Ed Carlson, CVT, VTS (Nutrition) – NAVTA Immediate Past President
I am a Certified Veterinary Technician in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Connecticut and obtained a VTS (Nutrition) in 2014
Why/how did you decide to become a Credentialed Veterinary Technician?
As a child, I had a lot of animals, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, various cage birds in the house, chickens, doves, and fancy pigeons. Then, when I was in high school, I thought that I wanted to be a veterinarian. So I spent a couple of afternoons after school shadowing at my local animal hospital; that’s where I learned that some of the other people who worked there were veterinary technicians and decided that was what I wanted to do!
Why did you volunteer to serve on the NAVTA Executive Board?
I enjoyed serving on the Massachusetts Veterinary Technician Executive Board and helping to promote our profession in my state. Running for a NAVTA Member at Large seat several years ago and then NAVTA President-Elect allowed me to advocate for the profession. Serving in these offices also allowed me to give back to the profession I love, as so many had before me, which established a great foundation for NAVTA, which we continue to build on.
What do you feel is your greatest professional/personal accomplishment to date?
Mentoring others is my most rewarding professional accomplishment. While working in practice, I enjoyed teaching veterinary technician students, new grads, less experienced technicians, interns, assistants, and anyone who wanted to learn. Since obtaining my Nutrition VTS, I have also mentored technicians in the VTS application process and enjoy presenting CE lectures.
How do you balance your work/volunteer/home commitments?
Learning my limits when it comes to volunteering took some time for me to be comfortable. Especially when there was a project, committee opening, etc., pertaining to something I was passionate about. If I’m being honest, I still struggle with that sometimes! However, I’ve learned to keep a to-do list for work and my personal and volunteer projects with deadlines and priorities. The trick is remembering to check the list before volunteering for something new!
When was the last time you did something for the first time?
I drove a 37.5-foot motor home two weeks ago for the first time. Early in our relationship Walter and I discussed buying a motor home and traveling around the country when we retired. However, recently we realized that we didn’t have to wait until we retired and that we could start enjoying camping now. So we purchased the RV that we test drove, and hopefully, by the time you read this, we will have it parked in your yard!