Veterinary Technician Degree
How to Enroll In the Right One Near Antioch California

Finding a veterinary technician school near Antioch CA to fulfill your passionate desire to work with and care for animals may from the start seem like an overwhelming challenge. After all, you need to search for and enroll in a program that will provide the proper training to ensure that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. And so that you pick the best one you must evaluate and compare all of the schools you are considering. Many potential students start their due diligence process by searching for schools that are near their homes. Once they have found some nearby schools, they ascertain which ones have the most affordable tuition and focus on those. Although location and cost are important concerns when assessing vet tech programs, they are by no means the only significant ones when making your assessments. Qualifiers such as internship programs and accreditation should be considered as well. The main point is that before making a selection, you must finish your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are evaluating. We have provided several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we'll talk about the various duties of vet techs and the training alternatives available.

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

Vet Tech Education Options

Among the first decisions that you will need to make is whether you desire to train as a veterinary assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your determination may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your education, but the principal determiner will probably be which specialty interests you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they all work under the direct supervision of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And although there are numerous duties that they can carry out within the Antioch CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medications, diagnose conditions, or conduct surgical procedures. In those areas they may only provide assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work away from the typical 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 position.

• Vet Assistants in the majority of cases will have gone through 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 community college or vocational school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet technicians in the performance of their duties. Normally they are not associated with more complex undertakings, for example assisting with surgeries. Some of their normal functions may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or handling pets during examinations.
• Vet Technicians receive more advanced training in contrast to assistants and normally earn a two year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the vet counterparts of medical nurses, since their basic job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from veterinary assistants is that they are involved in more involved functions, for example assisting with surgical procedures or administering medicine. All states currently require vet technicians pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to vet technicians and for the most part carry out the same work functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which normally requires 4 years to complete. Therefore the main distinction between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist's more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more work options, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.

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

Questions to Ask Veterinary Technician Colleges

At this point you should have selected which veterinary credential that you wish to earn, and if you prefer to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Antioch CA area and across the USA, you must ask some relevant questions to help fine tune your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our opening, many future students start by concentrating on location and the cost of tuition. But we have previously mentioned other significant qualifiers, which include internship programs and accreditation. And obviously you want to enroll in a school that offers the degree and specialty that you are interested in. These and other factors are addressed in the list of questions that you need to ask the vet tech programs that you are considering.

Is the Veterinary Program Accredited?  It's imperative that you verify that the veterinary technician college you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier stated, among the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through an extensive review process that verifies you will receive a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are applying for a student loan or financial assistance, since many programs are not obtainable for non-accredited programs. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited school is frequently a prerequisite for employment for many Antioch CA area vet practices and hospitals.

What is the School's Reputation?  The veterinary college or trade school and program you select must have an excellent reputation within the vet field. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the colleges you are interested in for endorsements from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include looking on online school rating websites and checking with the school's accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the California school licensing department if there have been any grievances or violations regarding your targeted schools. As a final recommendation, get in touch with some Antioch CA vet clinics that you might wish to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think of your school selections. They might even recommend some schools not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The most effective way to get clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a professional environment. Find out if the programs you are looking at have internship programs set up with Antioch CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and a large number provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable as far as the clinical training, but an internship may also help establish relationships in the local veterinary community and assist in the search for a job after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program?  Searching for a job after graduating from a veterinary technician school may be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are reviewing. A low rate could signify that the instructors were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that some students were unhappy with the program and quit. Next, verify that the schools have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate could signify that the school has an outstanding reputation within the Antioch CA veterinary community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate might mean that the training is not highly thought of 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 individualized instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Antioch CA schools you are researching what their class student to teacher ratios are. You may also decide to participate in a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between instructors and students. Ask for feedback from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the College Located?  Okay, we previously covered location, but there are several more points to consider on the topic. If you are going to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Antioch CA home, you have to make sure that the commuting time is compatible with your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won't be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, especially if the school is located in or near 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 increased tuition costs particularly for community and state colleges. On the other hand, attending classes online could be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And finally, it's imperative that you find out if the vet schools you are evaluating offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For example, many students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near Antioch CA. Others might only be able to go to classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Make certain that the class times you require are offered prior to enrolling. Also, find out if you can make-up classes that you might miss because of sickness, work or family emergencies. You may discover that an online college is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary education into your active life.

Learn More About Becoming a Veterinary Technician in Antioch

Chosse the Best Antioch Veterinary Technologist Program

Enrolling in the right vet tech school is a crucial first step to beginning a gratifying career providing treatment and care for pets and livestock. Students considering vet tech colleges need to make their determination based on a number of key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They typically handle administrative duties and assist the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have discussed, it's imperative 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 colleges as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to reduce your choices so that you can make your final decision. And by picking the right college, you can reach your goal of becoming a vet tech in Antioch California.

 

Antioch Vet Tech Colleges | Antioch Veterinary Technician Schools