Tucson Vet Tech Student is Definitely Not Afraid of Snakes

This week is National Veterinary Technician Week. To celebrate, we are featuring stories about Pima Medical Institute veterinary technician and veterinary assistant students and grads.



Tucson vet tech student Sarah Gartland has a love for animals, and not just the furry, snuggly ones.
 
While receiving her bachelor degree in animal science at California Polytechnic State University, Sarah began participating in various international volunteer opportunities that allowed her to work with reptiles and amphibians.
 
“During my travels I decided it would be fun to be able to live and work in other countries in the animal industry, specifically in reptile care. I started my Pima experience in San Diego (Chula Vista campus) in 2012 because I wanted to take advantage of their AVMA accreditation to ensure I had the best possible education.
 
I took a year-long break after completing VA (the veterinary assistant certificate) to accept back-to-back internships at the San Diego Zoo and the Miami Zoo.
 
After that I lived in Thailand for six months studying king cobras. Now I am back in America and am finishing up my last year of the (vet tech) program in Tucson. My goal is to move back to Asia and work there as a veterinary technician.
 
My experience with Pima has been very well-rounded and educational. The instructors have been very accommodating and I look forward to my last few remaining months studying in the program.”