Name: Sarah Hurley 
Employer: Parkland College, Champaign, IL
Job Title: Instructor, Veterinary Technology Program
Years with current employer: 15
Educational Background: Sarah received a Bachelor’s degree in Ecology, Ethology, and Evolution and an Associate’s degree in Veterinary Technology.
Job Description: Sarah currently teaches Clinical Pathology, Pharmacology, and Cat Anatomy at Parkland College, but has also taught or assisted in most of the courses in the Veterinary Technology Program there. On any given day Sarah can find herself spending several hours meeting with students, preparing lectures or setting up labs, grading papers, writing tests, adding material to course websites, filling out departmental paperwork, and answering student emails. Sarah states, “Often when people think about teachers, they think most of their time is spent in the classroom. In my case, I spend at least as much time working outside of class as I do during class.”
Favorite Component of Her Job: “I like having a great degree of control over what material is emphasized and how to teach the material. I make some changes in my courses each year in an effort to help my students learn the material more easily and to retain it better. With experience, I learn the mistakes students typically make, and I try to find ways of teaching so that the next group will not make those errors. I am always eager to evaluate the outcome of the changes I’ve made since the last time I taught that class. I enjoy watching students’ progress in a skill and when they start making connections between the materials taught in the different classes. I feel that by setting and helping students to achieve high standards, I can have a greater impact on animal care than I could by working as a Veterinary Technician in a clinical setting. I also like the fairly flexible work schedule. I can do some of my work (grading, prep work) at home, and I really like having summers off. I spend a good deal of time each summer volunteering for a group that runs free veterinary clinics in underserved areas. I get to use veterinary skills that I don’t have the opportunity to use in my job, to teach veterinary students, and to learn from vets, vet techs, and vet students from all areas of the US.”
Least Favorite Component of Her Job: “Our program is very demanding. There are students who have a very strong desire to succeed, but fail nonetheless. I want them to succeed as well and it is never easy to deliver the bad news that they did not make the grade in one of my classes and therefore can’t continue in the program. Also I have to spend a lot of time on departmental things (meetings/paperwork) that are only tangential to what happens in the classroom.”
Sarah’s Recommendations to Those Interested in a Career Similar to Her Own: “To be an instructor, most veterinary technology programs require a bachelor’s degree as well a veterinary technology degree, but don’t necessarily require a degree in education. Clinical experience is a must. I worked in small animal practice, emergency and critical care, wildlife rehab, a zoo hospital, and in animal welfare prior to this job. Those experiences inform my teaching and give me a wealth of examples I can use to bring the material to life. A job like this became a long-term career goal when I was still pursuing my veterinary technology degree. I looked for opportunities to get teaching experience. I developed and taught training programs for volunteers at a humane society where I worked. I volunteered to teach disaster services and pet first aid courses for the Red Cross. I tutored and I substituted for our program while working other jobs, both for the experience and to get my foot in the door. There are more teaching opportunities for veterinary technicians now than when I started, so it is much easier to get hired as long as you are willing to relocate. For anyone who wants a job that is fairly rare, regardless of the type of job it is, I recommend that you consider what traits and experiences will impress that potential employer. Then make career and volunteer choices that will help you acquire that experience so that you are ready when opportunity arises.”
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