Mat-Su College Opens New Suite to Train Veterinary Technicians

The veterinary technician program marks the fulfillment of a long-term goal for Dr. Judith Montalbano, assistant professor of veterinary medicine at the college. As a career veterinarian, Montalbano knew firsthand both the benefit of working with a skilled vet tech and the pinch of not having one available. She worked at All Creatures Veterinary Clinic in Wasilla from 1995 to 2021 and became co-owner of the clinic in 2014. She joined the faculty of Mat-Su College in 2021.

“When I first started [my career], veterinarians were very inefficient,” Montalbano says. They drew blood, they performed x-rays, they did most of the patient-related work themselves. Over time, many realized it made sense to delegate some of those duties—if a skilled technician was available. As demand for veterinary services has ramped up, so has the need for vet techs, prompting Montalbano to push for training in Alaska.

“You can only delegate to the technicians you have. I’ve had the fortune of working with some really incredible vet techs over the years, and I wanted to boost their profession,” she says.

Since 2009, Mat-Su College has offered a veterinary assistant program, a one-year track toward an occupational endorsement certificate. The vet tech program goes one step further: students complete a two-and-a-half-year program and obtain an associate of applied science degree.

Montalbano compares the two programs to the difference between a certified nursing assistant and a registered nurse. An assistant provides day-to-day care such as feeding and bathing, perhaps administering oral medications, and (in the case of animals) holding patients during treatment. A technician is able to perform lab work, x-rays, dental cleaning, and much more.

“They wear a lot of hats in one job,” Montalbano says. “The vet tech encompasses a whole lot of jobs that would be separated out in human medicine.”

An Occupation Poised for Growth

Demand is high, both nationally and in Alaska. A US Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook estimates that, over the next decade, the occupation will see a 19 percent increase, much higher than the single-digit growth of most other non-healthcare-related occupations.

Montalbano says Mat-Su College surveyed veterinarians, practice managers, and technicians at a recent Alaska State Veterinary Medical Association symposium. The percentage of respondents who said they could use another vet tech in their practice and would consider hiring someone who graduated from Mat-Su College’s program was in the high 90s, she says.
Furthermore, “The state of Alaska’s demand mirrors the national demand,” she adds.

The program will take a cohort of sixteen students every two years. In addition to completing classroom education, lab work, and simulations with K9 Diesel (a highly realistic dog mannequin), students must complete 270 hours in two externships, working with veterinary practices in the community. Montalbano says the college already has a working partnership with the Matanuska-Susitna Borough Animal Shelter. The school also cultivated partnerships with local ranches, large animal clinics, poultry owners, a reptile group, and more. Vet techs are expected to be familiar with a wide range of animals, she notes, and participation from the community is key to making their education as well-rounded as possible.

“It definitely takes a village to raise a vet tech,” Montalbano says.

In Alaska, vet techs can be licensed if they’ve received enough on-the-job training. But techs who receive licensing that way are ineligible to add in other specialty training programs, and they may face difficulty transferring their skills to other states. There is no nationwide licensing program for vet techs; states generally require technicians to apply for a license in the state they want to operate in, Montalbano says, but if a tech is licensed in one state, it might just be a matter of completing paperwork or taking a short exam that outlines laws specific to that state.

“It does really allow students to practice anywhere in the country,” she says.