President Nguyen,
This petition serves as a collective statement for the Veterinary Technician students who are unable to attend the Zoom meeting on Friday, May 22nd 2020.
We are disheartened and frustrated with the college’s decision to exclude the Veterinary Technician students from returning to campus this summer when all other Allied Health programs are permitted.
We are considered essential health care workers. Veterinary clinics are still open and operating and understaffed. We understand that there are state and county guidelines that the school must follow, but we are confounded as to why other programs are permitted to complete their labs, but not ours. While our educational focus may not be on human health and infectious diseases, we still have the knowledge for preventing the spread of infectious diseases in our animal patients. And protocols we have studied for this translate very well to preventing the spread of COVID-19. Our teachers have provided you multiple options on how we can successfully complete our labs and remain healthy and we are confident that we can abide by those guidelines.
Furthermore, the Veterinary Technician National Exam (which we need to pass to become licensed) is only open 3 times a year – July, November, and March. If we are allowed back on campus this summer to complete our labs and graduate, we will be able to take our exam in November. However, if we are not allowed back on campus until Fall Quarter, we will not have enough time and our exam date, employment status, health insurance, etc. will be delayed even further.
The decision to exclude your Veterinary Technicians students from returning to campus this summer has very real ramifications: international students aren't able to apply for a working visa until they graduate, we are being paid significantly less because we do not have a degree, and the majority of us are conditionally employed - our jobs are at risk due to employers expecting us to be licensed.
We truly hope that you will do the right thing and not let the education and careers of 60 students be forgotten.
Thank you,
Foothill College Veterinary Technician Students
Updates
May 22, 2020
The momentum is undeniable. This level of support proves our program cannot be ignored any longer.
21 Comments
Veterinary technicians are essential to the smooth work flow of a clinic. These students should absolutely be allowed back on campus to finish their labs so they can be ready to take the VTNE this year. Their lives and very much needed and underappreciated careers should not be held back when something could be worked out easily.
This is costing me actual money- I can't get my raise till I get my RVT. Thanks for listening
Our field is considered essential and is already severely understaffed. We implore you to let us back on campus to finish getting our degrees so we can become certified veterinary technicians. As being a part of the Allied Health Program, we fully understand proper PPE protocols and work closely with our hospitals and clinics to make sure those are enforced. Please allow us to finish our education and become certified so we can help make a difference.
Emergencies and urgent care cases don't take breaks during Shelter in Place. As a student currently interning in a hospital, I'm constantly seeing patients with clients who need to come out of their houses in order to be seen by us and the doctors. I'm limited to what I do unless I am able to graduate. It's a risk for an essential worker as myself. And because we are at risk every single day we step out to work, we follow safety protocols to provide the necessary steps against exposure to COVID 19 AND zoonotic diseases. Please consider us as essential workers since our governor does.
I am currently working during the pandemic because my services are deemed essential. My clinic is severely understaffed of Registered Vet Technicians and it breaks my heart to see my coworkers who are techs burnt out because they do not have help for tasks that only techs are allowed to do, i.e fill controlled meds, bandaging, etc. Please re-think your decision.
✊
Veterinary Technicians are on the front line right now and their education is vital to successful patient outcomes.
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President Nguyen,
This petition serves as a collective statement for the Veterinary Technician students who are unable to attend the Zoom meeting on Friday, May 22nd 2020.
We are disheartened and frustrated with the college’s decision to exclude the Veterinary Technician students from returning to campus this summer when all other Allied Health programs are permitted.
We are considered essential health care workers. Veterinary clinics are still open and operating and understaffed. We understand that there are state and county guidelines that the school must follow, but we are confounded as to why other programs are permitted to complete their labs, but not ours. While our educational focus may not be on human health and infectious diseases, we still have the knowledge for preventing the spread of infectious diseases in our animal patients. And protocols we have studied for this translate very well to preventing the spread of COVID-19. Our teachers have provided you multiple options on how we can successfully complete our labs and remain healthy and we are confident that we can abide by those guidelines.
Furthermore, the Veterinary Technician National Exam (which we need to pass to become licensed) is only open 3 times a year – July, November, and March. If we are allowed back on campus this summer to complete our labs and graduate, we will be able to take our exam in November. However, if we are not allowed back on campus until Fall Quarter, we will not have enough time and our exam date, employment status, health insurance, etc. will be delayed even further.
The decision to exclude your Veterinary Technicians students from returning to campus this summer has very real ramifications: international students aren't able to apply for a working visa until they graduate, we are being paid significantly less because we do not have a degree, and the majority of us are conditionally employed - our jobs are at risk due to employers expecting us to be licensed.
We truly hope that you will do the right thing and not let the education and careers of 60 students be forgotten.
Thank you,
Foothill College Veterinary Technician Students
Updates
May 22, 2020
The momentum is undeniable. This level of support proves our program cannot be ignored any longer.
21 Comments
It took me 7 months to become approved and receive my license. This was before the virus and shelter in place. I can imagine it taking double that time or more for these students to receive theirs during this current situation. Now the school is preventing their students from finishing their education, thus extending the time it takes to receive their license... smh. Glad to know where we (apparently so called essential personnel) stand during this pandemic. Essential enough to risk our lives caring for other people’s fur babies but not essential enough to finish our education to receive our license. Thanks for reminding us how under appreciated we are.
Veterinary technicians are essential to the smooth work flow of a clinic. These students should absolutely be allowed back on campus to finish their labs so they can be ready to take the VTNE this year. Their lives and very much needed and underappreciated careers should not be held back when something could be worked out easily.
This is costing me actual money- I can't get my raise till I get my RVT. Thanks for listening
Our field is considered essential and is already severely understaffed. We implore you to let us back on campus to finish getting our degrees so we can become certified veterinary technicians. As being a part of the Allied Health Program, we fully understand proper PPE protocols and work closely with our hospitals and clinics to make sure those are enforced. Please allow us to finish our education and become certified so we can help make a difference.
Emergencies and urgent care cases don't take breaks during Shelter in Place. As a student currently interning in a hospital, I'm constantly seeing patients with clients who need to come out of their houses in order to be seen by us and the doctors. I'm limited to what I do unless I am able to graduate. It's a risk for an essential worker as myself. And because we are at risk every single day we step out to work, we follow safety protocols to provide the necessary steps against exposure to COVID 19 AND zoonotic diseases. Please consider us as essential workers since our governor does.
I am currently working during the pandemic because my services are deemed essential. My clinic is severely understaffed of Registered Vet Technicians and it breaks my heart to see my coworkers who are techs burnt out because they do not have help for tasks that only techs are allowed to do, i.e fill controlled meds, bandaging, etc. Please re-think your decision.
✊
Veterinary Technicians are on the front line right now and their education is vital to successful patient outcomes.
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It took me 7 months to become approved and receive my license. This was before the virus and shelter in place. I can imagine it taking double that time or more for these students to receive theirs during this current situation. Now the school is preventing their students from finishing their education, thus extending the time it takes to receive their license... smh. Glad to know where we (apparently so called essential personnel) stand during this pandemic. Essential enough to risk our lives caring for other people’s fur babies but not essential enough to finish our education to receive our license. Thanks for reminding us how under appreciated we are.