I have been a veterinary technician since 2001 and achieved my certification in 2005. I had worked for the Franklin Lakes Animal hospital under Dr. Cheryl Welch as a surgical, admit/recovery, and in-hospital technician for over 10 years.
Prior to my animal nursing career, I worked for 8 years as a pottery instructor and studio manager. I went from mucking around with clay to anesthetizing dogs, cats, ferrets, rabbits, raccoons, you name it, I knocked it out. My initial training….”thrown to the wolves” comes to mind. I pretty much trained in the moment with the help of many great seasoned technicians and doctors guiding me along the way.
I have street cred, no formal schooling, it was sink or swim, so I swam. I have to say that is one of the many reasons why I love working in this field, everyday is a new opportunity to learn, to hone your skills, to be a better technician for the next patient. When I was pregnant and big as a house in 2008, I was given the opportunity to work for Dr. Eric Lindquist for Sonopath.com as an ultrasound research assistant. He consistently has things brewing on the horizon so I always get to work on new projects as well. After hours of intensive training with Dr. Lindquist, I am now a SDEP® certified clinical sonographer, and instructor at our training labs. It continues to be a fantastic experience working with the whole team at Sonopath. I work with some very special people, all with strength, determination, a great love for animals, and an unstoppable drive. A sick sense of humor seems to be a common thread. 🙂