The Savvy VetTech

It is not uncommon in our industry for veterinary technicians to consider transitioning into practice management roles. Not only do technicians have medical knowledge but they also handle a lot of the education, training and communication aspects of the day-to-day work in clinic.

Sometimes, technicians work on building the schedule, and doing the ordering and keeping track of inventory so they are familiar with aspects of running a veterinary business.  Based on this diverse skill set, transitioning into a veterinary practice management (PM) role may seem like a natural next step...but what are some questions to ask yourself before making the switch?

When you graduate from vet tech school, the most obvious option is to begin working in a local veterinary clinic. Regardless of whether you want to work with small animal or large animal patients, many vet techs envision themselves in general veterinary practice, providing a combination of wellness, medical, and surgical care.

What if general practice isn’t a good fit for you, though, and you’d like to do something different?

Have you heard of CrossFit^®? How about Orangetheory^®, Beachbody^®, aerial yoga  or Couch to 5K? While all of these workout programs are different, there is one major similarity: they can all improve mental health.

“So, you work in a vet clinic? That’s awesome… you basically just play with puppies and kitties all day, right?”

Ha! If only it were that easy...

Unfortunately, as you’ve probably already realized (or you’ll soon realize, if you haven’t yet spent time in a veterinary hospital!), there are aspects of the veterinary field that can be difficult to handle.