Vet Technician Training Program
How to Choose the Best One Near Maricopa Arizona

Choosing a veterinary technician school near Maricopa AZ to achieve your lifelong desire to work with and care for our pets might initially feel like an overwhelming challenge. After all, you have to find and enroll in a school that will deliver the necessary training to ensure that you can be successful as a vet tech. And so that you pick the best one you must research and compare each of the schools you have placed on your short list. When looking for vet tech programs, many potential students start by zeroing in on the ones that are closest to their homes. After they have identified some nearby schools, they determine which ones have the lowest tuition and focus on those. Although cost and location are important considerations when assessing vet technician schools, they are not the only significant ones when making your comparisons. Qualifications such as accreditation and internship programs need to be evaluated also. The point is that there are questions you need to be asking the veterinary technician programs you are reviewing before you make an ultimate selection. We have presented several in this article to help get you started, but before we review them we'll explore the different roles of vet techs and the training alternatives offered.

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

Vet Tech Education Options

Among the initial decisions that you will need to make is if you desire to train as a veterinary assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your determination might be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your training, but the principal factor will probably be which specialty appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they each work under the immediate direction of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And even though there are numerous duties that they can carry out within the Maricopa AZ veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medications, diagnose conditions, or conduct surgeries. In those areas they may only provide assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work outside of the standard veterinarian practice, for example for animal shelters, zoos or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the job functions and training requirements for each specialization.

• 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 graduating from a certificate program at a trade school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet technicians in the execution of their duties. Normally they are not associated with more involved tasks, for example assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their typical functions may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or handling pets during examinations.
• Vet Technicians get more advanced training compared to 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 veterinary equivalent of medical nurses, since their basic job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from vet assistants is that they are involved in more involved duties, such as assisting with surgical procedures or administering medicine. All states presently require vet techs pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to vet technicians and for the most part carry out the same job functions. They are required to attain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which normally takes 4 years. Therefore the main difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist's more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more work options, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

Vet technicians and technologists can specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or emergency care. Many may earn certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Maricopa AZ laboratories or research facilities as well.

What to Ask Vet Tech Schools

By now you should have decided on which veterinarian degree that you wish to obtain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinarian community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Maricopa AZ area and across the USA, you need to ask some qualifying questions in order to fine tune your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our introduction, many future students start by focusing on location and the cost of tuition. But we have previously mentioned other important qualifiers, such as internship programs and accreditation. And obviously you want to choose a program that offers the degree and specialty that you are interested in. These and other factors are addressed in the list of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician colleges that you are looking at.

Is the Vet Program Accredited?  It's important that you make sure that the vet tech college you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As previously mentioned, one of the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone an extensive screening process that ensures you will receive 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. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited school is often a prerequisite for employment for a number of Maricopa AZ area vet practices and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The veterinary vocational school or college and program you choose should have an outstanding reputation within the veterinary community. You can start your due diligence by asking the schools you are reviewing for references from the employers in their job assistance network. Other pointers include looking on internet school ranking websites and checking with the school's accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the Arizona school licensing authority if there have been any grievances or violations involving your specific schools. As a final suggestion, call some Maricopa AZ veterinary clinics that you may wish to work for after you go through your training. Find out what they think about your school selections. They might even recommend some schools not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The most effective means to obtain clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a professional environment. Ask if the schools you are considering have internship programs set up with Maricopa AZ veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and many furnish it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial relative to the clinical training, but an internship may also help develop connections in the local veterinarian community and assist in the search for employment after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Offered?  Searching for a job after graduating from a veterinary technician program may be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, find out what the graduation rates are for the programs you are reviewing. A lower rate may signify that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the curriculum or that a number of students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. Next, confirm that the schools have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate might indicate that the school has an exceptional reputation within the Maricopa AZ veterinary community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may mean 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 larger, you most likely will receive little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Request from the Maricopa AZ schools you are considering what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You might also want to sit in on some classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between instructors and students. Get evaluations from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the teachers and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Of course, we previously covered location, but there are a couple of more points to consider on the subject. If you are going to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Maricopa AZ home, you have to make sure that the commuting time fits into your schedule. For example, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won't be the same as the commute during rush hour traffic, especially if the college is located in or near a large city. Also, if you do choose to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition fees especially for community and state colleges. On the other hand, attending classes online may be an option that will give you more flexibility and reduce the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And finally, it's essential that you find out if the veterinary schools you are considering offer class times flexible enough to fit your schedule. For example, many students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Maricopa AZ. Others might only be able to attend classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you require are offered prior to enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make-up classes that you might miss due to work, illness or family emergencies. You might find that an online program is the ideal way to fit your vet education into your busy life.

Learn More About Becoming a Vet Technologist in Maricopa

Enroll in the Best Maricopa Veterinary Technologist Program

Selecting the ideal vet tech school is an important first step to starting a rewarding career delivering care and treatment for pets and livestock. Potential students considering vet tech colleges must make their determination based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly handle administrative responsibilities and assist the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have covered, it's very important that you pick a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This applies to online vet tech colleges as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to narrow down your alternatives so that you can make your final decision. And by choosing the best college, you can achieve your goal of becoming a vet tech in Maricopa Arizona.

 

Maricopa Vet Tech Colleges | Maricopa Veterinary Technician Schools