Since the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine’s Veterinary Teaching Hospital opened its doors, technicians have been working alongside veterinarians to provide the highest quality for hospital patients.

While the facilities, equipment, and personnel might have changed over the past 28 years, one thing remains the same: the critical role technicians play on the clinical healthcare team and their extraordinary dedication to duty.

“Technicians are indispensable members of our healthcare team,” said Bill Pierson, MS, DVM, PhD, Dipl. ACPV, director of the veterinary college’s teaching hospital at Virginia Tech.

Veterinary technicians are the nurses of the veterinary profession. Working under the supervision of a veterinarian, they provide specialized care and can assist in a variety of diagnostic, medical, and surgical procedures for both small and large animals. Licensed veterinary technicians, or LVTs, are veterinary technicians who have completed at least two years of academic study resulting in an associate’s degree and have passed a state examination