Tails from a Vet Tech
Tails from a Vet Tech is a podcast dedicated to highlighting, educating, and advocating for veterinary, shelter, and behavior animal professionals. Our mission is to provide education, information, and dialogue that will create a supportive environment that empowers animal professionals to take care of themselves and the animals they work with. Tabitha and her amazing guests share reflections and experiences from their lives in shelter and vet med. We will have thought-provoking conversations about the ugly and beautiful moments and share success stories with the goal of supporting and inspiring others.
TFAVT is hosted by Tabitha Kucera (Elite Fear Free and Low Stress Handling RVT, VTS (Behavior), Certified Cat Behavior Consultant, Karen Pryor Academy Certified Training Partner) In addition to doing this podcast Tabitha also owns her own business, Chirrups and Chatter, and loves doing speaking engagements all around the world!
Tails from a Vet Tech
Exploring Vet Tech Advancement featuring Stephen Niño Cital (RVT, SRA, RLAT, CVPP, VTS- LAM (Res. Anesthesia)
In this episode, Tabitha is joined by Stephen Niño Cital, an advocate for veterinary technicians and an expert in the field. We delve into the recent legislative developments concerning the scope of practice for veterinary technicians. With Stephen's extensive credentials (RVT, SRA, RLAT, CVPP, VTS- LAM Res. Anesthesia), they break down the details of these bills, highlighting their implications.
A focal point of discussion is the disconcerting response from the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) to these advancements. Stephen elaborates on his op-ed titled "AVMA, the ultimate gatekeepers and their disdain for veterinary technician advancement," shedding light on AVMA's stance and its implications for the progress of veterinary technicians.
Throughout the episode, we emphasize the relevance of these legislative changes for veterinary professionals and the broader field. We discuss why veterinary professionals should care for and be invested in and what steps they can take to contribute to the advancement of the veterinary industry.
Stephen Cital is a Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) with certification as a Registered Laboratory Animal Technician (RLAT) through the American Association of Laboratory Animal Science. He is specialized in anesthesia and pain management by qualifying and passing the certification exams as a Surgical Research Anesthetist (SRA) through the Academy of Surgical Research and is one of a handful of Certified Veterinary Pain Practitioners (CVPP) in the country through the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management, where he was also a board member. He also became a member of the VTS community with a focus on Laboratory Animal Medicine (LAM) in research anesthesia from the Academy of Laboratory Animal Veterinary Technicians and Nurses, where he also serves as the Executive Director. He is employed by Howard Hughes Medical Institute at Stanford University School of Medicine in the Department of Neurobiology. In addition to conducting research, Stephen is an award-winning international lecturer on anesthesia, pain management, cannabis, and best practices. He is on the DVM360 Editorial Advisory Board, contributed to numerous textbooks/articles, and was a column coordinator for one of Nature's journals.
Articles mentioned in the episode:
- AVMA, the ultimate gatekeepers, and their disdain for veterinary technician advancement
- NAVTA Response to AVMA Statement on Scope of Practice
- Open Letter to AVMA from AIMVT
Resources
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