How does one get into being a veterinary assistant/tech? sm

• How does one get into being a veterinary assistant/tech? sm - Metu
  • There's a difference between a tech and a veterinary assistant - sm
  • Vet trained me and even now, they like fresh faces that they can train how they want. nm - Old Vet Tech
  • most local tech schools offer this course. - x
    • I think it's a 2 year degree (sm) - fuzz5

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I have a very old blind and deaf black lab who lays on the floor next to my computer.  She's a love but she has horrific gas constantly.  Does anyone know of something to help this old girl out.  She eats IAMs kibble-style food twice a day and does not eat table scraps.  She gets zero exercise these days. 

Is anyone out there a veterinary MT? I just read an interesting article about veterinary medical transcription. How fun would that be for us that are animal lovers? I did not know such a job existed.

Here is the article:

http://health-information.advanceweb.com/editorial/content/editorial.aspx?cc=98501&zz=0#AnchorPostComment

Does anyone transcribe for a vet?  How did you get in to this area of transcription?  It sounds like it would be interesting.  Maybe they just have their secretaries transcribe.  Thoughts on this.

Thanks!

I was talking to one of the veterinarians I take my oldest dog to.  It's a small specialty clinic, and we've been going there for almost 2 years now, not long after they first opened up. 

They are all very caring, highly professional people there.  They value quality over quantity, and they really go above and beyond in their care and in spending time with each patient and owner.  (I've actually joked that if I need surgery, I want to go there.  LOL)  Because of that, they don't see a large number of patients and plan to keep it that way, but their business is definitely thriving. 

There are 2 full-time vets there, and 1 who is part-time.  Their problem is that they are drowning in paperwork.  They're all very meticulous and detail oriented, so they don't just scribble something down on a chart or dash off a letter or home care instructions and call it good.  They like to document everything thoroughly, but it's becoming very time consuming for them. 

They tried a speech recognition program, but it was terrible.  They know I do MT, so we started talking.  They're interested in whether I might want to do their reports and letters, *if* they were to start dictating this stuff (we were just talking, nothing has been decided). 

The thing is, I've spent the last 10 years working for a national (the infamous, pay-cutting "Q" as a matter of fact), so I'm not at all set up to just jump right in.  I have no idea what I would charge, whether I would work there or at home, what the work volume would be, what software I would use, whether I'd be an employee or IC, etc.  And, of course, there are some differences between human vs. veterinary medicine. 

I don't know.  My head is kind of spinning right now.  I think it would be such interesting work that I would love.  It could be such a great opportunity, but I feel a little overwhelmed at the thought of all of it.  Any thoughts, advice, recommendations...? 

I sent an e-mail regarding this post asking if it were legit as it seems to be posted quite frequently and the general feeling on this board is that this company 'tests' with current work needing typed.  See company board under original response for her post.

She responded by sayng  "My ad is very detailed because I am particular about whom I hire, as anyone who works for me carries my company name and work ethics.  If you feel there are too many requirements and that the pay is "ridiculously low," then why would you want the job?  I have worked in this business now since 1989, and I can assure you that the pay is more than reasonable."

Is it only me or has veterinary medicine changed quite a bit over the years to resemble care of humans?  I have cats and absolutely love them but I'm becoming torn between necessary care, preventive care, and just down-right UN-necessary care.  I remember back when animals went to the vet for shots and only when they got sick.  If they were sick, diagnosis and prognosis dictated the next level of care.  And in most cases back then there were no options other than to let nature take its course if something serious/chronic was found. 

I'm now noticing that every time I take one of the cats to the vet's, the doc wants to do "baseline" blood work at least once a year and now wants to see my ten-year-old cat on a twice-yearly basis.  My kitty is healthy as a horse and has had no health problems for ten years.  Why all of a sudden does he need expensive BASELINE lab work and xrays as well as needing to be seen twice a year and have his teeth cleaned twice a year (not cheap)?  It sounds like I'm complaining about the money end versus taking care of my kitty, and I suppose in a sense I am, because this adds up to a whole lot over the course of time.  The doc mentioned the reasons for the lab work (diabetes, thyroid problems, anemia, cancer, etc.)  I'm torn between having the work done and what I would do if anything chronic showed up on the tests.  I love my kitty but don't know if spending lots of money on chronic meds/therapy would be an option when I would have to weigh other expenses against them. 

Has anyone used any of the ABCZ files from the following site, in particular this file "ABCZ Typing Assistant Version 2 - TAMed2C " ?http://home.earthlink.net/~agjon/abczTA.htm

I have Instant Test and was wondering if there was a way to create your own ABCZ shortcuts with the "importer"?

Thanks

Are these one and the same or different?  Does Smart-Type work in Dictaphone Extext platform?

Thanks in advance for any help from anyone.

You could do all kinds of stuff (do a Google search under virtual assistant, there are some webpages that explain stuff).  U-Haul I believe also hires people to do phone customer service from home.  If you look on guru . com they have people who advertise for odd jobs and lots of them are virtual assistant kind of stuff.

Just some ideas.  You could also do daycare, pampered chef, that kind of stuff.  :)

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone had any info on Med-Tech in Lousiana. I didn't see any good or bad in the archives. Thanks!

Jen

Hi Bobbie,

Thanks for your input. Their schedule didn't work for me anyway-they were going to hire me without even doing an interview! I hope you had better luck in whatever you chose next.

Jen

I got a LinkSys router at Wal-Mart and with tech help, I got my Vista computer and other computer going at the same time; however, I unplugged the cable from the phone jack one night, as it was storming, and could not get both computers back on line after that.  I actually have returned the router and doing without for now.

I would like your experiences and any help that you could give me. I have used cable router before, but not for phone line -- DSL.  Thanks.

maybe posted this on wrong board earlier:

I have a daughter vet in another state that would like me to transcribe her work.  Is there is way to do this via digital and/or a call-in dictation system without going through an MTSO?  Any suggestions? I'd sure love to be able to do that for her!

I have heard MTs switching over to nursing, coding/billing, but has anyone else considered training for Radiology Technology.  I was considering this but found out the course work is very intense for 2-3 years while working in the hospital as an intern.  Can't do it now but still considering it in the future.  I hear the demand is only growing in this field and can't see it being outsourced. 

Any info on these companies would be appreciate-I haven't found very much yet. Thanks!

Jen

Hi,

Just wondering if anyone has worked for any of these companies. I'm down to making my final choice. Thanks!

Jen

What's the tech number?

Not sure what you mean by weird heart murmur.  That should have been checked at least with echocardiogram.  I'm thinking mitral valve prolapse which can cause chest pain and exercise symptoms but is generally benign. 

At  your age and being female it is highly unlikely it is cardiac disease.  They would probably do an EKG while you're having the pain and check enzymes. 

Chest pain is very very common and often is not cardiac.  It's cause is unclear, sometimes costochondritis, sometimes GI, sometimes just unknown.

You still need to see a physician very soon to determine if NSAIDs or other simple meds (Protonix) are the answer or more tests are needed.