Veterinary Technician School
How to Select the Best One Near Maricopa Arizona

Finding a veterinary technician school near Maricopa AZ to achieve your heartfelt goal to help and provide medical treatment for our pets might from the start feel like an overwhelming challenge. But in order to succeed as a working veterinary technician, you need to first locate and ultimately enroll in a school that will provide the necessary education and training. And so that you pick the best one you must evaluate and compare each of the schools you have placed on your short list. Many potential students begin their due diligence process by searching for campuses that are near their residences. After they have identified some local schools, they find out which ones have the most affordable tuition and focus on those. Although cost and location are significant considerations when assessing vet technician schools, they are not the only important ones when making your evaluations. Internship and job placement programs in addition to accreditation are just as important if not more so as cost and location. The bottom line is that prior to making a selection, you need to complete your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are examining. We have furnished several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll talk about the varied roles of vet techs and the training alternatives offered.

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Vet Technician Degree Options

One of the first decisions that you will need to make is whether you desire to train as a vet assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your decision may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the principal determiner will most likely be which specialization interests you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they both work under the immediate guidance of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And while there are many duties that they can perform within the Maricopa AZ veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe medications, diagnose health issues, or conduct surgical procedures. In those areas they may only furnish assistance to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the standard veterinarian practice, such as for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let's take a look at the responsibilities and training requirements for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in the majority of cases will have undergone a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a vet clinic or hospital, or by completing a certificate program at a vocational school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet techs in the performance of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more involved tasks, for example assisting with surgeries. A few of their usual duties may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or handling animals during exams.
• Vet Technicians receive more advanced training compared to assistants and generally obtain a two year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the veterinarian counterparts of medical nurses, since their basic job function is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from vet assistants is that they are included in more complicated activities, for instance assisting with surgeries or administering medicine. All states presently mandate that veterinary techs pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to vet technicians and basically perform the same work functions. They are required to attain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which normally requires four years to complete. Therefore the only real difference 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 also mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.

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

What to Ask Vet Tech Colleges

At this point you should have determined which veterinary degree that you would like to attain, and if you intend to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinarian community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Maricopa AZ area and across the USA, you must ask some important questions in order to fine tune your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our introduction, many prospective students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have already pointed out other essential qualifiers, for example accreditation and internship programs. And of course you need to choose a program that offers the specialty and degree that you would like to earn. These and other qualifications are addressed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician programs that you are reviewing.

Is the Vet Program Accredited?  It's important that you confirm that the vet tech college you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier mentioned, among the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone an extensive screening process that confirms you will receive a quality education. Also, accreditation is important if you are requesting a student loan or financial assistance, since numerous programs are not obtainable for non-accredited schools. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited program is in many cases a precondition for employment for a number of Maricopa AZ area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the School's Reputation?  The veterinary college or vocational school and program you select should have an exceptional reputation within the vet community. You can start your due diligence by asking the schools you are interested in for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other tips include looking on internet school rating websites and checking with the school's accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Arizona school licensing authority if there have been any grievances or violations relating to your targeted schools. As a final suggestion, phone some Maricopa AZ veterinarians that you might wish to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think of your school selections. They may even suggest one or more programs not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The most effective way to get practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Ask if the programs you are reviewing have internship programs established with Maricopa AZ veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and many provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial relative to the clinical training, but an internship can also help build associations in the local veterinarian community and help in the search for employment after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided?  Searching for a job after graduating from a veterinary technician program can be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are evaluating. A low rate might signify that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the curriculum or that some students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. Next, verify that the colleges have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might signify that the school has an outstanding reputation within the Maricopa AZ vet community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may mean that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job placement program is ineffective at placing students.

How Large are the Classes?  If the classes are larger in size, you probably will receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Maricopa AZ programs you are considering what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You may also want to attend some classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and instructors. Ask for evaluations from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Of course, we previously talked about location, but there are a couple of more points to make on the topic. If you are planning to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Maricopa AZ home, you must make certain that the commuting time fits into your schedule. For example, driving during the weekend to check out the route won't be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, especially if the school is located in or close by a large city. In addition, if you do choose to attend a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition charges particularly for community and state colleges. On the other hand, attending classes online could be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and minimize the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And last, it's important that you determine if the veterinarian schools you are evaluating offer class times flexible enough to accommodate your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Maricopa AZ. Others may only be able to attend class in the morning or in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you require are available prior to enrolling. Also, determine if you can make up classes that you might miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities. You might discover that an online program is the ideal way to fit your veterinary training into your hectic life.

Learn More About How to Become a Veterinary Technologist in Maricopa

Chosse the Best Maricopa Vet Technologist College

Selecting the appropriate vet tech college is a crucial first step to starting a gratifying career delivering treatment and care for pets and livestock. Students considering veterinary technician colleges must make their decision based on several key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They usually take on administrative responsibilities and assist the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have discussed, it's very important that you decide on a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This goes for online vet tech colleges as well. By asking the questions included 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 picking the best school, you can reach your goal of becoming a vet tech in Maricopa Arizona.

 

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