Vet Technician Program
How to Pick the Best One Near Anaheim California

Realizing your long term dream of working with and caring for animals by enrolling in a veterinary technician school near Anaheim CA may at first feel like a daunting task. After all, you must locate and enroll in a college that will provide the appropriate training to ensure that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you approach analyzing and comparing programs so that you can make the proper selection? When looking for vet tech schools, many potential students begin by zeroing in on those that are closest to their homes. After they have found some nearby schools, they determine which ones have the lowest tuition and focus on those. Although location and cost are important concerns when comparing vet tech programs, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your assessments. Internship and job placement programs as well as accreditation are equally important if not more so as location and cost. The main point is that before making a selection, you must carry out your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are reviewing. We have presented several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we'll go over the varied roles of vet techs and the training alternatives available.

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Vet Technician Degree Options

One of the first decisions that you will have to make is if you want to train as a veterinary assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your decision may be based on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your training, but the primary determiner will probably be which specialty interests you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they all work under the immediate direction of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And even though there are many jobs that they can perform within the Anaheim CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe drugs, diagnose health issues, or perform surgical procedures. In those areas they may only furnish support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work exclusive of the conventional veterinarian practice, such as 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 almost all cases will have gone through a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a vet clinic or hospital, or by completing a certificate program at a trade school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet technicians in the performance of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more complex tasks, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their typical functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during examinations.
• Vet Technicians get more advanced training compared with 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 vet equivalent of medical nurses, since their fundamental job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from veterinary assistants is that they are included in more complex activities, for instance assisting with surgical procedures or administering medication. All states presently require vet techs pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary techs and essentially carry out the same work functions. They are required to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which typically requires four years to complete. So the main distinction between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist's higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more career opportunities, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally required to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

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

Questions to Ask Vet Tech Programs

At this point you probably have determined which veterinarian degree that you want to earn, and if you intend to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinarian community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Anaheim CA area and across the United States, you need to ask some qualifying questions to help fine tune your list of options. As we pointed out in our opening, many prospective students start by prioritizing location and the cost of tuition. But we have already touched on other important qualifiers, which include accreditation and internship programs. And of course you need to choose a program that offers the specialty and degree that you would like to earn. These and other qualifications are addressed in the list of questions that you need to ask the vet tech colleges that you are considering.

Is the Vet Program Accredited?  It's important that you confirm that the vet tech college you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As previously 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 an extensive review process that confirms you will receive a quality education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are requesting a student loan or financial assistance, since a large number of programs are not obtainable for non-accredited schools. Last, having a degree or certificate from an accredited school is in many cases a requirement for employment for a number of Anaheim CA area veterinarian practices and hospitals.

What is the School's Reputation?  The veterinarian vocational school or college and program you select must have an exceptional reputation within the veterinarian field. You can begin your due diligence by asking the colleges you are interested in for references from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include checking with online school rating 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 infractions relating to your targeted schools. As a final tip, phone some Anaheim CA veterinarians that you may want to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think of your school selections. They might even recommend one or more colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The best way to get clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a medical setting. Find out if the colleges you are considering have internship programs established with Anaheim CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or practices. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and many provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable regarding the practical training, but an internship can also help build connections in the local veterinarian community and aid in the search for a position after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program?  Searching for a job after graduating from a vet tech school can be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. First, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are evaluating. A low rate could suggest that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the curriculum or that some students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. Next, confirm that the schools have a job assistance program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might signify that the school has an exceptional reputation within the Anaheim CA vet community and has a significant 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 ineffective at placing students.

How Large are the Classes?  If the classes are larger sized, you probably will receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Anaheim CA schools you are researching what their class teacher to student ratios are. You might also want to sit in on some classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between instructors and students. Get feedback from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the teachers and find out what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the College Located?  Okay, we previously talked about location, but there are several more points to consider on the topic. If you are planning to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Anaheim CA home, you need to make certain that the driving 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, particularly if the college is located in or close by a larger city. In addition, if you do choose to enroll in a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition charges particularly for community and state colleges. Of course attending online classes 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 important that you ascertain if the vet schools you are looking at offer class times flexible enough to accommodate your schedule. For example, many students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Anaheim CA. Some might only be able to go to class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you require are available prior to enrolling. Also, find out if you can make up classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family responsibilities. You might discover that an online program is the best solution to fit your veterinary education into your busy life.

Learn More About How to Become a Veterinary Tech in Anaheim

Enroll in the Best Anaheim Veterinary Technologist College

Enrolling in the appropriate veterinary technician school is an important first step to beginning a rewarding career delivering care and treatment for pets and livestock. Potential students thinking about veterinary technician schools must make their selection based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They commonly handle administrative duties and support the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have discussed, it's very important that you select a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This applies to online vet tech schools as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to narrow down your options so that you can make your final selection. And by picking the right program, you can achieve your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Anaheim California.

 

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