Veterinary Technician College
How to Enroll In the Right One Near Russellville Arkansas

Finding a veterinary technician school near Russellville AR to achieve your lifelong desire to work with and care for our pets may initially seem like an enormous challenge. After all, you must search for and enroll in a school that will furnish the necessary training to ensure that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. But just how do you tackle analyzing and contrasting schools so that you can make the ideal selection? Many future students launch their due diligence process by searching for schools that are near their residences. When they have found some area colleges, they determine which ones have the cheapest tuition and focus on those. Although location and expense are important factors when assessing veterinary technician programs, they are not the only critical ones when making your evaluations. Qualifications such as internship programs and accreditation should be evaluated also. The bottom line is that prior to making a selection, you must finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the programs you are assessing. We have presented several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we'll talk about the various responsibilities of vet techs and the training options 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 need to make is whether you wish to train as a vet technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your decision might be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your training, but the principal factor will probably be which specialty interests you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they each work under the direct guidance of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And even though there are a number of tasks that they can perform within the Russellville AR veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medicines, diagnose ailments, or perform surgeries. In those areas they can only furnish support to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work exclusive of the typical vet practice, for example for animal shelters, zoos or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the job functions and education prerequisites for each specialization.

• Vet Assistants in almost all cases will have completed a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a vet clinic or hospital, or by finishing a certificate program at a vocational 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 involved with more involved activities, for instance assisting with surgeries. A few of their usual duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or handling animals during examinations.
• Vet Technicians receive more advanced training compared with assistants and usually obtain a 2 year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the veterinary counterparts of medical nurses, since their fundamental job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from veterinary assistants is that they are included in more involved activities, such as assisting with surgical procedures or administering medicine. All states presently require vet technicians pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary techs and basically perform the same job functions. They are required to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally requires 4 years. So 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 career opportunities, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.

Veterinary techs and technologists may specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or urgent care. Many may acquire certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Russellville AR laboratories or research facilities also.

Things to Ask Vet Tech Colleges

At this point you probably have determined which veterinarian credential that you would like to attain, and if you want to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinary community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Russellville AR area and across the Country, you need to ask some relevant questions to help fine tune your list of options. As we discussed in our opening, many future students start by prioritizing location and the cost of tuition. But we have already pointed out other important qualifiers, such as accreditation and internship programs. And of course you need to choose a program that offers the degree and specialty that you would like to earn. These and other qualifications are covered in the list of questions that you should ask the vet tech schools that you are reviewing.

Is the Vet School Accredited?  It's important that you make sure that the veterinary technician college you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously stated, 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 a thorough review process that ensures you will obtain a quality education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are applying for a student loan or financial assistance, since numerous programs are not available for non-accredited schools. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is frequently a precondition for employment for a number of Russellville AR area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The vet trade school or college and program you enroll in should have an excellent reputation within the veterinarian community. You can start your due diligence by asking the schools you are looking at for references from the employers in their job placement network. Other tips include looking on internet school rating websites and contacting the school's accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the Arkansas school licensing department if there have been any complaints or infractions relating to your specific schools. As a final pointer, phone some Russellville AR veterinarians that you might want to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think of your school selections. They may even recommend some colleges not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The most effective way to get practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Find out if the programs you are reviewing have internship programs established with Russellville AR veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Most veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and many provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial relative to the clinical training, but an internship may also help build associations in the local veterinarian community and aid in the search for a job after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program?  Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician program can be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are considering. A lower rate may mean that the teachers were unqualified to teach the course of study or that some students were disappointed with the program and quit. Next, verify that the schools have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate could indicate that the school has an exceptional reputation within the Russellville AR vet community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A low rate could signify that the training is not highly 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 in size, you most likely will get little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Request from the Russellville AR programs you are looking at what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You may also want to sit in on a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and teachers. Get feedback from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and determine what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the College Located?  Of course, we already discussed location, but there are several more points to make on the subject. If you are going to drive to your vet tech classes from your Russellville AR home, you have to 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 campus is located close by or within a large city. In addition, if you do opt to attend a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition charges especially for community and state colleges. Of course taking classes online could be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and minimize the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And finally, it's imperative that you find out if the vet programs you are considering offer class times flexible enough to accommodate your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue to work full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Russellville AR. Others may only be able to attend classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are offered before enrolling. Also, find out if you can make-up classes that you may miss as a result of work, sickness or family responsibilities. You might discover that an online school is the best solution to fit your veterinary education into your hectic life.

Find Out More About Becoming a Vet Technician in Russellville

Enroll in the Best Russellville Vet Technologist Program

Picking the right veterinary technician school is a crucial first step to beginning a rewarding career delivering treatment and care for animals. Future students thinking about vet tech programs need to make their determination based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They typically handle administrative duties and support the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have discussed, it's essential that you decide on a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the field. This applies to vet tech online programs as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to reduce your options so that you can make your final choice. And by picking the right college, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Russellville Arkansas.

 

Russellville Vet Tech Colleges | Russellville Veterinary Technician Schools