Veterinary Technician College
How to Select the Best One Near Chico California
Fulfilling your lifelong aspiration of working with and caring for animals by enrolling in a vet tech program near Chico CA could at first seem like a challenging task. After all, you need to find and enroll in a school that will furnish the appropriate training to ensure that you can succeed as a vet tech. But just how do you go about evaluating and contrasting programs so that you can make the correct choice? When checking out vet tech programs, many potential students begin by targeting the ones that are nearest to their homes. After they have found some local colleges, they find out which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although expense and location are significant concerns when evaluating vet technician schools, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your evaluations. Factors such as internship programs and accreditation should be considered as well. The main point is that before making a selection, you must complete your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the schools you are examining. We have furnished several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we'll talk about the varied duties of vet techs and the training alternatives available.
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Vet Tech Training Options
One of the initial decisions that you will need to make is if you plan 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 invest in your education, but the principal factor will probably be which specialty interests you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they each work under the direct guidance of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And while there are many duties that they can carry out within the Chico CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe drugs, diagnose ailments, or perform surgeries. In those areas they can only furnish assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the standard vet practice, for instance for animal shelters, zoos or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the job functions and education requirements for each specialization.
- Vet Assistants in almost all cases will have gone through a formal 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 performance of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more complicated tasks, for instance assisting with surgeries. Some of their regular duties may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or handling animals during exams.
- Vet Technicians go through more extensive training compared with assistants and typically obtain a two year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinary equivalent of medical nurses, since their fundamental job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from veterinary assistants is that they are involved in more involved activities, for instance assisting with surgical procedures or providing medication. All states currently mandate that veterinary technicians pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.
- Vet Technologists are similar to vet technicians and for the most part carry out the same work functions. They are required to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which normally requires 4 years. 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 job opportunities, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are also required to pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
Vet techs and technologists may specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or emergency care. A number may earn certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Chico CA laboratories or research facilities also.
What to Ask Vet Tech Schools
By now you probably have decided on which veterinarian credential that you wish to obtain, 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 technical schools in the Chico CA area as well as across the USA, you must ask some important questions in order to narrow down your list of options. As we mentioned in our opening, many future students start by concentrating on location and the cost of tuition. But we have previously touched on other important qualifiers, which include internship programs and accreditation. And of course you want to select a school that offers the degree and specialty that you are interested in. These and other factors are reviewed in the list of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician colleges that you are reviewing.
Is the Vet Program Accredited? It's important that you verify that the vet tech college you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As earlier mentioned, one of the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a rigorous review process that confirms you will receive a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since a large number of programs are not obtainable for non-accredited colleges. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited school is in many cases a requirement for employment for a number of Chico CA area veterinarian practices and hospitals.
What is the College's Reputation? The vet 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 schools you are reviewing for testimonials from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include looking on online school rating websites and checking with the school's accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the California school licensing authority if there have been any grievances or infractions regarding your targeted schools. As a final suggestion, call some Chico CA veterinary clinics that you might wish to work for after you go through your training. Find out what they think about your school selections. They might even suggest some colleges not on your list.
Are Internships Offered? The best approach to get clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Find out if the programs you are looking at have internship programs established with Chico CA veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. Most veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and many provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial relative to the practical training, but an internship can also help establish associations in the local veterinary community and aid in the search for employment after graduation.
Is Job Placement Provided? Finding a job after graduating from a vet tech program can be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are considering. A lower rate could mean that the instructors were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that a number of students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. Next, confirm that the colleges have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate could signify that the school has an outstanding reputation within the Chico CA veterinarian community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A low rate might indicate that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job assistance program is a failure at placing students.
How Big are the Classes? If the classes are bigger, you may receive little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Request from the Chico CA programs you are looking at what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You might also decide to participate in a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and teachers. Get evaluations from students relating to 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 Campus Located? Yes, we previously covered location, but there are a few more points to consider on the subject. If you are planning to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Chico CA home, you need to make sure that the commuting time fits into your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won't be the same as the commute during rush hour traffic, particularly if the school is located near or in a large city. Also, if you do choose to enroll in a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition costs especially for state and community colleges. Of course attending online classes could be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.
Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And finally, it's imperative that you ascertain if the veterinary colleges you are evaluating offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For example, many students continue to work full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Chico CA. Some may only be able to go to class in the morning or in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you need are offered prior to enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make up classes that you may miss as a result of sickness, work or family issues. You may discover that an online program is the ideal way to fit your vet training into your hectic life.
Find Out More About Becoming a Veterinary Technician in Chico
Enroll in the Best Chico Vet Technologist Program
Enrolling in the ideal vet tech college is a crucial first step to starting a gratifying career delivering care and treatment for pets and livestock. Future students considering vet tech colleges must make their selection based on several key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They typically take on administrative responsibilities and assist the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have covered, it's very important that you select a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the field. This applies to online vet tech programs as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to reduce your options so that you can make your final choice. And by choosing the ideal school, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a vet tech in Chico California.