Krystal Baxter has a great story to share. She is a certified veterinary technician that is currently in a more non-traditional position working with Blue Buffalo.
She has had lots of different experiences in her journey and you will enjoy hearing her story!
VTP: When did you become a vet tech and how has your experience evolved into what it is today?
KB: I have been a vet tech going on 11 years! I went to Argosy University-Twin Cities; I went to school part-time while I worked full-time in a human cancer clinic. I graduated and became certified in June 2005. I currently work for Blue Buffalo Co, Ltd and I am a Veterinary Clinic Specialist, Educating clinics on Blue Buffalo’s new Natural Veterinary Diets. I have had a very non-traditional career! I started my career as an Oncology technician at the University of Minnesota. I have been a practice manager for an emergency clinic and a technology specialist for a veterinary distributor. All leading to where I am today, a representative for an animal nutrition company!
VTP: What is the an interesting case you have seen in practice or something you have learned about being a vet tech?
KB: I knew I wanted to work in veterinary medicine from a young age – but I didn’t want to be a vet! I grew up on a small family dairy farm in WI and had so many interactions with animals and the veterinary care team that would come to our farm to work on the cows. I was always involved with the care of the animals! I decided that assisting the vet was my calling and started in the Vet Tech program at Argosy University (at that time, Medical Institute of Minnesota) When I was nearing the end of my degree, I thought I wanted to work with large animals, particularly equine. I did my internship at a mixed practice and quickly realized I DID NOT want to work with horses. This is when I did some research and found that there were many other routes a technician could take that didn’t have to be a general practice.
VTP: How do you cope with job-related stress?
KB: I worked in oncology for 4 years. During this time, I did not have a stress relief outlet and the demands of the job got to me. I got burned out. But I learned from it. I still don’t deal with stress well, but I am better than I was. I love to treat myself to a massage every once and a while and recently, I have started to practice Yoga Nidra which completely relaxes your body. It is amazing! I love being with my family and pets at home and I also love to travel. Our next adventure is to Northern California on a week long road trip!
VTP: What pets to you have?
KB: In the last year, we have lost 2 dogs. Our Rottweiler, Bruce, to cancer and our Boston Terrier, O.P., to renal disease. It has been a tough year dealing with their medical care and loss. But we also welcomed a sweet little black lab mix, Brunhilda (aka Hilde), into our family. She loves to play with our 5 yo Calico, Mahli while our 16 yo Snowshoe, Chino, watches from his sunny spot on the back of the couch!
VTP: What is your favorite duty in your job? What is it about your specific job that makes you happy and feel valued?
KB: I love the excitement that people have over our new food! When my dog was sick with renal disease, my veterinarian prescribed him the normal stuff. He hated it! And I did too! It was not the same quality he had been eating and it was not natural, something that we are big on in our home. I went looking for something different and found that he did great on Blue Buffalo. It was shortly after that that I decided that this was a company I wanted to work for and help other people feed their pets a high quality natural diet! I get to work with some amazing people who all come from different walks of life and I have learned so much from them! Although there are not too many VTs in my line of work, there are a few and we provide a unique prospective for our teammates. Having my background and experience has been a benefit for my entire team. We all bring something different to the table!
VTP: Any words of wisdom for those preparing to be a vet tech or are considering this as a future job?
KB: Push the limits. Be creative! There may be something out there that has not even been thought of yet that your training/experience could benefit from. Explore all of your possibilities and see what fits you best. This is not a one size fits all profession! Believe in yourself and other people will too!
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