Nationally certified veterinary anesthesia technicians Amanda Shelby, Terry Torres and Jennifer Sagar are shown in the UF Small Animal Hospitals new surgery induction area. With them is Rue, a patient who was awaiting a procedure on her eye. (Photo by Sarah Carey/University of Florida)

A veterinary technician with the University of Florida Veterinary Hospitals recently attained the title of Veterinary Technician Specialist in Anesthesia. The university now employs three of the five certified veterinary technician anesthetists in the state.

The technician, Amanda Shelby, passed the test to become a specialist in October. The national examination is administered by the Academy of Veterinary Technician Anesthetists.

To apply for the exam, a technician must have a long list of qualifications, including:

> at least 6,000 hours of work experience after graduation / credentialing, with 75% of that experience spent providing anesthesia care
> provide a case log of at least 50 cases anesthetized between January and December of the year of submission of the application
> provide four detailed case reports from the patients listed in the case log
> attend at least 40 hours of Continuing Education in the 5 years preceding application. See Continuing Education Requirements.

The AVTA and the anesthesia specialty were recognized by the National Association of Veterinary Technicians in America (NAVTA) in 1999.The AVTA has about 122 members in the United States.