Veterinary Technology Program Advances Careers in Animal Care
By Nicholas Papini | Assistant Editor
Photo courtesy of Jessica Pelland
The new Veterinary Technology program at MWCC may be highly competitive, but it is constantly developing and significantly better than other local competitors.
Jessica Pelland, a student in her first year of the program, said that at the age of 40 she felt that there was something missing in her life. She said that she asked herself what she might want to do and decided to pursue a career that would allow her to work with animals. The timing of this revelation happened to coincide with the new MWCC program, and she felt that the decision to apply was a no-brainer.
“I consider this the opportunity of a lifetime,” Pelland said. She enjoys the program immensely and is very grateful for the excellent instructors. She feels that the Veterinary Technician program at MWCC is unique in the amount of support she receives from the staff. She said that the atmosphere between students and professors is excellent and that they do not sacrifice in teaching ability to have a friendly and open relationship with their students.
Pelland also cautioned that being a Veterinary Technician is not for everyone. The program is very difficult, and she feels that there must be something more to your desire to be in this field than merely a love for animals.
Pelland stated that a significant reason why she chose MWCC to pursue her Veterinary Technician degree is the cost. She said that Veterinary Technicians make comparatively little money, and she feels that attending one of MWCC’s significantly more expensive competitors would be a waste.
Madeline Quero, another student within the Veterinary Technician program, said that she owes much to the staff in charge of the program. She said that they have helped her out greatly with personal and class related issues and that she is grateful that she can feel so comfortable with her professors.
Lexi McNamara, Assistant Professor and Department Chair for the Veterinary Technology Program, said that Veterinary Technicians are very much like the nurses of the veterinary world. They handle all the jobs that people generally associate with nurses and much more. For instance, Veterinary Technicians may assist in surgeries, do dental work, perform x-rays, give anesthesia, and more.
McNamara also said that a large portion of the work that many Veterinary Technicians perform is interacting with pet owners.
“One of the most important parts of our job in my opinion is educating pet owners,” she said.
She also said that she believes that Veterinary Technicians are the first line of education for all pet owners and that everything a person finds online about their pet is probably wrong.
According to McNamara, the Veterinary Technician program has a rather rare piece of cutting-edge technology available to them in the form of the SynDaver Surgical Canine.
The SynDaver is a highly advanced and realistic synthetic dog. McNamara says it is an invaluable training tool which helps students to practice skills they will be expected to perform. She also said that in January, MWCC will be getting the company’s new SynDaver Cat model.
McNamara stated that MWCC’s Veterinary Technician program utilizes no live animals on campus. This makes those synthetic animals essential to the education of the students. To supplement these models, MWCC has partnerships with local farms, veterinary facilities, and research facilities to give students hands-on experience.
Sue Guartafierro, administrative assistant in the admissions office, heads up the Veterinary Technician program’s admissions and has some recommendations for those who aspire to be accepted into the program. She recommends an employment history with work related to animals.
She said that volunteer work with animals, such as at an animal shelter, would also look excellent on an application.
Guartafierro suggests that it is prudent for students interested in the Veterinary Technician program to take all classes required for the degree which are not strictly veterinary classes before applying to the program. She said that not only does it make the candidate look better, it also makes it so that a student who is accepted can better focus their time and effort on the intensive Veterinary Technician work.
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