Veterinary Technician School
How to Choose the Right One Near Rio Rico Arizona

Choosing a veterinary technician school near Rio Rico AZ to achieve your passionate desire to help and care for animals may from the start seem like an overwhelming challenge. After all, you need to locate and enroll in a school that will provide the proper training so that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. And in order to pick the right one you must evaluate and compare all of the schools you have placed on your short list. Many potential students start their due diligence process by searching for colleges that are close to their residences. When they have identified some area schools, they determine which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although expense and location are significant factors when evaluating veterinary technician programs, they are by no means the only significant ones when making your comparisons. Job placement and intership 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 carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are examining. We have provided several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll explore the various duties of vet techs and the training alternatives available.

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

Vet Technician Education Options

Among the initial decisions that you will have to make is whether you want to train as a vet assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your determination may be based on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your training, but the main factor will undoubtedly be which specialization interests you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they each work under the immediate guidance of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And even though there are many functions that they can perform within the Rio Rico AZ veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe drugs, diagnose health issues, or conduct surgical procedures. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work away from the standard 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 undergone a structured training program, either as an apprentice or intern 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 vets and vet techs in the completion of their duties. Usually they are not associated with more complex undertakings, for example assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their usual duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or handling animals during exams.
• Vet Technicians go through more extensive training compared with assistants and normally obtain a two 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 general job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from vet assistants is that they are engaged in more involved tasks, for instance assisting with surgeries or administering medication. All states presently require vet techs pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to vet technicians and for the most part perform the same job functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally requires four years to complete. Therefore the only real difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist's higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job opportunities, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.

Veterinary techs and technologists may 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  Rio Rico AZ labs or research facilities as well.

What to Ask Veterinary Technician Programs

At this point you probably have determined which veterinary credential that you would like to obtain, and if you intend to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinarian community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Rio Rico AZ area as well as across the USA, you should ask some relevant questions in order to fine tune your list of options. As we discussed in our opening, many prospective students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have previously mentioned other significant qualifiers, for instance internship programs and accreditation. And naturally you need to choose a program that offers the specialty and degree that you would like to earn. These and other qualifications are covered in the list of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician schools that you are looking at.

Is the Vet Program Accredited?  It's important that you verify that the vet tech college you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier 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 undergone an extensive review 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 programs. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is in many cases a requirement for employment for many Rio Rico AZ area veterinary practices and hospitals.

What is the School's Reputation?  The veterinarian trade school or college and program you select should have an outstanding reputation within the veterinary field. You can start your due diligence by asking the colleges you are looking at for testimonials from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include looking on online school ranking websites and checking with the school's accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Arizona school licensing department if there have been any grievances or violations concerning your specific schools. As a final suggestion, call some Rio Rico AZ vet clinics that you may want to work for after you go through your training. Find out what they think of your school choices. They might even recommend one or more programs not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The best means to obtain clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Find out if the programs you are considering have internship programs set up with Rio Rico AZ veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and many provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable regarding the practical training, but an internship may also help establish relationships in the local veterinarian community and aid in the search for a job after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Offered?  Searching for a job after graduating from a vet tech college can be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, ask what the graduation rates are for the schools you are evaluating. A low rate could signify that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the syllabus or that some students were disappointed with the program and quit. Next, check that the schools have a job assistance program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might signify that the program has an excellent reputation within the Rio Rico AZ veterinary community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate could signify that the training is not well thought of by employers or that the job assistance program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are larger, you most likely will get little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Rio Rico AZ programs you are looking at what their class teacher to student ratios are. You might also want to participate in some classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and instructors. Get feedback from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and determine what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the College Located?  Yes, we already talked about location, but there are a couple of more points to consider on the topic. If you are planning to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Rio Rico AZ home, you need 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 drive during rush hour traffic, especially if the school is located in or close by a larger city. In addition, if you do opt to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition charges particularly for state and community colleges. On the other hand, attending classes online may be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And finally, it's imperative that you ascertain if the vet programs you are considering offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to fit 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 Rio Rico AZ. Others might only be able to attend class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are offered prior to enrolling. Also, find out if you can make up classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities. You might discover that an online school is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary education into your active life.

Learn More About Becoming a Vet Tech in Rio Rico

Chosse the Best Rio Rico Vet Technologist College

Enrolling in the ideal veterinary technician program is an important first step to starting a gratifying career delivering treatment and care for pets and livestock. Students looking into veterinary technician programs must make their decision based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They typically handle administrative responsibilities and support the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have discussed, it's imperative that you pick a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This applies to online vet tech programs as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to reduce your alternatives so that you can make your final decision. And by picking the right program, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Rio Rico Arizona.

 

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