It was recently national veterinary technician week, and we had the pleasure of highlighting and interviewing veterinary technicians who are making huge waves in the field of veterinary medicine and pushing registered veterinary technicians forward.  The interviews were so great, we broke them into two episodes. They offer awesome pearls of wisdom, show how valuable veterinary technicians are, and we discuss the biggest obstacles technicians are currently facing.

Guest Bio(s):

Melody Martínez is Certified Veterinary Technician and the first generation daughter of Afro-Caribbean, working-class immigrants from the Dominican Republic. She grew up in Massachusetts and began her veterinary career in 2007. Melody has worked in small animal general practice, emergency and critical care, and as a Senior Animal Caregiver at Farm Sanctuary, where she oversaw the medical care and husbandry needs of 800 rescued farmed animal residents at their New York shelter. 

In 2015, she pivoted to a career in nonprofit management, community organizing, and fundraising with organizations dedicated to racial and economic justice. Melody currently works as a racial equity and organizational change management consultant at Acorde Consulting. She provides organizations with trainings, assessments, and executive coaching to advance their diversity, racial equity, and inclusion efforts. She helps teams address conflict and create the healthier internal climate that is necessary for truly powerful work to take place. As a result, she has supported dozens of mission-driven organizations in making meaningful shifts to workplace culture and in becoming more values-aligned. 

Melody continues her work in veterinary medicine as a relief technician. She volunteers regularly by mentoring K-12 students interested in veterinary medicine, and by providing medical support at animal sanctuaries and organizations that increase access to veterinary care for people experiencing poverty or homelessness with animals. She serves on the board of the Multicultural Veterinary Medical Association (MCVMA) as the Chair of the Social Justice Committee.

Kirsty Oliver earned her Veterinary Nursing Degree from the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons in the U.K., and passed her National Veterinary Technician Exam in 2004 after relocating to New Jersey. In 2005, she became a Certified Canine Rehabilitation Practitioner following completion of the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine program. In 2010, she became certified in veterinary pain management through the International Veterinary Academy of Pain Management. She is currently a rehab tech practitioner in a specialty surgery & rehab service in northern VA.

When she is not pursing her passion at work, she enjoys Reiki practice, beading, crocheting, and knitting & believes all adults should play with Lego !!!!

Liz Waynick is a Registered Veterinary Technician. Having a love for animals since childhood, she received a Bachelor’s in Biology from Muskingum University in New Concord, OH. She intended to apply to Vet School but after a summer shadowing experience she realized that Vet Techs did the majority of the hands on work, which is what drew her to apply to Tech School instead, receiving her Associate’s Degree from The Vet Tech Institute in Pittsburgh, PA. She currently resides in the Greater Cleveland area and has been a Registered Vet Tech in Ohio since 2010. 

She began her tech career in general practice. In 2019 she began writing articles for The Spruce Pets while continuing to work full time at her GP. In the summer of 2020 she made the switch to ER and Specialty practice and has since worked in both the ICU and Cardiology departments.

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Music from the Vet Tech Week intro by: PurplePlanetMusic.com