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Honolulu, Hawaii is a vibrant coastal city surrounded by natural beauty. With its sunny weather and island lifestyle, Honolulu attracts visitors from around the world who come to enjoy the beaches, cultural sites, cuisine, and outdoor activities. Behind the tourism, Honolulu also has a thriving local community and job market in fields like healthcare. For those interested in working with animals, Honolulu has excellent options for vet tech programs.
An Overview of Vet Tech Programs
Vet tech programs prepare students to assist veterinarians in all aspects of animal care. Vet techs are essentially the nurses of the veterinary world. Their day-to-day responsibilities include:
- Administering medications, vaccines, lab tests, and treatments
- Monitoring anesthesia during procedures
- Performing diagnostic imaging (x-rays, ultrasounds, etc.)
- Collecting lab samples and running analyses
- Educating clients on animal care and treatments
- Managing medical records, billing, and inventory
Strong vet tech programs teach students the clinical skills and medical knowledge needed for these responsibilities through a mix of classroom learning and hands-on practice. Coursework covers topics like anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, anesthesia, surgical assisting, dentistry, nutrition, and more.
Vet tech programs take about 2 years to complete when pursued full time. Graduates earn an associate‘s degree and can become licensed, registered, or certified vet technicians depending on their state.
Benefits of Becoming a Vet Tech
There are many reasons to pursue this animal care career:
Job security: Vet techs are in high demand across the country with a projected 19% job growth rate through 2030. As veterinary medicine advances and pet ownership increases, the need for qualified vet techs will continue to rise.
Competitive pay: Although not the highest paying healthcare field, vet techs earn solid wages reflecting their specialized skills. The average national salary is over $37,000 annually. In Hawaii, experienced vet techs make closer to $45,000 per year.
Rewarding work: For animal lovers, working hands-on with pets and helping improve their health is incredibly fulfilling. Vet techs get to comfort scared animals, nurture newly rescued pets back to health, witness new litters being born, watch chronic illnesses go into remission, and more. They make a huge difference in the lives of pets and their families.
Opportunity to specialize: Vet tech training is the foundation for specializing later on in areas like surgery, dentistry, emergency medicine, rehabilitation, anesthesia, laboratory procedures, and more. Specialties allow vet techs to boost their income and enjoy work they’re truly passionate about.
Advancement potential: With additional certification and job experience, vet techs can become team leaders responsible for managing other technicians and assisting the lead veterinarian with medical cases and procedures.
Accredited Vet Tech Programs in Honolulu
There are two accredited vet tech programs in the Honolulu area. Both provide dedicated faculty, modern training facilities, externship experience, and job search assistance upon graduation:
1. Windward Community College
Windward CC offers an Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degree in Veterinary Technology which can be completed full-time in just 2 years. All faculty have backgrounds as licensed veterinarians or certified techs who guide students through an excellent mix of academic coursework and hands-on labs. Unique program benefits include:
- Brand new $50 million campus facilities opened in 2022 with two large veterinary technology labs outfitted with the latest specialized equipment used in private practices and clinics. This allows students extensive hands-on practice analyzing blood samples, preparing slides, using microscopes, practicing anesthesia techniques, creating radiographs, and more.
- Externships at one of 10 partner animal clinics and shelters providing 180 hours of real-world experience assisting licensed DVMs and technicians in all areas of veterinary practice from surgical assisting to dental procedures and pharmacy duties.
- Small class sizes with faculty-student ratio averaging 1 instructor per 11 learners. This allows highly personalized guidance tailored to each student’s strengths and weaknesses.
- Strong industry relationships and job/career placement assistance upon graduation.
The full Associate’s degree curriculum covers all aspects of veterinary care across 60 academic credits. Students who already hold a college degree can complete an abbreviated 45 credit Advanced Professional Certificate (APC).
Windward CC charges affordable in-state tuition rates. Their excellent reputation for vet tech training makes this program highly selective with 102 applicants competing for just 44 seats total each admissions cycle.
More Info: Windward CC Veterinary Technology Program
2. Hawaii Community College
For over 40 years, Hawaii CC has offered a robust AAS degree in Veterinary Technology suitable for earning licensure and starting a vet tech career on the islands or mainland U.S. Unique highlights include:
- Brand new $32 million campus Applied Technical Education Center opened in 2018 with a large veterinary instruction lab outfitted with everything students need for experiential learning like microscopes, blood analysis machines, specialized surgery tables, anesthesia machines, autoclaves to sterilize implements, radiology viewboxes, ultrasound units, microchip scanners, etc.
