It’s National Veterinary Technician Week!! I know this is a blog for veterinary students, but seriously where would we be without our technicians? I keep in touch with the vast majority of technicians from my past. The techs I worked with at my weekend job, from vet school, from my internship and my clinic are still my friends and teachers.
Veterinary technicians play such a critical role in our community. They are highly skilled professionals with multiple hats to wear on a daily basis. Phlebotomist, pharmacy technician, anesthesiologist, patient holder, client communication specialist, dental hygienist, custodian, dog walker, morale booster, neonate reviver, surgery pack origami artist, inventory manager, receptionist, undertaker, veterinarian security guard, lab specialist, CPR technician, and animal snuggling expert. The list goes on and on.
I am so very grateful for the technicians in my life. They have lifted me up when I have been down, they have saved my patient’s lives when I’ve made a mistake, they have cried with me, cheered with me, and prevented me from bleeding on countless occasions.
I have seen clients stay at a practice, even after their favorite veterinarian moved away, because they loved and trusted the technicians so much. They are critical to the life and success of a practice.
It’s important to know the power and importance of your technicians. They make a tremendous sacrifice to work with you. We are not always easy to work with. Even if you have a perfect personality your clients won’t always be so nice, your patients won’t always cooperate and the stress of the situations that we encounter can really take it’s toll. And let’s be honest, none of have a perfect personality.
When you embrace the team mindset you will be rewarded. When you let people know that you appreciate their hard work, your kindness will be returned. Take a moment to thank a veterinary technician this week, and at least make an effort to be nice to them on a regular basis.
I know this is kind of old, but I think Dr. Andy Roark is hilarious. Check out this video on the 5 reasons you should thank a vet tech.
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