Veterinary Technician School
How to Enroll In the Right One Near Leeds Alabama
Achieving your long term dream of working with and caring for pets by enrolling in a vet tech college near Leeds AL may at first seem like an overwhelming task. But in order to succeed as a practicing veterinary technician, you need to first locate and ultimately enroll in a school that will provide the necessary training and education. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing programs so that you can make the correct choice? Many aspiring students begin their due diligence process by looking for colleges that are close to their homes. After they have located some local colleges, they ascertain which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although location and expense are significant concerns when evaluating vet technician schools, they are not the only critical ones when making your comparisons. Internship and job placement programs in addition to accreditation are just as important if not more so as location and cost. The main point is that prior to making a selection, you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the programs you are reviewing. We have presented several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll discuss the varied duties of vet techs and the training alternatives available.
IT TAKES JUST A FEW MINUTES TO START YOUR VET TECH CAREER BELOW
Vet Tech Education Options
One of the first decisions that you will have to make is whether you want to train as a veterinary assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your decision may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your education, but the main determiner will undoubtedly be which specialty appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they all work under the direct supervision of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And while there are many tasks that they can perform within the Leeds AL veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medications, diagnose ailments, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they may only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work outside of the typical vet practice, such as for animal shelters, zoos or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the job functions and education requirements for each position.
- Vet Assistants in almost all cases will have completed a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by finishing a certificate program at a trade school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet techs in the performance of their duties. Normally they are not associated with more involved activities, for example assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their usual responsibilities may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or handling animals during examinations.
- Vet Technicians undergo more extensive training compared with assistants and normally acquire a 2 year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the vet counterparts of medical nurses, since their basic job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from vet assistants is that they are engaged in more complicated duties, for example assisting with surgical procedures or administering medicine. All states currently mandate that vet techs pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.
- Vet Technologists are comparable to vet technicians and essentially carry out the same job functions. They are mandated to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which usually requires four years to complete. So the only real distinction between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist's higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job options, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
Veterinary technicians and technologists may specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or urgent care. Many may earn certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Leeds AL laboratories or research facilities also.
Things to Ask Veterinary Technician Programs
At this point you probably have decided on which veterinarian credential that you want to earn, and if you prefer to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinary community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Leeds AL area as well as across the USA, you should ask some relevant questions in order to narrow down your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our introduction, many potential students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have already touched on other significant qualifiers, which include internship programs and accreditation. And obviously you need to select a program that offers the degree and specialty that you would like to earn. These and other factors are addressed in the list of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician programs that you are considering.
Is the Veterinary Program Accredited? It's important that you verify that the vet tech college you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier discussed, among the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone an extensive review process that ensures you will obtain 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 certificate or degree from an accredited program is often a precondition for employment for a number of Leeds AL area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.
What is the Program's Reputation? The vet vocational school or college and program you choose must have an exceptional reputation within the vet community. You can begin your due diligence by asking the colleges you are interested in for endorsements from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include checking with online school ranking websites and contacting the school's accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the Alabama school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or violations concerning your specific schools. As a final recommendation, phone some Leeds AL vet clinics that you may want to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think about your school choices. They may even suggest some programs not on your list.
Are Internships Offered? The best means to obtain practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have internship programs established with Leeds AL veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require practical training and many furnish it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable regarding the clinical training, but an internship can also help develop associations in the local vet community and assist in the search for a position after graduation.
Is Job Assistance Offered? Getting a job after graduating from a vet tech program may be challenging without the help of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are reviewing. A low rate could mean that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the course of study or that a number of students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. Next, verify that the colleges have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate may indicate that the program has an outstanding reputation within the Leeds AL vet community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate could indicate that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job placement program is ineffective at placing students.
How Big are the Classes? If the classes are bigger, you probably will receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Leeds AL colleges you are considering what their class teacher to student ratios are. You might also decide to attend a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between teachers and students. Ask for evaluations from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and find out what their qualifications are as well as their methods of teaching.
Where is the College Located? Of course, we already talked about location, but there are a few more points to consider on the topic. If you are planning to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Leeds AL home, you need to make sure that the commuting time is compatible with your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to check out the route won't be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, particularly if the school is located in or close by a larger city. In addition, if you do opt to enroll in a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition costs particularly for community and state colleges. Of course taking online classes may be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the necessity for travel.
Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And finally, it's important that you find out if the veterinarian schools you are looking at offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For example, many students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near Leeds AL. Others may only be able to go to class in the morning or in the afternoon. Make certain that the class times you need are available before enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make-up classes that you might miss because of work, illness or family responsibilities. You might find that an online program is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary training into your busy life.
Learn More About Becoming a Vet Tech in Leeds
Enroll in the Right Leeds Veterinary Technologist Program
Selecting the appropriate veterinary technician school is a critical first step to starting a fulfilling career providing care and treatment for animals. Future students thinking about veterinary technician programs need to make their decision based on a number of key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They typically handle administrative tasks and support the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have discussed, it's imperative that you enroll in a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This goes for vet tech online colleges as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to reduce your choices so that you can make your final choice. And by picking the right school, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Leeds Alabama.