We talk a lot in veterinary medicine about burnout, staffing shortages, title confusion, and veterinary technician pay. Scroll LinkedIn or attend a panel at a conference, and you’ll see the same pain points echoing over and over. But as someone who’s spent my career leading teams, coaching veterinary professionals, and building Leading Veterinary Teams, a company dedicated to advancing veterinary managers into veterinary leaders while advocating for veterinary technician careers and creating pathways for growth, I can’t help but ask:
Are we really getting to the root of the problem?
Or are we just treating symptoms?
Are we just slapping Band-Aids on bullet wounds?
What if we’re not actually addressing the root causes? What if we’re too distracted by surface-level debates to name the systems that are really holding us back?
This is the first in a series of reflections and conversations aimed at digging deeper. Because the future of veterinary medicine depends on our willingness to stop treating symptoms and start addressing the source.
The Technician Crisis Is a Symptom, Not the Problem
We don’t utilize our veterinary technicians well. That’s not a new take, but we rarely ask why.
Why are we still arguing about the title “vet tech” versus “vet nurse” while practices hire people with zero training at $15/hour and give them syringes?
Why are some of the most skilled, compassionate, and experienced people in our hospitals still not empowered to work at the top of their license, or get one at all?
And why is formal education in veterinary technology still so inaccessible to so many?
Because this isn’t just a staffing problem. It’s a pipeline problem. It’s a class issue. It’s systemic gatekeeping. It’s a professional hierarchy that still prioritizes the comfort of veterinarians over the potential of the team.
Governing Bodies Built to Maintain the Status Quo
Our professional associations and governing boards are made up of veterinarians who, intentionally or not, maintain a system that benefits them. Occasionally there’s one, maybe two (token) veterinary technicians “allowed” on the board, and the amount of excitement that occurs when a veterinary technician “actually” sits as the board president… it’s 2025, WHY is that such a crazy and surprising ordeal?
Instead of investing energy into expanding veterinary technician scope, creating accessible career pathways, or advocating for pay standards, we get mired in debates about terminology. We focus on whether someone should say “nurse” instead of asking why we have no structured path to credentialing that doesn’t require debt, time, and privilege.
Progress doesn’t happen when the people with the most power are the most comfortable. And in vet med, too much power is concentrated at the top, and too many decisions are being made by people who haven’t been on the floor in years.
The Hidden Curriculum We Feed Our Youth
How many kids know that being a vet assistant or vet tech is even an option? How many high school counselors have ever said, “Hey, you’re great with animals, have you looked into becoming a credentialed veterinary technician?”
We funnel kids toward the one role they see in media: the veterinarian. And if they don’t have the grades, the money, or the academic background to pursue that path? They disappear from the pipeline entirely.
This is a visibility issue. But it’s also an equity issue. Because kids from marginalized backgrounds aren’t just missing out on career exposure, they’re often blocked from the very pathways we say are “open to all.”
I will add a quick note to say that I am PROUD to be part of an organization that IS making waves to ensure pathways for underserved youth - if you haven’t heard of BlendVet I highly suggest you take a look at the work that Dr Niccole Bruno and her amazing team is doing! I had the privilege to volunteer for their Pathway event at VMX this past January and it was truly an incredible experience for both me and the kids!
So What Do We Do Now?
We start by telling the truth. Out loud. We start mapping the systems, not just the symptoms. And we begin designing new pathways with the people closest to the work at the center.
This Substack will be a space to do just that. To get honest. To name what we’re really up against. And to start building a version of veterinary medicine that actually makes sense: for everyone, not just the people at the top.
If this resonates with you—whether you’re a credentialed veterinary technician/technologist/nurse, a veterinarian, an assistant, a student, or someone who left the field entirely - I hope you’ll stick around. There’s more to come, and I’d love your voice in the conversation.
You can also follow along on Instagram @therealsuzannethomas TikTok @suzannethomas77 and LinkedIn