Veterinary Technician Program
How to Enroll In the Best One Near Altadena California

Finding a veterinary technician school near Altadena CA to fulfill your passionate desire to work with and provide medical treatment for animals may initially feel like an enormous challenge. After all, you need to search for and enroll in a school that will deliver the appropriate training to ensure that you can be successful as a veterinary technician. But just how do you approach analyzing and comparing colleges so that you can make the best selection? When looking for vet tech schools, many potential students start by targeting the ones that are nearest to their homes. When they have found some local schools, they find out which ones have the lowest tuition and hone in on those. Although location and expense are important factors when assessing veterinary technician schools, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your comparisons. Qualifications such as internship programs and accreditation need to be looked into as well. The main point is that prior to making a selection, you must carry out your due diligence and compare all important 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 various duties of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives offered.

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

Vet Technician Degree Options

One of the first 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 dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your training, but the primary factor will probably be which specialization appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they each work under the immediate supervision of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And while there are many duties that they can perform within the Altadena CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medicines, diagnose ailments, or perform surgical procedures. In those areas they may only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the conventional vet practice, such as for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the job functions and education requirements for each specialization.

• Vet Assistants in most instances will have completed a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a vet clinic or hospital, 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 vets and vet technicians in the completion of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more complicated activities, for instance assisting with surgeries. Some of their usual duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during examinations.
• Vet Technicians go through more extensive training compared to assistants and normally acquire 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 veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from veterinary assistants is that they are engaged in more complex activities, such as assisting with surgeries or providing medicine. All states presently mandate that vet technicians pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary technicians and basically perform the same job functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally takes 4 years to complete. 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 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 anesthesia, internal medicine or emergency care. Some may obtain certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Altadena CA laboratories or research facilities as well.

What to Ask Vet Tech Schools

At this point you probably have selected which veterinary credential that you would like to obtain, and if you intend to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are a large number of vet community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Altadena CA area and across the Country, you must ask some qualifying questions to help fine tune your list of options. As we pointed out in our introduction, many potential students start by concentrating on location and the cost of tuition. But we have already mentioned other important qualifiers, for instance internship programs and accreditation. And naturally you want to choose a school that offers the degree and specialty that you would like to earn. These and other qualifications are addressed in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician programs that you are considering.

Is the Veterinary School Accredited?  It's important that you verify that the veterinary technician program you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier mentioned, 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 demanding review process that confirms you will obtain a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not available for non-accredited colleges. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is often a requirement for employment for many Altadena CA area veterinary practices and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The veterinarian vocational school or college and program you enroll in should have an outstanding reputation within the veterinary field. You can start your due diligence by asking the colleges you are reviewing for testimonials from the employers in their job assistance network. Other tips include looking on online school ranking websites and contacting the school's accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the California school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or violations concerning your specific schools. As a final recommendation, get in touch with some Altadena CA vet clinics that you may wish to work for after you go through your training. Find out what they think about your school choices. They may even recommend one or more schools not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The most effective approach to get clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a professional environment. Ask if the schools you are looking at have internship programs arranged with Altadena CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and a large number provide it through internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial regarding the clinical training, but an internship can also help establish connections in the local veterinary community and aid in the search for a job after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided?  Searching for a job after graduating from a veterinary technician program can be challenging without the help of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are evaluating. A low rate could suggest that the instructors were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that a number of students were disappointed with the program and quit. Next, check that the schools have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate might mean that the school has an outstanding reputation within the Altadena CA veterinary community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate might mean that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job assistance program is ineffective at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are larger sized, you probably will get little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Altadena CA schools you are considering what their class student to teacher ratios are. You may also want to attend a couple of classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between teachers and students. Get feedback from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the teachers and find out what their qualifications are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the College Located?  Okay, we already covered location, but there are a couple of more points to make on the subject. If you are planning to drive to your vet tech classes from your Altadena CA home, you have to 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 college is located in or close by a large city. In addition, if you do opt to enroll in a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition fees particularly for state and community colleges. Of course attending online classes may be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and minimize the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And last, it's essential that you ascertain if the vet colleges you are looking at offer class times flexible enough to fit your schedule. For example, a number of students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near Altadena CA. Others might only be able to attend classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you need are available before enrolling. Also, determine if you can make up classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family issues. 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 Veterinary Tech in Altadena

Enroll in the Best Altadena Vet Technologist Program

Enrolling in the ideal vet tech program is a critical first step to starting a gratifying career delivering care and treatment for animals. Students considering vet tech programs need to make their decision based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They usually handle administrative responsibilities and support the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have discussed, it's very important that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This goes for vet tech online programs as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to narrow down your options so that you can make your final selection. And by picking the right college, you can reach your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Altadena California.

 

Altadena Online Vet Tech Schools | Altadena Vet Tech Schools