Letter to dvm360: Actually, technician utilization is not innovative at all

While I am happy to see and hear veterinary surgeon Dr. David Dycus speaking about technician utilization, I am also a bit offended at its being billed as an “innovative idea.” I have been a CVT since 1981 and I am still fighting the same battles surrounding technician utilization. When I was president of NAVTA it was a major focus. Dr. Dycus is exactly the type of DVM that we need speaking out for technicians because obviously no one listens when technicians talk. I applaud his comments; however, innovative they are not!

-Teri Kleist, CVT

Madison College Veterinary Technician Program

Madison, Wisconsin

Response from dvm360

In our write-up, we inserted the word “innovative” as a bit of a joke, and we realize we should have put it in quotes to make it more clear we were speaking ironically. Veterinarians should absolutely be using technicians for the skills they've learned, and yet some are not, as you have been fighting for for years. We're sorry this did not come through clearly, and we've corrected the text online. We at dvm360 are firmly committed to helping veterinarians realize they should be using technicians/nurses for what they are trained to do. It's something we talk about a lot here at the office. Thank you for helping us make that message clearer.