Veterinary Technician College
How to Find the Right One Near Huntsville Alabama

Fulfilling your lifelong dream of working with and caring for animals by enrolling in a vet tech college near Huntsville AL could initially feel like a challenging undertaking. But in order to succeed as a working veterinary technician, you need to first locate and finally enroll in a program that will provide the required education and training. But just how do you tackle reviewing and contrasting colleges so that you can make the correct choice? When checking out vet tech programs, the majority of students start by targeting those that are closest to their homes. When they have located some nearby colleges, they determine which ones have the lowest tuition and focus on those. Although cost and location are important concerns when comparing veterinary technician schools, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your evaluations. Internship and job placement programs as well as accreditation are equally important if not more so as cost and location. The bottom line is that prior to making a selection, you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the programs you are evaluating. We have furnished several within this article to help get you started, but before we review them we'll go over the various responsibilities of veterinary technicians and the training options available.

IT TAKES JUST A FEW MINUTES TO START YOUR VET TECH CAREER BELOW

Vet Technician Degree Options

One of the initial decisions that you will have to make is whether you wish to train as a vet technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your decision may be based on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your education, but the main determiner will most likely be which specialization appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they all work under the immediate supervision of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And even though there are a number of tasks that they can carry out within the Huntsville AL veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe medications, diagnose health issues, or perform surgeries. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work outside of the typical veterinarian practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the job functions and training prerequisites for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in the majority of instances will have undergone a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a practice, or by finishing a certificate program at a community college or trade school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet technicians in the completion of their duties. Usually they are not associated with more complicated tasks, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their usual responsibilities may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during exams.
• Vet Technicians receive more advanced training compared to assistants and generally acquire a two year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the veterinary equivalent of medical nurses, since their basic job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from vet assistants is that they are engaged in more complicated tasks, for example assisting with surgeries or administering medicine. All states presently require veterinary technicians pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary technicians and for the most part carry out the same work functions. They are required to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which normally takes 4 years to complete. So the only real distinction between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist's more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more work opportunities, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.

Veterinary techs and technologists can specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or emergency care. Many may obtain certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Huntsville AL labs or research facilities also.

Things to Ask Vet Tech Colleges

At this point you should have determined which veterinarian credential that you want to obtain, and if you intend to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinary community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the Huntsville AL area as well as across the USA, you should ask some important questions in order to fine tune your list of options. As we mentioned in our introduction, many potential students start by concentrating on location and the cost of tuition. But we have already mentioned other significant qualifiers, such as internship programs and accreditation. And naturally you want to choose a program that offers the specialty and degree that you want to earn. These and other factors are reviewed in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician programs that you are looking at.

Is the Vet Program Accredited?  It's important that you make sure that the vet tech school you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously discussed, one of the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through a thorough review process that ensures you will receive a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since many programs are not available for non-accredited programs. Last, having a degree or certificate from an accredited school is in many cases a prerequisite for employment for a number of Huntsville AL area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the College's Reputation?  The vet college or trade school and program you choose should have an exceptional reputation within the veterinary community. You can start your due diligence by asking the colleges you are interested in for references from the employers in their job assistance network. Other tips include looking on online school rating websites and speaking with the school's accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Alabama school licensing department if there have been any complaints or violations concerning your targeted schools. As a final recommendation, contact some Huntsville AL veterinarians that you may wish to work for after you go through your training. Find out what they think of your school choices. They may even suggest one or more programs not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The best way to obtain clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have internship programs set up with Huntsville AL veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and many provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable relative to the clinical training, but an internship can also help build relationships in the local vet community and help in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided?  Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician school can be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. First, ask what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are evaluating. A lower rate may signify that the instructors were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that some students were unhappy with the program and quit. Next, confirm that the colleges have a job assistance program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate may indicate that the college has an outstanding reputation within the Huntsville AL veterinarian community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A low rate might mean that the training is not highly thought of by employers or that the job placement program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are larger sized, you most likely will get little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Huntsville AL programs you are considering what their class teacher to student ratios are. You may also want to participate in a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and instructors. Get evaluations from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the instructors and determine what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the School Located?  Of course, we previously talked about location, but there are a couple of more points to consider on the topic. If you are going to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Huntsville AL home, you have to make sure that the driving time fits into your schedule. For example, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won't be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, especially if the campus is located in or close by a large city. In addition, if you do choose to enroll in a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition charges especially for state and community colleges. On the other hand, taking classes online could be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and minimize the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And finally, it's important that you find out if the veterinary programs you are evaluating offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to fit your schedule. For example, a number of students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near Huntsville AL. Some might only be able to attend classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are offered before enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make-up classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family emergencies. You might discover that an online college is the best solution to fit your veterinary education into your busy life.

Learn More About How to Become a Vet Technologist in Huntsville

Chosse the Right Huntsville Vet Technologist College

Choosing the right veterinary technician school is an important first step to starting a gratifying career delivering care and treatment for animals. Students thinking about vet tech colleges need to make their determination based on several key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They typically take on administrative duties and assist the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have discussed, it's imperative that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This applies to vet tech online programs as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make your final selection. And by choosing the best program, you can achieve your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Huntsville Alabama.

 

Huntsville Vet Tech Colleges | Huntsville Veterinary Technician Schools