A challenge for veterinary technicians

Michael Azzarello, MBA, CVT, LVT, president of New Jersey Veterinary Technicians and Assistants, and other members of the organization met with dvm360 editors at the 2024 Fetch Coastal conference in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The work and team role of veterinary technicians were discussed as well as challenges faced by these professionals.

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In his interview with dvm360, Azzarello spoke about licensure, the biggest challenge he sees for veterinary technicians. The following is a transcript of the video:

Michael Azzarello, MBA, CVT, LVT: I think the biggest challenge in veterinary medicine is utilization and licensure, and just the overall growth of veterinary medicine. We're short staffed. Techs are burnt out. Utilization is vague, and when we look at the word, every state has their own variation of what techs are allowed to do. And I think that we need to have more uniformity. The ability to go ahead and get us on one pathway will make it much easier throughout the rest of the country, specifically in New Jersey, where we have no licensure, a certification, but we're eventually trying to get there.

For more articles and interviews from Fetch Coastal, visit our dvm360 website and dedicated conference news page.