The increasing emphasis on high-quality care for America’s treasured companion animals has resulted in a dramatic expansion of the veterinary care sector.
In many cases, pets can receive treatment that is just as advanced as anything provided in a major hospital. As a part of this, the treatment of cancer is becoming increasingly important among veterinary professionals.
In fact, many veterinary technicians seek to obtain a higher level of skill in this field in order to improve their career opportunities in the veterinary care sector.
An excellent way to achieve this goal is to join the Veterinary Technician Cancer Society (VTCS), which provides its members with a variety of personal and professional benefits.
What is the VTCS
The VTCS is a professional association focused on assisting vet techs in becoming highly proficient in the field of veterinary oncology. This organization is part of the Veterinary Cancer Society (VCS), which is an organization that is focused on promoting the effective treatment of cancer in pets among veterinarians, vet techs and other veterinary professionals.
The VTCS works directly with its member vet techs in order to promote a higher standard of care for those animals suffering from cancer. The organization does this by working to ensure that its members are aware of the current state of veterinary oncology and have the resources to become highly proficient in providing proper cancer treatment in the context of the veterinary clinic.
Services the VTCS Provides to Veterinary Technicians
Those vet techs who have joined the VTCS can receive a number of benefits that will assist them in their professional careers. Among the most important of these services are the following:
- Maintaining open lines of communication between veterinary professionals.
- Providing resources for vet techs to obtain a higher level of knowledge regarding veterinary oncology.
- Facilitating the ability of vet techs to attend relevant professional conferences.
- Providing advocacy services for veterinary technicians working in the field of veterinary oncology.
In addition, the VTCS helps vet techs join a network of fellow professionals. By doing so, they can be made more aware of professional opportunities in their field.
This can be especially important for vet techs who are considering relocating, as they can work with other VTCS members to become fully aware of the professional and personal opportunities that await them.
Vet Tech Careers and the VTCS
In addition, joining the VTCS demonstrates that the vet tech is interested in improving his or her competency in the field of veterinary oncology.
For those vet techs seeking employment, membership in this organization can prove to be very beneficial, as any potential employer will know that the vet tech is focused on providing the best care possible.
In addition, veterinary clinics that either specialize in veterinary oncology or have a large number of cases involving this field will be more likely to hire a vet tech who is a member of the VTCS.
The VTCS and the Internal Medicine Specialty
Becoming a specialist in veterinary oncology for vet techs is covered by obtaining a certification in internal medicine. This is provided by the Academy of Internal Medicine for Veterinary Technicians.
The academy and the certification it confers is recognized by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA). In fact, this certification is vital for any vet tech who seeks to become highly qualified in the field of veterinary oncology.
The VTCS can help provide its members with assistance in obtaining this certification. In addition to the direct benefits of the VTCS, many of the members have been certified in internal medicine and can assist those vet techs seeking a certification.
Because of this, joining the VTCS enables the vet tech to take advantage of a network of veterinary professionals who can answer any questions the vet tech may have about the requirements to become certified in internal medicine, in addition to practical methods to help with the certification process.
Other Services of the VTCS
The VTCS provides a wide range of other services that can benefit the vet tech’s professional capabilities.
By encouraging members to exchange links and journal articles in the field of veterinary oncology, the VTCS helps ensure that all members will remain current with the state of the art in this field.
This can be especially important given the large number of articles on this subject that are published every year.
In addition, the VTCS promotes a variety of studies regarding veterinary oncology. By helping to design and implement these studies, members of the VTCS can obtain a higher proficiency in the field, in addition to becoming known to a variety of veterinary professionals.
This can be beneficial for those vet techs interested in entering a research career, in addition to those who are simply interested in improving the quality of care at the clinical level.
Finally, the VTCS can help vet techs become aware of important regulatory or legal changes that might impact the practice of veterinary oncology. By doing so, the VTCS ensures that its members are fully aware of the impact of any proposed changes and have an opportunity to make their feelings about such changes known.
Conferences and Personal Networking
Finally, by attending professional conferences offered or promoted by the VTCS, vet techs have the opportunity to meet other VTCS members and build up a network of personal connections in the veterinary field.
This can be extremely important for those vet techs interested in further professional advancement. By developing strong personal connections and advocates among their fellow members, it becomes likely that a vet tech will be informed of career opportunities that he or she might never have heard of otherwise.
Furthermore, speaking with fellow VTCS members can help the vet tech effectively evaluate a potential employer’s professional culture and work environment, helping the veterinary technician make a personally and professionally wise decision.
By becoming part of the VTCS, a vet tech can dramatically improve his or her professional opportunities.
Not only will membership in this organization improve the employment options for the vet tech, but also he or she will be able to enjoy the companionship of other veterinary technicians who have made the choice to become leaders in the practice of veterinary oncology.
This enables the vet tech to join a professional community that is dedicated to providing excellent care to those animals that they and their supervising veterinarians have been entrusted with.