Sarah Blasczynski, BS, RVT, VTS
Sarah, a UC Davis Animal Science alumna, is part of the 1% of veterinary technicians that hold a VTS credential.
Sarah Blasczynski always had a passion for livestock. Growing up, she raised sheep in 4H and FFA with a goal of becoming a veterinarian. She completed a bachelor’s degree in animal science at UC Davis while competing at the NCAA Division 1 level in softball and track and field.
After graduation, she saw a video promoting a veterinary technician program. It opened her mind to alternative careers in veterinary medicine, and she was sold on the idea of pursuing a technician career. Now more than 10 years later, she has reached a level in her career that few veterinary technicians achieve – a Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) credential.
Only about 1% of all veterinary technicians hold a VTS credential. The accomplishment represents a veterinary technician who has demonstrated advanced knowledge and skills in one of a wide range of specialty disciplines through training and certification.
Blasczynski’s urge to gain this credential came from wanting to expand her career and have learning opportunities that veterinarians get to experience, like sharing best practices with colleagues at other clinics or universities.
“How do I get exposure to technicians at other veterinary schools to see what they’re doing in their clinics and share resources with them?” Blasczynski asked herself. “I saw the VTS program as a way to initiate that and move my career forward.”
While different VTS specialty areas have various requirements for the credential, Blasczynski’s requirements for clinical practice in large animal included five years of experience, 50 hours of continuing education, a technician certificate (RVT), four detailed case reports, and an arduous 200-question examination.
“Faculty, residents, and other VTSs in the hospital were very supportive in helping me study, review case studies, and assist with the more complicated aspects of care,” Blasczynski said.
The credential represents many years of hard work for Blasczynski. She started in the Large Animal Clinic’s Livestock Medicine and Surgery Service, but along the way she was promoted to supervisor, and now is manager of the Livestock Medicine and Surgery, Equine Surgery and Lameness, Equine Integrative Sports Medicine, Livestock Herd Health and Reproduction, and Farrier Services.
The credential represents many years of hard work for Blasczynski. She started in the Large Animal Clinic’s Livestock Medicine and Surgery Service, but along the way she was promoted to supervisor and is also a sought-after speaker at national veterinary conferences.
She is also a sought-after speaker at national veterinary conferences. She recently presented four lectures at the annual Western Veterinary Conference in Las Vegas, one of the largest gatherings of veterinary professionals in the world. Her sessions included presentations on pot belly pig health, blocked goats, livestock blood transfusions, and livestock emergency cases.
“The process of obtaining the VTS, and the community it represents, has allowed me to reach a wider colleague base to share and improve our best practices here at UC Davis,” Blasczynski said. “As an example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a backlog of ordering because of supply chain issues. I was able to reach out to other technicians to see what alternatives were successful at their clinics during those difficult times. I opened this umbrella of different resources all over the country. Knowing that there were many other people throughout the country, other than the handful of people you work with every day, going through the same thing – that helped tremendously.”
A goal for Blasczynski is to bring more exposure to what the hospital can do for livestock owners.
While Blasczynski’s role now includes a multitude of administrative responsibilities, she still enjoys the time she gets with the students the most.
“Helping students achieve some of their first hands-on experiences is one of my favorite aspects of being a technician,” she said. “I love seeing the light bulb click in a student’s mind when they finally get to connect their classroom experience to work in the clinic.”
Blasczynski has noticed a significant caseload increase in livestock medicine and surgery, as there is a companion animal aspect to livestock that didn’t exist a generation ago.
A goal for Blasczynski is to bring more exposure to what the hospital can do for livestock owners.
“There is a lot of care in small animal that can be adapted to livestock now that many are considered companion animals,” she said. “This will allow us to do procedures on livestock that we rarely did before, which not only will provide a wider range of care for these animals but will also provide more hands-on training opportunities for our students.”