Assistant, nurse, technician or auxiliary?
What is the training required to become a veterinary assistant in France and what are the responsibilities? Is there a national association for veterinary technicians?
Let’s find it out together!
How to become a veterinary assistant/technician/nurse in France
The staff, who carry out assistance in veterinary clinics, can be called by different names depending on the level of training.
We will therefore have veterinary technicians but also veterinary assistants or auxiliaries.
veterinary staff
In addition to the veterinary surgeon, 5 professionals work in a French veterinary clinic.
The first class of staff is the one in charge of cleaning and maintaining the veterinary clinic.
The second includes the staff in charge of welcoming customers and the receptionist, while from 3 to 5 the responsibility for animal care are defined, i.e. assistants, technicians and veterinary nurses.
If we consider level 3 the apprentice, Level 4 (AVQ) is identified as a veterinary (auxiliary) assistant after a year of formal apprenticeship and passing an exam, while level 5 (Specialized Veterinary Auxiliary) (ASV) is obtained after two years of training.
Veterinary technicians (TSA) are professionals who have obtained a university degree in animal health.
They also work in other fields of veterinary medicine or research, pharmaceutical or animal feed companies.
The division and organization of the French veterinary auxiliary professions are comparable to those in America.
The reference institutions for veterinary professionals are:
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The role of the veterinary assistant in France
The Veterinary Assistant, similar to the American professional figure, deals with:
- Act as an intermediary between the client and the veterinarian during the visit,
- Dealing with customer data and patient examinations and analyzes,
- Admitting and managing patients,
- Assisting veterinary surgeon and veterinary technician in procedures,
- Prepare the examination room and the operating room,
- Perform laboratory analysis of faeces, urine, blood,
- Administer the therapies prescribed by the veterinarian and monitor patients after surgery,
- Keep the register of medicines and inventory.
read A day in the life of a veterinary nurse
The role of the veterinary technician in France
Instead the veterinary technicians:
- assist the vet,
- take x-rays,
- carry out vaccinations and therapies prescribed by the veterinarian,
- carry out first aid procedures,
- process microscopic laboratory tests of faeces, urine, blood and other biological findings,
- prepare patients for surgery,
- are generally more specialized and can specialize,
- cooperate with the assistants in the tasks mentioned above.
Read Where to volunteer abroad as a veterinary nurse
Language requirement
You need to speak french.
Organizations
At the moment there is no official national association representing the interests of veterinary assistants and technicians, but GIPSA provides the only training course recognized in the country, in addition to the university degree to become a veterinary technician.
Conclusion
The figure of the assistant and veterinary technician in France are highly credited and there are several career opportunities. You can become an assistant or veterinary technician and pursue the career you are most passionate about.
To become a veterinary assistant in France it is necessary to participate in the training course offered by GIPSA.
Knowing French is useful for communicating effectively with clients and the work team.
The title of veterinary technician is obtained after obtaining a degree in Animal Biology.
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P.S. Thanks to Roberta for the tips:)
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