Veterinary Technician - Livestock

The Department of Ambulatory Medicine and Theriogenology is home to Tufts Veterinary Field Service (TVFS), the largest mobile large animal practice in the Northeast providing primary care and emergency/after hours services. The 11 veterinarians in the section make approximately 4,600 farm calls per year, and tend to over 30,000 cows, 2,500 horses, 850 sheep, 800 goats, and 800 llamas or alpacas.

Under limited supervision, provides skilled administrative and technical support for the bovine, equine and small ruminant busy multi-species and multi-disciplinary ambulatory practice of 11 veterinarians. Be a crucial team member to support other technicians and veterinarians in the office and on-farm as required to provide quality veterinary care to a demanding clientele and provide an optimum learning experience for professional veterinary students enrolled in a demanding curriculum.

Essential Functions as a Veterinary Technician for the Tufts Field Service will be:

Technical Duties:

• Assist clinicians with technical procedures in the field, primarily equine-related, and with haul-in appointments, as needed. Including, but not limited to, equine endoscopy/gastroscopy, equine and livestock radiographs and ultrasound.
• Collaborate with administrative and clinical care team members throughout the hospital to coordinate and prioritize patient care.
• Complete diagnostic testing as ordered by clinicians, including bench-top lab tests.

Maintenance Duties:

• Maintain adequate inventory of medical supplies and pharmaceuticals.
• Clean and maintain clinical areas, with primary oversight of haul-in procedure space.
• Facilitate the maintenance of clinical equipment by identifying malfunctioning equipment and report to Senior Technicians and/or Practice Administrator to schedule for service.

Miscellaneous Duties:

• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor, including:
  
  • Process laundry, prepare surgical packs, maintain haul-in.
  • Provide coverage for other shifts and sections of the clinic as needed.
  • Participate in service and hospital-wide initiatives as required.
• In collaboration with the Client Relations staff and following the direction of the attending veterinarian, schedule new patient appointments.
• Schedule return visits as part of the check-out process.
• Effectively communicate with clients to explain treatment plans and review discharge instructions including medication administration when instructed.
• Responsible for medical records and invoicing of scheduled farm call or haul in appointments. Check for completeness, consistency, and accuracy.
• Upload paper medical records into digital client accounts
• Secondary support for taking inbound phone calls/assist with triaging.
• Cross-train with other office and technical staff to cover busy times of the day, when working on-site, and during scheduled or unscheduled absences.

This description is not intended to be all-inclusive and an employee may perform other duties as assigned to meet the ongoing needs of the organization.

Basic Requirements:

• Knowledge and skills acquired through completing a High school diploma (or equivalent)
• 2 years of experience as a veterinary assistant or technician, or similar technician experience