(Singing Voice) It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year (for Vet Techs). 😊. I get so excited this time of year for National Veterinary Technician Week! I’m usually involved in some planning committee to help with NVTW festivities, and the week before is my busiest and most exciting, knowing how hard I worked to reach out to organizations and bring smiles to my peers’ faces.
This year was my biggest challenge. At the beginning of 2021, I moved to Indiana to start my dream job at Purdue University. Being here and immersed in all the aspects of veterinary medicine has been amazing. The state I moved from had no VTS (Veterinary Technician Specialists) I am eager to become a VTS as the next step in my career. At Purdue, there are 30+ VTS’s in one building. There is so much knowledge housed in the walls of Purdue, and it is amazing! That is why I’m so excited to be helping with NVTW for Purdue and NAVTA.
Did you know that there are around 150 RVTs at Purdue alone? Positions range from the veterinary teaching hospital in multiple specialties, research, biomedical sciences, clinical pathology sciences, teaching, and more! I wanted to give the technicians something tangible this year. Something they could take home with them. Something more than just food. The planning committee created a budget, and I am so happy to say that we were able to provide meals/snacks and a tangible gift. I also wanted to go a little farther for my amazing Rockstar peers and see what else I could do to show them appreciation for working through one of the most challenging times in our careers. I called over 50 different businesses and retailers to see if they would like to donate products or services for NVTW, and almost all of the businesses jumped on board. Now we will be able to give away experiences! We obtained a private wine tasting for ten people after hours at a local winery, escape room passes, dinners at some amazing restaurants, theme park passes, and so much more. We will be giving them out at random.
Also, NAVTA has some amazing CE and activities this week that I hope you will join me. Fun trivia, Bridge Club talks, Giveaways, and more. Look at NAVTAs NVTW page and see what you can excite your team up with. https://navta.net/page/nat_vet_tech
Thank you to all the Veterinary Technicians out there, you are doing a fantastic job, and you deserve all the praise and recognition, not only on our special week but all year round!
Blog Author: Ashli Selke, RVT
NAVTA President-Elect