I worked as a veterinary technician in a small animal hospital for 3 years prior to entering veterinary school and I feel very fortunate to have a great deal of clinical experience, but this is not the case for all veterinary students.  Based on my experience of being a technician for many years prior to veterinary school, I would like to highlight some important points that many of those in opposition to this petition seem to be overlooking. 

When I first found employment as a veterinary technician, I had to be trained in order to acquire the skills required of a vet tech.  I did not walk through the door the first day on the job knowing how to properly and safely restrain an animal, administer injections, draw blood, place IV catheters, place urinary catheters, prep for surgery, assist in surgery, monitor patients, take radiographs, etc.  All these, and many more, are skills that I was taught with training and practice.  PRACTICE is key!  One can read instructions or watch a tutorial time and time again, but there is no way to master a skill without hands-on experience.  Veterinary students are not magicians or miracle workers – they also need to practice the skills that they are expected to have upon graduation.  The safest and best way to afford students the opportunity to get this hands-on experience is under the supervision and guidance of a veterinarian.  The reality is that no one is born with inherent clinical skills, and simply attending lectures or reading from a book is not enough to master these skills.  Individuals that are training to become technicians have the opportunity to get hands-on experience under the supervision of veterinarians and trained technicians because it is the only way for them to learn.  Veterinary students need to be given this opportunity as well.  In fact, with the extensive education and countless hours of studying, veterinary students are even more prepared and should be given more opportunities to apply what they have learned in the classroom. 

To address the concerns of those who oppose this petition because they do not want to see their pets be used as “lab animals,” I realize that they are making this argument out of concern for the safety of their beloved pets.  I appreciate this concern as I have numerous pets that I love and I am very concerned about their well-being.  Therefore, I would prefer that veterinary students have the opportunity to train under the supervision of a licensed veterinarian, so that when they graduate and are licensed to practice veterinary medicine without direct supervision, they have the skills to safely and confidently treat my pets.