Veterinary Technician School
How to Select the Best One Near Concord California
Finding a veterinary technician school near Concord CA to achieve your heartfelt goal to work with and provide medical treatment for animals may initially seem like an overwhelming challenge. But to be successful as a practicing veterinary technician, you must first search for and finally enroll in a school that will provide the required training and education. And in order to pick the right one you must evaluate and compare all of the schools you are considering. When checking out vet tech schools, many potential students begin by targeting those that are closest to their homes. Once they have located some area schools, they find out which ones have the most affordable tuition and focus on those. Although location and expense are important factors when assessing vet technician programs, they are not the only critical ones when making your assessments. Internship and job placement programs in addition to accreditation are equally important if not more so as location and cost. The main idea is that there are questions you should be asking the veterinary technician programs you are reviewing before you make an ultimate selection. We have provided several within this article to help get you started, but before we review them we'll discuss the various duties of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives offered.
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Vet Tech Training Options
Among the first decisions that you will need to make is if you wish to train as a vet assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your determination may be based on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your education, but the primary factor will most likely be which specialization interests you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they both work under the direct guidance of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And while there are many duties that they can carry out within the Concord CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medications, diagnose ailments, or conduct surgical procedures. In those areas they can only furnish support to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work exclusive of the typical vet practice, for instance for animal shelters, zoos or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the job functions and education prerequisites for each specialty.
- Vet Assistants in most instances will have gone through a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by completing a certificate program at a vocational school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet technicians in the execution of their duties. Generally they are not associated with more involved activities, for example assisting with surgeries. A few of their normal duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or handling pets during examinations.
- Vet Technicians undergo more extensive training compared to assistants and generally acquire a 2 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 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 complicated functions, such as assisting with surgeries or administering medication. All states currently require veterinary techs pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
- Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary techs and essentially carry out the same work functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which usually takes 4 years. Therefore the only real difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist's higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more work options, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
Vet technicians and technologists can specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or urgent care. Many may obtain certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Concord CA laboratories or research facilities as well.
Things to Ask Vet Tech Schools
By now you should have selected which veterinary degree that you want to earn, and if you want to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinarian community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Concord CA area as well as across the USA, you need to ask some qualifying questions in order to narrow down your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our opening, many future students start by prioritizing location and tuition expense. But we have already mentioned other significant qualifiers, for instance accreditation and internship programs. And obviously you need to select a school that offers the degree and specialty that you would like to earn. These and other factors are covered in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the vet tech colleges that you are looking at.
Is the Vet Program Accredited? It's important that you verify that the vet tech college you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously discussed, 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 a rigorous review process that ensures you will obtain a quality education. Also, accreditation is important if you are requesting a student loan or financial assistance, since numerous programs are not available for non-accredited programs. Last, having a degree or certificate from an accredited school is frequently a prerequisite for employment for a number of Concord CA area veterinary practices and hospitals.
What is the School's Reputation? The vet college or vocational school and program you select should have an exceptional reputation within the veterinarian field. You can start your due diligence by asking the schools you are reviewing for references from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include checking with internet 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 recommendation, get in touch with some Concord CA veterinarians that you might wish to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think about your school selections. They might even recommend some schools not on your list.
Are there Internship Programs? The best way to get practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a professional environment. Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have internship programs established with Concord CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require practical training and a large number furnish it through internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable as far as the practical training, but an internship may also help establish associations in the local vet community and aid in the search for a job after graduation.
Is Job Placement Provided? Searching for a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college can be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are reviewing. A low rate might indicate that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the syllabus or that some students were disappointed with the program and quit. Next, check that the colleges have a job assistance program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate could mean that the college has an excellent reputation within the Concord CA veterinarian community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may mean that the training is not well thought of 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 probably will get little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Request from the Concord CA colleges you are researching what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You might also decide to attend a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and teachers. Ask for evaluations from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and find out what their qualifications are as well as their methods of teaching.
Where is the School Located? Yes, we previously covered location, but there are a few more points to make on the topic. If you are planning to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Concord CA home, you have to make certain that the commuting time is compatible with 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 campus is located close by or within a larger city. Also, if you do opt to enroll in a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition costs 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 need for travel.
Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And finally, it's important that you find out if the veterinary colleges 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 attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Concord CA. Others might only be able to go to classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are offered before enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make-up classes that you might miss because of work, illness or family emergencies. You may discover that an online college is the ideal way to fit your vet education into your hectic life.
Learn More About How to Become a Vet Technician in Concord
Enroll in the Best Concord Vet Technologist Program
Enrolling in the right veterinary technician program is an important first step to starting a gratifying career providing care and treatment for pets and livestock. Future students thinking about vet tech schools must make their decision based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They typically take on administrative duties and assist the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have covered, it's essential that you decide on a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This applies to vet tech online schools as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to reduce your options so that you can make your final selection. And by selecting the right school, you can achieve your goal of becoming a vet tech in Concord California.