October is Registered Veterinary Technologists* (RVT) Month, and every year nearly 10,000 RVTs across Canada are recognized. The Registered Veterinary Technologists and Technicians of Canada (RVTTC), along with its seven provincial associations across Canada celebrate RVT Month as an opportunity to acknowledge and recognize the indispensable role RVTs play in the field of animal healthcare.
RVTs are passionate, dedicated professionals who possess a unique blend of compassion, expertise, and resilience. They are the unsung heroes of veterinary clinics worldwide and this month is to celebrate and build awareness of their professional training and their vital role on the veterinary team. RVTs look after and advocate for animals across Canada, and they all have one thing in common: the care of animals.
At Boundary Bay Veterinary Specialty Hospital, we also celebrate our RVTs and the qualities that make them such extraordinary animal caretakers. RVTs are an integral part of our hospital – without them as part of our team, we could not make every moment matter, meeting challenges head-on and providing emergency, critical care, surgery and specialty medicine for the most critical patients.
If you are a pet owner, make sure the next time you visit your vet to thank your RVT! They are vital to your pet care, and truly amazing individuals.
*Sometimes RVTs are called ‘technicians’ – for a discussion on the difference between ‘technician’ and ‘technologist’ check out this article by the BCVTA.
Who are Registered Veterinary Technologists?
Registered Veterinary Technologists (RVTs) are formally educated and trained professionals working as integral members of the veterinary health care team. RVTs contribute to the essential service of veterinary medicine through their knowledge of animal health, understanding of zoonotic diseases, use of personal protective equipment, disinfection, and disease control. RVTs help ensure the safety of the food chain for Canadians and protect the human-animal bond by keeping animals healthy.
What does a Registered Veterinary Technologist do?
Registered Veterinary Technologists work in many different veterinary settings. They perform challenging and important tasks and participate in big-picture patient care alongside veterinarians.
At Boundary Bay Veterinary Specialty Hospital, our RVTs work alongside both our emergency department and critical care teams, as well as with our many different Board-certified veterinary specialists that are part of our hospital.
Many people know what a registered nurse, dental hygienist, and paralegal does in relation to the doctor, dentist, and lawyer respectively, but many people don’t know how the Registered Veterinary Technologist (RVT) relates to and supports the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine. It is often our pets that get the most facetime with these amazing caregivers.
RVTs have an exceptional breadth and depth of skills, abilities, and responsibilities in their practice – everything from from anesthesia and pain control, to radiology, nursing care, dentistry, surgical assistance, to client education, and more. They work with a wide variety of animals across many kinds of organizations like veterinary hospitals, livestock health facilities, shelters, research facilities, educational institutions, government, animal health care industry sales and zoo and wildlife care facilities.
How Do You Become an RVT?
Training for a career as an RVT includes two to three years of post-secondary education. To become a Registered Veterinary Technologist in Canada, you must have developed a standard of knowledge and skills by graduating from an accredited post-secondary program in Animal Health, Veterinary Technology or Veterinary Technician, and successfully passed the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE).
In Canada, Animal Health Technology/Technician, Veterinary Technologist/Technician post-secondary programs are accredited by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association (CVMA), and in British Columbia also by the BC Veterinary Technologists Association (BCVTA).
The Registered Veterinary Technologists and Technicians of Canada (RVTTC) has some great resources on programs and how to explore a career as an RVT.
Becoming an RVT at Boundary Bay Veterinary Specialty Hospital
We are always looking for RVTs to join our team. Being an RVT is a rewarding and challenging career, and we offer opportunities in our specialty hospital that many RVTs would not get elsewhere.
However, coming straight out of school and into the challenging environment of a specialty and emergency hospital and trauma centre can be daunting. That’s why we offer our Veterinary Technologist Internship (VTI) program year-round for new and recent veterinary technician graduates.
Our internship program is designed to help newly or recently graduated veterinary technicians transition from their education program to the real world by placing them into cases that are at their level of learning and where they can grow their skill sets in a supportive environment.
In our program, veterinary technician interns (VTIs) receive direct one-to-one mentorship and real-word clinical experience that will allow them to apply and expand their knowledge and advance their skills, giving them a competitive edge in their growing career. VTIs gain real-world clinical experience under the direct supervision and one-to-one mentorship of our experienced RVTs and Veterinary Technologist Specialists at our VECCS & VetCOT certified 26,000 sq. ft. hospital in Surrey.
Our training program breaks down cases and patient care into manageable learning components so that our VTIs can gain experience, build confidence, and be successful in a fast-paced, challenging hospital like ours. Interns advance to the next level of complexity only when they are ready and confident in their ability to take on more responsibility with less supervision.
If you are interested in becoming an RVT or would like to know more about our VTI program and other careers at BBVSH, please visit our Careers page.
Or watch this video to find out what its like to be an RVT at Boundary Bay Veterinary Specialty hospital.