Vet Technician Degree
How to Choose the Best One Near Fortuna Foothills Arizona

Choosing a veterinary technician school near Fortuna Foothills AZ to achieve your lifelong desire to help and provide medical treatment for our pets might from the start seem like an enormous task. But in order to succeed as a working veterinary technician, you must first locate and ultimately enroll in a program that will provide the necessary education and training. But just how do you tackle analyzing and comparing colleges so that you can make the proper selection? Many aspiring students start their due diligence process by looking for campuses that are close to their residences. When they have found some nearby colleges, they find out which ones have the most affordable tuition and focus on those. Although location and cost are important factors when evaluating vet 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 just as important if not more so as cost and location. The bottom line is that prior to making a selection, you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are assessing. We have furnished several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll explore the different responsibilities of veterinary technicians and the training options available.

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

Vet Tech Degree Options

One of the initial decisions that you will need to make is whether you plan to train as a veterinary assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your determination might be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your education, but the primary determiner will most likely be which specialty appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they each work under the immediate supervision of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And while there are many duties that they can perform within the Fortuna Foothills AZ veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medications, diagnose health issues, or perform surgeries. In those areas they can only provide assistance to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work outside of the conventional vet practice, for example for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let's take a look at the duties and training requirements for each specialization.

• Vet Assistants in the majority of cases will have completed 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 vets and vet techs in the performance of their duties. Normally they are not involved with more complex tasks, for instance assisting with surgeries. A few of their typical duties may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or handling pets during exams.
• Vet Technicians get more advanced training compared to assistants and generally earn a 2 year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinarian equivalent of medical nurses, since their general job duty is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from veterinary assistants is that they are included in more involved tasks, for example assisting with surgeries or providing medication. All states presently require vet technicians pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary technicians and essentially carry out the same job functions. They are required to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally takes 4 years. Therefore the only real difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist's more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job options, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.

Veterinary technicians and technologists may specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or emergency care. A number may receive certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Fortuna Foothills AZ labs or research facilities as well.

Online Vet Tech Programs Available

An option that may be a solution for those with a busy lifestyle or who are working full time while attending veterinary college is to enroll in an online training program. Since the classes are made available via the internet, students can attend on their own timetable wherever a computer is available. The educational program is taught using multiple venues, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since the majority of veterinary tech and technologist degrees require practical training, that part can normally be completed as an internship or work study program at a local Fortuna Foothills AZ veterinary practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in many instances reduce the cost of your education. Tuition and ancillary expenses, for example for travel and study supplies, may be more affordable compared to more traditional classroom courses. Just confirm that the online school that you enroll in is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting agency. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything is included for a complete education. So if you are dedicated enough to learn in this more independent fashion, an online veterinary technician program may be the right choice for you.

What to Ask Veterinary Technician Schools

By now you should have selected which veterinary degree that you want to attain, and if you want to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinarian community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Fortuna Foothills AZ area and across the USA, you need to ask some important questions to help fine tune your list of options. As we discussed in our introduction, many potential students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have previously touched on other important qualifiers, for example internship programs and accreditation. And obviously you need to enroll in a program that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. These and other qualifications are addressed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the vet tech schools that you are looking at.

Is the Veterinary Program Accredited?  It's imperative that you verify that the veterinary technician program you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As previously discussed, among the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through a demanding screening process that confirms you will obtain a quality education. Also, accreditation is important if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not obtainable for non-accredited colleges. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited school is often a prerequisite for employment for a number of Fortuna Foothills AZ area veterinary clinics and hospitals.

What is the College's Reputation?  The veterinary trade school or college and program you select should have an excellent reputation within the veterinarian field. You can begin your due diligence by asking the schools you are reviewing for references from the employers in their job placement network. Other pointers include checking with internet school ranking websites and speaking with the school's accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Arizona school licensing department if there have been any complaints or infractions relating to your targeted schools. As a final pointer, contact some Fortuna Foothills AZ veterinarians that you might wish to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think of your school choices. They may even suggest one or more programs not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The best means to get practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a medical setting. Ask if the programs you are reviewing have internship programs established with Fortuna Foothills AZ veterinarians, vet hospitals or practices. The majority of veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and many provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial relative to the clinical training, but an internship may also help develop relationships in the local veterinarian community and assist in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided?  Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician school may be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are reviewing. A lower rate might mean that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the curriculum or that some students were unhappy with the program and quit. Next, confirm that the schools have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate could signify that the school has an outstanding reputation within the Fortuna Foothills AZ vet community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate might signify that the training is not well regarded by employers or that the job placement program is a failure at placing students.

How Large are the Classes?  If the classes are larger, you probably will receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Fortuna Foothills AZ colleges you are considering what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You might also want to attend a few classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between instructors and students. Ask for feedback from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and find out what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the School Located?  Okay, we already talked about location, but there are a few more points to make on the topic. If you are going to commute to your vet tech classes from your Fortuna Foothills AZ home, you have to confirm that the commuting time fits into your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to check out the route won't be the same as the commute during rush hour traffic, particularly if the campus is located near or in a larger city. Also, if you do decide to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition costs particularly for state and community colleges. Of course taking classes online may be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and reduce the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And last, it's imperative that you determine if the vet colleges you are evaluating offer class times flexible enough to accommodate your schedule. For example, a number of students continue to work full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Fortuna Foothills AZ. Others may only be able to attend class in the morning or in the afternoon. Make certain that the class times you need are offered prior to enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make up classes that you might miss as a result of work, illness or family responsibilities. You may find that an online college is the ideal solution to fit your vet education into your hectic life.

Find Out More About How to Become a Veterinary Technician in Fortuna Foothills

Chosse the Right Fortuna Foothills Veterinary Technologist School

Selecting the right vet tech program is an important first step to starting a fulfilling career delivering treatment and care for pets and livestock. Potential students looking into veterinary technician schools must make their determination based on several key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly take on administrative responsibilities and support the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have discussed, it's very important that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This goes for vet tech online colleges as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to narrow down your options so that you can make your final decision. And by choosing the right program, you can reach your goal of becoming a vet tech in Fortuna Foothills Arizona.

 

Fortuna Foothills Veterinary Technician Schools | Fortuna Foothills Online Vet Tech Programs