British Columbia Vet Tech School

British Columbia vet tech schools offer the Animal Health Technology Diploma program. In order to prepare students to work as veterinary technicians, the program includes 30 hours of classroom and laboratory based learning each week. Not only does this practical training element place students into a college laboratory setting, it also takes them into private veterinary practices where they can work hand-in-hand with the most knowledgeable veterinary professionals in British Columbia.

In British Columbia, the Animal Health Technologists Association of British Columbia offers a specialty designation for vet techs who can display competence through education and certification. In order to achieve the Animal Health Technologist (AHT) credential, vet techs are required to:

• Graduate from an accredited AHT educational program (2-year minimum)
• Complete the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE), which carries a $300 fee

The Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE) is regulated by the American Association of Veterinary State Boards (AAVSB). The test is in multiple-choice format, and students are given 4 hours in which to complete the test. While most vet tech students in British Columbia are able to pass this examination on the first go around, students are given 2 additional rewrites to pass.

Passing the VTNE actually gives vet techs in British Columbia reciprocity to practice anywhere throughout Canada or the United States. Currently, the only VTNE testing center in British Columbia is in Vancouver.