Vet Technician College
How to Find the Right One Near Saddlebrooke Arizona

Choosing a veterinary technician school near Saddlebrooke AZ to achieve your lifelong goal to help and provide medical treatment for animals might initially seem like an enormous challenge. After all, you have to locate and enroll in a school that will deliver the proper training to ensure that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you approach assessing and contrasting colleges so that you can make the proper selection? Many aspiring students begin their due diligence process by looking for colleges that are near their residences. When they have found some nearby schools, they determine which ones have the most affordable tuition and focus on those. Although location and expense are significant factors when assessing vet tech schools, they are by no means the only significant ones when making your assessments. Qualifiers such as internship programs and accreditation need to be considered also. The main point is that prior to making a selection, you need to finish your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the programs you are examining. We have presented several within this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll explore the different responsibilities of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives offered.

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

Vet Tech Training Options

One of the initial decisions that you will have to make is if you plan to train as a veterinary assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your determination may be dependent 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 have in common is that they all work under the direct guidance of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And while there are many duties that they can perform within the Saddlebrooke AZ veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medicines, diagnose health issues, or perform surgeries. In those areas they can only furnish assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work outside of the standard veterinarian practice, for example for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the responsibilities and education prerequisites for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in most cases will have gone through a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice 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 techs in the completion of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more complex undertakings, such as assisting with surgeries. A few of their regular functions may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or handling animals during examinations.
• Vet Technicians get more advanced training compared to assistants and typically acquire a two year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinarian equivalent of medical nurses, since their basic job duty is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from vet assistants is that they are engaged in more complex activities, for example assisting with surgical procedures or administering medicine. All states currently require vet techs pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to vet technicians and basically perform the same work functions. They are mandated to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally takes four years to complete. Therefore the only real distinction between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist's more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job opportunities, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally required to pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.

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

Online Vet Tech Schools Available

An alternative that may be a solution for those with a hectic lifestyle or who are working full time while attending veterinarian school is to enroll in an online program. Since the classes are provided over the internet, students can attend on their own timetable wherever a computer is available. The educational program is taught using various methods, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since the majority of vet tech and technologist degrees require clinical training, that segment can usually be completed as an internship or work study program at a local Saddlebrooke AZ veterinarian practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in some instances decrease the cost of your education. Tuition and supplementary expenses, for example for commuting and study materials, can be more affordable compared to more standard classroom programs. Just be sure 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 practical training, everything is furnished for a comprehensive education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more independent mode, an online vet tech program may be the ideal choice for you.

Questions to Ask Veterinary Technician Colleges

By now you should have determined which veterinary credential that you wish to obtain, and if you intend to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinary community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the Saddlebrooke AZ area and across the Country, you should ask some qualifying questions in order to fine tune your list of options. As we pointed out in our introduction, many potential students start by prioritizing location and the cost of tuition. But we have already touched on other important qualifiers, for example accreditation and internship programs. And naturally you want to enroll in a program that offers the degree and specialty that you want 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 Veterinary School Accredited?  It's imperative that you make sure that the veterinary technician program you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As earlier stated, one of 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 thorough screening process that verifies you will obtain a quality education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are requesting a student loan or financial assistance, since many programs are not offered for non-accredited programs. Last, having a degree or certificate from an accredited school is frequently a prerequisite for employment for many Saddlebrooke AZ area veterinarian practices and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The veterinarian college or vocational school and program you select must have an excellent reputation within the vet community. You can start your due diligence by asking the colleges you are looking at for references from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include looking on 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 grievances or violations involving your specific schools. As a final pointer, get in touch with some Saddlebrooke AZ veterinary clinics that you may want to work for after you get your training. Ask what they think of your school choices. They might even recommend one or more schools not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The best means to obtain clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a professional setting. Find out if the schools you are considering have internship programs arranged with Saddlebrooke AZ veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and many provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial relative to the practical training, but an internship may also help establish relationships in the local veterinary community and assist in the search for employment after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program?  Searching for a job after graduating from a vet tech college may be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the programs you are considering. A low rate could mean that the teachers were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that a number of students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. Next, verify that the colleges have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate could indicate that the program has an exceptional reputation within the Saddlebrooke AZ vet community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may mean 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 bigger, you may get little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Saddlebrooke AZ schools you are researching what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You might also want to participate in 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 teachers and determine what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the School Located?  Okay, we already covered location, but there are a couple of more points to make on the topic. If you are planning to commute to your vet tech classes from your Saddlebrooke AZ home, you must make sure that the driving 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 in or near a large city. In addition, if you do decide to enroll in a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition charges particularly for state and community colleges. Of course taking classes online could be an option that will give you more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And finally, it's essential that you determine if the vet programs you are exploring offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For instance, many students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Saddlebrooke AZ. Others may only be able to go to class in the morning or in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you require are offered before enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make-up classes that you might miss due to work, sickness or family responsibilities. You may discover that an online program is the ideal way to fit your vet training into your hectic life.

Learn More About How to Become a Vet Technician in Saddlebrooke

Chosse the Best Saddlebrooke Veterinary Technologist School

Picking the ideal veterinary technician program is an important first step to starting a fulfilling career delivering treatment and care for pets and livestock. Future students thinking about veterinary technician colleges need to make their determination based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly take on administrative tasks and assist the veterinarian with the animals when 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 online vet tech schools as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to reduce your choices so that you can make your final decision. And by selecting the right college, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a vet tech in Saddlebrooke Arizona.

 

Saddlebrooke Veterinary Technician Schools | Saddlebrooke Online Vet Tech Programs