Vet Technician Degree
How to Choose the Best One Near Altadena California

Achieving your long term aspiration of working with and helping animals by enrolling in a veterinary technician program near Altadena CA could initially seem like a challenging task. After all, you must find and enroll in a college that will provide the proper training to ensure that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you tackle analyzing and contrasting programs so that you can make the right choice? Many future students begin their due diligence process by looking for colleges that are close to their residences. When they have found some local colleges, they find out which ones have the cheapest tuition and focus on those. Although location and cost are important considerations when assessing vet technician schools, they are by no means the only important ones when making your comparisons. Qualifications such as internship programs and accreditation need to be considered also. The main point is that prior to making a selection, you must finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are reviewing. We have furnished several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we'll discuss the varied duties of vet techs and the training options available.

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

Vet Technician Degree Options

Among the first decisions that you will need to make is if you desire to train as a veterinary assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your determination might be based on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your training, but the principal determiner will undoubtedly be which specialization interests you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they each work under the direct supervision of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are a number of functions that they can carry out within the Altadena CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe drugs, diagnose conditions, or conduct surgical procedures. In those areas they may only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work outside of the typical veterinarian practice, for instance for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let's take a look at the job functions and education requirements for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in the majority of cases will have undergone a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a practice, or by finishing a certificate program at a community college or vocational school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet technicians in the completion of their duties. Normally they are not associated with more complicated undertakings, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their regular duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during exams.
• Vet Technicians undergo 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 sense the veterinarian 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 engaged in more complex functions, such as assisting with surgical procedures or providing medication. All states currently require vet technicians pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary technicians and basically perform the same job functions. They are mandated to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which typically takes four years to complete. Therefore the main difference between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist's higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more career options, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

Vet techs and technologists may specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or urgent care. Some may receive 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 Programs

At this point you should have determined which veterinarian credential that you would like to earn, and if you prefer to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Altadena CA area and across the Country, you should ask some relevant questions in order to narrow down your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our introduction, many prospective students start by prioritizing location and the cost of tuition. But we have already touched on other significant qualifiers, such as internship programs and accreditation. And of course you need to select a college that offers the specialty and degree that you would like to earn. These and other factors are addressed in the list of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician schools that you are reviewing.

Is the Vet School Accredited?  It's imperative that you verify that the vet tech program you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As previously mentioned, one of the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through a rigorous review process that confirms 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 available for non-accredited schools. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is frequently a prerequisite for employment for a number of Altadena CA area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The veterinary college or trade school and program you enroll in must have an excellent reputation within the vet field. You can begin your due diligence by asking the colleges you are reviewing for endorsements from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include looking on internet school ranking websites and checking with the school's accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the California school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or violations regarding your targeted schools. As a final pointer, contact some Altadena CA veterinary clinics that you may wish to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think about your school selections. They might even suggest one or more schools not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The most effective means to obtain clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a professional environment. Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have internship programs established with Altadena CA veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and a large number provide it through internships. Not only will the experience be valuable relative to the clinical training, but an internship can also help establish associations in the local veterinarian community and help in the search for a job after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program?  Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college may be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are evaluating. A lower rate could mean that the teachers were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that some students were unhappy with the program and quit. Next, confirm that the schools have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate could indicate that the program has an excellent reputation within the Altadena CA vet community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A low rate might mean that the training is not well thought of by employers or that the job placement program is ineffective at placing students.

How Large are the Classes?  If the classes are bigger, you most likely will receive little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Altadena CA colleges you are looking at what their class teacher to student ratios are. You might also decide to sit in on some classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between students and instructors. Get feedback from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Yes, we already discussed location, but there are a couple of more points to make on the subject. If you are going to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Altadena CA home, you have to make certain 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 drive during rush hour traffic, particularly if the school is located near or in a large city. Also, if you do decide to enroll in a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition fees particularly for state and community colleges. Of course taking classes online may be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and minimize the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And finally, it's imperative that you ascertain if the veterinarian colleges you are evaluating offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For instance, many students continue to work full time and can only go to 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. Verify that the class times you need are available before enrolling. Also, find out if you can make up classes that you might miss as a result of sickness, work or family responsibilities. You might find that an online school is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary education into your active life.

Find Out More About How to Become a Vet Technologist in Altadena

Enroll in the Right Altadena Veterinary Technologist School

Choosing the right veterinary technician school is an important first step to starting a rewarding career providing treatment and care for pets and livestock. Students thinking about vet tech programs must make their decision based on a number of key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly take on administrative tasks and support the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have covered, it's essential that you pick a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This applies to vet tech online colleges as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to reduce your options so that you can make your final choice. And by selecting the right college, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Altadena California.

 

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