Vet Technician Training Program
How to Find the Right One Near Castro Valley California

Finding a veterinary technician school near Castro Valley CA to achieve your heartfelt goal to help and care for our pets might initially seem like an overwhelming challenge. But to be successful as a working veterinary technician, you must first locate and ultimately enroll in a school that will provide the necessary training and education. And so that you pick the best one you must evaluate and compare each of the schools you are considering. When checking out vet tech programs, many potential students begin by targeting those that are nearest to their homes. After they have located some nearby colleges, they ascertain which ones have the lowest tuition and focus on those. Although cost and location are important factors when assessing vet technician schools, they are not the only important ones when making your assessments. Job placement and intership programs in addition to accreditation are equally important if not more so as cost and location. The point is that there are questions you ought to be asking the vet tech programs you are evaluating before you make an ultimate decision. We have provided several within this article to help get you started, but before we review them we'll go over the various roles of vet techs and the training options offered.

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

Vet Tech Degree Options

One of the initial decisions that you will have to make is whether you want to train as a vet assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your preference may be based on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your training, but the primary factor will probably be which specialization interests you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they both work under the immediate supervision of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are many duties that they can perform within the Castro Valley CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe drugs, diagnose ailments, or carry out surgeries. In those areas they may only furnish support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the typical vet practice, for example for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let's take a look at the responsibilities and education prerequisites for each specialization.

• Vet Assistants in the majority of instances will have undergone a structured training program, either as an apprentice or intern 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. Generally they are not involved with more complicated activities, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their usual functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during examinations.
• Vet Technicians go through more extensive training compared with assistants and generally earn a 2 year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinarian 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 involved in more complicated duties, for example assisting with surgical procedures or providing medicine. All states currently require veterinary technicians pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to vet technicians and basically perform the same job functions. They are mandated to attain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which usually takes four years. Therefore 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 possible management positions. They are additionally required to pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.

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

Questions to Ask Vet Tech Programs

By now you probably have decided on which veterinary degree that you wish to attain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of vet community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Castro Valley CA area as well as across the United States, you should ask some qualifying questions to help narrow down your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our opening, many prospective students start by concentrating on location and the cost of tuition. But we have already mentioned other essential qualifiers, for example internship programs and accreditation. And of course you want to enroll in a program that offers the degree and specialty that you are interested in. These and other qualifications are addressed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician colleges that you are reviewing.

Is the Vet College Accredited?  It's imperative that you make sure that the veterinary technician program you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As earlier discussed, one of the most highly regarded 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 ensures you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not offered for non-accredited schools. Last, having a degree or certificate from an accredited college is often a precondition for employment for a number of Castro Valley CA area veterinary practices and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The veterinarian college or trade school and program you choose should have an exceptional 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 placement network. Other tips include looking on internet 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 infractions relating to your targeted schools. As a final suggestion, call some Castro Valley CA vet clinics that you may want to work for after you receive your training. Find out what they think about your school selections. They may even suggest some programs 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 set up with Castro Valley CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Most veterinary medicine programs require practical training and many provide it through internships. Not only will the experience be valuable regarding the practical training, but an internship may also help develop connections in the local veterinary community and help in the search for a job after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided?  Getting a job after graduating from a veterinary technician school may be challenging without the help of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the schools you are reviewing. A low rate might suggest that the teachers were unqualified to teach the curriculum or that a number of students were disappointed with the program and quit. Next, check that the colleges have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might indicate that the program has an outstanding reputation within the Castro Valley CA veterinarian community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate might indicate that the training is not highly thought of by employers or that the job placement program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are bigger, you may receive little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Castro Valley CA schools you are looking at what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You might also decide to sit in on some classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between teachers and students. Get feedback from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and find out what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the School Located?  Yes, we previously talked about location, but there are a couple of more points to make on the topic. If you are going to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Castro Valley CA home, you need to confirm that the commuting time is compatible with 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 close by or within a large city. Also, if you do opt to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition fees particularly for community and state colleges. Of course attending classes online may be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And finally, it's important that you ascertain if the veterinary colleges you are exploring offer class times flexible enough to accommodate your schedule. For example, many students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near Castro Valley CA. Some might only be able to attend class in the morning or in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you require are available before enrolling. Also, find out if you can make-up classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family responsibilities. You might discover that an online college is the ideal solution to fit your vet training into your active life.

Learn More About Becoming a Vet Technologist in Castro Valley

Enroll in the Best Castro Valley Vet Technologist College

Picking the ideal vet tech program is a crucial first step to beginning a gratifying career delivering treatment and care for animals. Future students looking into veterinary technician colleges need to make their decision based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They usually take on administrative tasks and assist the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have discussed, it's very important that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the field. This applies to online vet tech colleges as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to reduce your choices so that you can make your final choice. And by picking the right program, you can achieve your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Castro Valley California.

 

Castro Valley Vet Tech Colleges | Castro Valley Veterinary Technician Schools