Vet Technician Degree
How to Find the Right One Near Culver City California

Finding a veterinary technician school near Culver City CA to achieve your lifelong desire to help and provide medical treatment for our pets might from the start feel like an overwhelming challenge. But in order to succeed as a practicing veterinary technician, you must first locate and ultimately enroll in a program 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 have placed on your short list. When looking for vet tech schools, the majority of students begin by zeroing in on those that are closest to their homes. After they have located some nearby colleges, they determine which ones have the lowest tuition and hone in on those. Although cost and location are important considerations when comparing vet tech programs, they are not the only significant ones when making your evaluations. Job placement and intership programs in addition to accreditation are equally important if not more so as location and cost. The bottom line is that before making a selection, you need to finish your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are assessing. We have presented several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we'll go over the varied roles of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives available.

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

Vet Tech Education Options

Among the initial decisions that you will need to make is whether you desire to train as a vet assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your determination might be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your training, but the principal factor will probably be which specialty appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they both work under the immediate supervision of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And even though there are numerous tasks that they can perform within the Culver City CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe drugs, diagnose ailments, or conduct surgeries. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the conventional veterinarian practice, for example for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the job functions and education prerequisites for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in the majority of instances will have gone through a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice 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. Usually they are not involved with more complicated tasks, for example assisting with surgeries. A few of their typical duties may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or handling animals during exams.
• Vet Technicians get more extensive training compared with assistants and usually obtain a two year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinarian counterparts of medical nurses, since their basic job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from vet assistants is that they are included in more involved functions, for example assisting with surgeries or administering medication. All states presently require veterinary techs pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary technicians and essentially carry out the same job functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which typically takes 4 years to complete. So 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 career opportunities, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are additionally required to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

Vet techs and technologists can specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or urgent care. A number may earn certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Culver City CA laboratories or research facilities as well.

Questions to Ask Vet Tech Schools

By now you probably have decided on which veterinarian credential that you wish to earn, and if you want to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Culver City CA area and across the Country, you must ask some important questions in order to fine tune your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our introduction, many future students start by focusing on location and the cost of tuition. But we have already mentioned other important qualifiers, for example accreditation and internship programs. 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 covered in the checklist of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician programs that you are reviewing.

Is the Vet Program Accredited?  It's important that you make sure that the vet tech school you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As previously discussed, among the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a demanding screening process that ensures you will receive a quality education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since a large number of programs are not available for non-accredited programs. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is in many cases a precondition for employment for a number of Culver City CA area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The veterinarian college or trade school and program you enroll in must have an exceptional reputation within the vet field. You can begin your due diligence by asking the colleges you are reviewing for endorsements from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include looking on internet school ranking websites and speaking with the school's accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the California school licensing authority if there have been any grievances or infractions concerning your specific schools. As a final pointer, get in touch with some Culver City CA veterinary clinics that you might want to work for after you go through your training. Find out what they think of your school choices. They may even recommend one or more colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The best means to get practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have internship programs arranged with Culver City CA veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and many furnish it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial regarding the clinical training, but an internship may also help develop associations in the local vet community and help in the search for a position after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program?  Getting a job after graduating from a veterinary technician school can be difficult without the help of a job placement program. First, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are reviewing. A low rate may suggest that the instructors were unqualified to teach the curriculum or that some students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. Next, confirm that the colleges have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate may indicate that the college has an excellent reputation within the Culver City CA vet community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may indicate that the training is not well regarded by employers or that the job assistance program is a failure at placing students.

How Large are the Classes?  If the classes are larger, you probably will receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Culver City CA colleges you are researching what their class student to teacher ratios are. You might also decide to sit in on a couple of classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between students and teachers. Ask for feedback from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the teachers and determine what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the School Located?  Okay, we previously covered location, but there are a few more points to make on the topic. If you are going to drive to your vet tech classes from your Culver City CA home, you must confirm that the driving 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 college is located in or close by a large city. In addition, if you do decide to attend a college 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 taking online classes may be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And last, it's essential that you ascertain if the vet programs you are considering offer class times flexible enough to accommodate your schedule. For example, a number of students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Culver City CA. Others may only be able to attend classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you require are available before enrolling. Also, determine if you can make-up classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family issues. You might discover that an online school is the ideal way to fit your vet education into your hectic life.

Find Out More About Becoming a Veterinary Tech in Culver City

Chosse the Best Culver City Veterinary Technologist Program

Choosing the ideal vet tech school is an important first step to beginning a gratifying career providing treatment and care for pets and livestock. Students thinking about veterinary technician programs need to make their decision based on several key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They commonly take on administrative responsibilities and assist the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have covered, it's very important that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This applies to vet tech online colleges as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make your final selection. And by picking the right school, you can achieve your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Culver City California.

 

Culver City Online Vet Tech Schools | Culver City Vet Tech Schools