Filling a needed role leads technician to specialist certification

Lindsay Hallman, CVT, CCMT, VTS (Oncology), a veterinary technician at Mount Laurel Animal Hospital in New Jersey, discussed oncology practice in an interview with dvm360. In this video, Hallman shares how she was introduced to veterinary oncology, why she chose it as her specialty and how it helped grow her career. In boosting her skill set in oncology, Hallman earned a Veterinary Technician Specialist (VTS) credential.

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The following is a transcript of the video:

Lindsay Hallman, CVT, CCMT, VTS (Oncology): I had been doing overnight ICU medicine for 12 years, and a very good friend of mine was doing her residency in oncology, and had finished, and kind of gave me a call and said, ‘Hey, I need a nurse. I'm out of my residency. I'm starting at a hospital. Do you want to come to oncology with me?’ And I said, ‘I know literally nothing about cancer. I don't know how helpful I would be.’ And she said, ‘I'm going to teach you everything you need to know.’

I very quickly learned that that was where I was supposed to be in this world. The bonds with the clients were absolutely amazing. I just loved everything about it. And I was like, ‘OK, this is where I was supposed to be.’

I just really always loved teaching, and I knew that that was something that I always wanted to do going forward. So VTS was the next kind of stepping stone to that. So I knew if I obtained my VTS, that I would be able to lecture, maybe get some teaching at some schools, things like that, which I have started doing.

But the entire process, while it is a bit nerve wracking, is actually a really gratifying process and a really fun one. If you really lean into it, it's actually a really fun process I recommend. I recommend it for everyone, whatever your specialty is, I highly recommend going and getting a VTS.