President’s Column: Supporting veterinary technicians

The ushering in of a new year provides us an opportunity to look forward to great things to come, and to feel thankful for all we have and all of those who make a difference in our lives, both personally and professionally.

The AVMA has a deep appreciation for the tremendous contributions that veterinary technicians, veterinary technologists, and veterinary technician specialists make to our profession and society.

Personally, I’ve had the pleasure of working with so many of these amazing team members throughout my career. My first two years in practice were guided and shaped by an experienced veterinary technician whose skills and compassion greatly enhanced my ability to deliver quality patient care. As a new graduate, I was fortunate to have her by my side. Our collaboration truly enriched my professional growth, and for that, I am forever grateful. 

Empowering veterinary technicians to use all of their training and skills in their daily work is one of the most effective ways to address the lingering workforce challenges that many of our practices face.

Equally important to their work in clinical settings is how essential veterinary technicians, veterinary technologists, and veterinary technician specialists are in biomedical research, uniformed services, food safety inspection, and education.

The AVMA supports the essential work of these team members in many ways, and is committed to supporting them through education, advocacy, and resources that empower them to excel.

These include our close partnership with the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA), the work of the AVMA Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities, and several other veterinary technician-focused initiatives. 

New committee focuses on veterinary technicians

Importantly, the AVMA recently created the Committee on Advancing Veterinary Technicians and Technologists, which held its first meeting in October. This new committee is charged with creating resources to ensure that veterinary technicians can fully utilize their education and skills in all types of veterinary practices, and to support and advance the veterinary technology profession in general. Enhancing our utilization of the skillsets of these invaluable team members helps increase practice efficiency, and the committee’s efforts are an important part of the AVMA’s overarching work to address the workforce issues facing veterinary practices.

Priority areas identified by the committee include title protection, enhanced veterinary technician utilization, and technician scope of practice. Subcommittees have been established to complete a deeper dive into each subject category and report back to the group at its next meeting in the spring.

Empowering veterinary technicians to use all of their training and skills in their daily work is one of the most effective ways to address the lingering workforce challenges that many of our practices face. 

As we begin a new year, let us all continue our full-fledged support of our veterinary technicians, veterinary technologists, and veterinary technician specialists. These valuable professionals are integral members of our veterinary teams, and we would not be able to do the great work we do without them.