took the Veterinary Technician National Exam and 12 who took the Texas State Registered Veterinary Technician Exam passed, earning their credentials as Registered Veterinary Technicians from the Texas Veterinary Medical Association. Last year, all six students passed.
“Our program prepares students not only for the exam, but for a lifelong career, and I think that is key to our students’ success,” Program Director David Sessum said. “It’s not enough to give students information – you have to offer hands-on experiences that allow them to put what they have learned into practice.”
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 program was founded in 2010 and is one of just seven accredited programs in the state that offers vet technician training. The College’s partnership with Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences allows Blinn students to get hands-on training in every aspect of the wide-ranging field.
“The level of education Blinn’s vet tech students receive is unparalleled,” Sessum said. “Our students participate right alongside veterinary medicine students at Texas A&M University and use state-of-the-art equipment you can’t find at other facilities.”
Students are admitted to the program each Fall semester. The program is hosting information sessions for prospective students from 6-7 p.m. Nov. 12 and noon-1 p.m. Dec. 17 in Room CC-11 of the Bryan Workforce Education Campus located at 301 Post Office Street (map).
A strong science and math background is needed to complete the academically rigorous two-year commitment, and students are required to have demonstrated an interest in the profession with 40 hours of supervised veterinary experience prior to submitting an application for admission.
Once enrolled, first-year students participate in clinical rotations at five different veterinary clinics for one-week stints. Second-year students perform clinical rotations for eight weeks at Texas A&M. At the clinics, students perform the same tasks as a fully-credentialed veterinary technician, providing valuable real-world experience.
Graduates earn an average starting salary of $31,000. While most LVTs work in private practices, Blinn graduates also find employment with animal shelters, stables, reproductive facilities, zoos, wildlife facilities, pharmaceutical sales, the military and homeland security, and a 2014 graduate is currently interning at Walt Disney World, where she helps care for the site’s aquatic animals.