10-year-old Courtney Oliver is NOT a Veterinarian
Some Web Reports Misleading
Being that I was a pre-veterinary student at the University of Florida in the early 2000s, I am impressed with most people who complete the prerequisites to go on to veterinary school. Courses required typically include physics, two semesters of organic chemisty, microbiology, genetics and biochemistry. All of these are extremely tough coursework.
So for a 10 year old to have completed them would have been quite an impressive feat. However, in doing some further research, I learned that young Courtney Oliver is not, in fact, a veterinarian with a doctorate of veterinary medicine (DVM). She merely completed the coursework online to obtain a certificate to be a veterinary assistant. These online veterinary assistant programs are akin to the "get your high school GED at home" courses that you used to see commercials for on television.
Let's put this in some perspective. In the chain of animal hospital workers, you have doctors of veterinary medicine, vet technicians, veterinary assistants/kennel staff, and office assistants/secretaries/receptionists. Having worked in animal hospitals for at least three years, I served as kennel staff, a receptionist and a veterinary technician.
I can plainly tell you that a degree is not required to work as anything other than a licensed veterinarian. It is desireable to be a certified veterinary technician, particularly if you work in a specialized hospital or if you want to do certain procedures that require medical training. However, it is certainly not required.
There is little reference to veterinary assistants on the Web site for the American Veterinary Medical Association. The quick references state that a vet assistant serves as support staff for the doctor and his techs. However, a career resource site in Virginia compares veterinary assistants to a licensed practical nurse (LPN) in human medicine. Veterinary assistants, much like kennel staff, spend their days giving oral or topical medication, cleaning and bathing animals and sometimes performing administrative duties, such as collecting fees or record-keeping.
According to the AVMA, veterinary technicians, on the other hand, are much more medical in nature, performing such tasks as collecting blood or other samples, sterilizing surgical equipment, prepping animals for surgery, carrying out highly specialized nursing care, assisting in diagnostic, medical and surgical procedures, and supervising other veterinary personnel. A vet technician might be more comparable to a registered nurse (RN) in human medicine.
While it's certainly admirable that this youngster is living out her dream of pursuing a career in veterinary medicine, it is an insult to many licensed DVMs to claim that she is already a veterinarian. The coursework required to obtain a certificate as a veterinary assistant falls far short of that required by a professional veterinary school at a college or university.
Sources
American Veterinary Medical Association, Becoming a Veterinary Technician, http://www.avma.org/careforanimals/animatedjourneys/aboutvets/becomingtech.asp
American Veterinary Medical Association, The veterinary health care team, http://www.avma.org/communications/brochures/health_care/health_care_brochure.asp
Career Prospects in Virginia, Veterinary Assistant, http://www.careerprospects.org/Briefs/T-Z/VetAssts.shtml
Published by Kelly Russ
Kelly is a public relations/communication professional with eight years experience in the corporate, academic and nonprofit worlds. Favorite weekend activities are watching college football and visiting k... View profile
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8 Comments
Post a CommentI would like to know which online college she went to, evey college I checked out you have to be 17 just to get information not including registering for the college, you must have a high school diploma or a GED. So are they lying about her age and her schooling to get into the program.
I appreciate you clearing this up for me. I'm in an intense college degree at the moment to become a licensed Veterinary Technician, which requires I be present for about 15 lectures and corresponding labs, Field experience and an internship are also required to graduate, so when I heard a 10 year old had done what I am online in my little brother's Weekly Reader from school, I was admittedly a little miffed. Not with the child, mind you, just with the situation. I think it's wonderful that she has this opportunity, though up until now the articles I've seen made it out to be that she had the degree I was going for sans the labs. I feel much better. How lame is that?
While your article does help to clear up the misconception about this young girl and I really appreciate that, you have also incorrectly stated that an education is not required to be a veterinary technician. In some states this is the case and in others it is not--the laws vary from state to state. In some states it is against the law to even call someone a "veterinary technician" if they do not have the education and haven't received the appropriate certification in that state. Missouri and West Virginia are just two examples of states where the statutes specifically state that a person cannot be refered to as a "veterinary technician" without the proper education and certification.
i saw her on the Ellen show and wondered about that. Oh by the way ... I love your cute doggie avatar :-)
I also did an article on this and said that she was a Veterinarian's Assistant after doing research on it, I might have made a mistake by saying so. I did however, say that she did college course work but I never said that she took the exam because I had already knew that she did not. There are some people who have said that the media is making a big deal out of nothing but it is still amazing to see a child her age do something like this.
Great article for clarification. Very interesting.
No problem! It just irritates me to no end! I wanted to be a vet for a long time, but the course work really is SO difficult. It is every bit as hard as becoming a medical doctor. And these stupid "reporters" at television stations and on Yahoo! are saying she is a "vet". That is very misleading and irresponsible, and also a slap in the face to many who worked hard and long to REALLY become veterinarians. Thanks for your comment!
Glad you spelled it out.. I saw some of the other articles too, and wondered what the deal was. Thanks for writing this.