- Three semesters of supervised clinical practicum rotations providing over 400 hours of workplace experience across different veterinary settings like general animal clinics, emergency/specialty hospitals, zoos, laboratories, shelters and rescue organizations. This allows students to explore different aspects of vet tech work before specializing.
- Exceptional 94-100% yearly exam pass rate for the Veterinary Technician National Examination (VTNE) which candidates must pass for licensure as LVTs in Hawaii or most other states.
- Strong track record for job placement with over 90% of graduates readily finding local veterinary employment or mainland positions if preferred.
Earning the AAS requires 75 academic credits of sciences, fundamentals of veterinary technology coursework, and clinical practicums. Courses dive deep into pharmacy calculations, small/large animal diseases, anesthesia administration, surgical assisting, veterinary dentistry, lab techniques, animal nursing care, and more.
As one of seven campuses in the University of Hawaii system, Hawaii CC also offers one of the most affordable vet tech programs in Honolulu at in-state rates.
More Info: Hawaii CC Veterinary Technology Program
Finding a Vet Tech Job in Honolulu
There is high demand for qualified vet techs across Hawaii including Oahu and the Honolulu area specifically. Graduates from accredited programs enjoy excellent job prospects finding work at:
Private Veterinary Hospitals and General Practices
- Ali’i Animal Hospital
- Aloha Animal Hospital
- Banfield Pet Hospital locations
- Hawaii Kai Veterinary Clinic
- Kaneohe Pet Hospital
- King Street Pet Hospital
- Makiki Pet Clinic
- Pearl City Pet Hospital
- The Pet Clinic
- Windward Animal Hospital
Emergency and Specialty Hospitals
- Affordable Animal Emergency Clinic
- Animal Emergency Center
- Hawaii Veterinary Specialists
- VCA Family Animal and Referral Center
Non-profit and Municipal Animal Shelters/Rescues
- Hawaiian Humane Society
- Honolulu Zoo
- Kahu Mohala
- PAWS of Hawaii
Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratories
- Antech Diagnostics
- Hawaii Department of Agriculture Animal Quarantine Lab
- UH Agricultural Diagnostic Service Center
Pet Stores, Pet Sitting/Boarding and Grooming Businesses
- Global Pet Foods locations
- Petco and PetSmart locations
- Poi Dogs Day Care Center
Large Animal, Equine, and Exotic Practices
- Large animal mixed practices serving livestock and farm animals
- Facilities focused solely on equine medicine and surgery
- Exotic pet clinics treating birds, reptiles, rabbits, etc.
With so many clinics, shelters, labs, and other animal care facilities on Oahu, determined vet tech graduates should have multiple job options. Those willing to relocate to neighboring islands like Maui, Kauai, and Hawaii can find additional veterinary employment there too.
Preparing for a Vet Tech Career in Honolulu
Beyond completing an accredited training program, students should additionally:
Earn Licensed Vet Tech (LVT) Credentials (Recommended)
Taking the national VTNE exam and meeting other state requirements earns formal licensure which allows vet techs to perform more unsupervised medical procedures like administering anesthesia. Hawaii also reciprocates licenses from certain mainland states. Licensure makes candidates much more employable.
Gain Relevant Experience (Highly Recommended)
Completing one or more externships or volunteering/working part time for animal facilities while in school expands practical skills and professional connections that aid the post-graduation job hunt.
Consider Specialty Certifications (Optional)
Vet tech associations offer certificates in specialty areas like veterinary emergency and critical care, anesthesia and analgesia, internal medicine, surgery, zoological medicine, and more. Specialties certify advanced expertise to quality for higher-level vet tech positions.
Relocate Nationwide (Optional)
Licensed / certified vet techs willing to relocate anywhere nationwide have the very best job prospects at exceptional salaries above Hawaii’s average wages. Cost of living and housing expenses are generally lower on the mainland as well.
Professional Resources for Licensed Vet Techs
Once working in the field, Honolulu vet techs can further their careers via helpful resources like:
- State and national vet tech associations offering continuing education, networking, legislative advocacy for the profession, scholarships, technician job boards, and more
- Conferences like the Hawaii Veterinary Medical Association’s annual meeting to learn the latest veterinary advances
- Journals like the Journal of Veterinary Technician to stay updated on research developments and innovations in animal healthcare
- Online LVT forums to exchange advice with peers
Between quality education, ample employment opportunities, and room for specialization and salary growth over time, becoming a licensed vet tech in a tropical paradise like Honolulu, Hawaii is an exciting and secure career move for animal lovers.