Vet Technician School
How to Find the Right One Near Fountain Valley California

Finding a veterinary technician school near Fountain Valley CA to fulfill your heartfelt goal to work with and provide medical treatment for our pets may from the start feel like an overwhelming challenge. But in order to succeed as a practicing veterinary technician, you need to first search for and finally enroll in a program that will provide the required education and training. And in order to pick the best one you must research and compare each of the schools you are considering. Many potential students start their due diligence process by looking for campuses that are near their homes. When they have found some area schools, they ascertain which ones have the most affordable tuition and focus on those. Although location and expense are significant concerns when assessing veterinary technician programs, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your comparisons. Job placement and intership programs in addition to accreditation are just as important if not more so as location and cost. The main point is that prior to making a selection, you need to finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the programs you are evaluating. We have presented several in this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll go over the varied roles of vet techs and the training alternatives offered.

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

Vet Tech Degree Options

Among the initial decisions that you will need to make is whether you wish to train as a veterinary assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your decision may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your training, but the main determiner will probably be which specialty interests you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they each work under the direct direction of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are numerous functions that they can perform within the Fountain Valley CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe drugs, diagnose health issues, or perform surgeries. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work outside of the standard vet practice, for example for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let's take a look at the responsibilities and training requirements for each specialization.

• Vet Assistants in most cases will have gone through a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a practice, or by graduating from a certificate program at a community college or trade school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet technicians in the performance of their duties. Generally they are not involved with more complicated activities, for example assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their normal functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or handling pets during exams.
• Vet Technicians get more advanced training in contrast to assistants and usually acquire a 2 year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the vet counterparts of medical nurses, since their fundamental job duty is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from vet assistants is that they are included in more complex duties, for example assisting with surgeries or administering medication. All states presently require veterinary technicians pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to vet technicians and essentially perform the same work functions. They are required 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 more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more career options, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally required to pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.

Vet technicians and technologists can 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  Fountain Valley CA laboratories or research facilities also.

Questions to Ask Veterinary Technician Colleges

By now you should have decided on which veterinary credential that you want to obtain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinary community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Fountain Valley CA area and across the Country, you need to ask some qualifying questions to help fine tune your list of options. As we pointed out in our opening, many potential students start by focusing on location and the cost of tuition. But we have already pointed out other important qualifiers, which include accreditation and internship programs. And of course you want to choose a college that offers the degree and specialty that you are interested in. These and other factors are reviewed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the vet tech schools that you are considering.

Is the Vet College Accredited?  It's important that you verify that the vet tech school you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As previously discussed, among 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 quality education. Also, accreditation is important if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since a large number of programs are not offered for non-accredited colleges. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is often a requirement for employment for a number of Fountain Valley CA area veterinarian practices and hospitals.

What is the School's Reputation?  The veterinary vocational school or college and program you select should have an exceptional reputation within the vet community. You can start your due diligence by asking the schools you are looking at for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other pointers include checking with online school rating websites and contacting the school's accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the California school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or infractions concerning your targeted schools. As a final pointer, phone some Fountain Valley CA veterinary clinics that you may wish to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think about your school choices. They might even recommend one or more schools not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The best means to get clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Ask if the schools you are looking at have internship programs established with Fountain Valley CA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Most 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 clinical training, but an internship may also help build relationships in the local veterinary community and aid in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided?  Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college may be difficult without the help of a job placement program. To begin with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are considering. A low rate could indicate that the instructors were unqualified to teach the curriculum or that some students were unhappy with the program and quit. Next, check that the colleges have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate may indicate that the program has an excellent reputation within the Fountain Valley CA veterinarian community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate could signify that the training is not well regarded by employers or that the job placement program is ineffective at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are larger, you probably will receive little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Fountain Valley CA programs you are considering what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You might also decide to sit in on a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and instructors. Ask for evaluations from students regarding 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 College Located?  Of course, we previously covered location, but there are a couple of more points to make on the topic. If you are planning to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Fountain Valley CA home, you have to confirm that the commuting time fits into 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 larger city. Also, if you do choose to attend a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition costs particularly for community and state colleges. On the other hand, attending classes online might be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and reduce the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And last, it's imperative that you ascertain if the vet colleges you are evaluating offer class times flexible enough to fit your schedule. For instance, many students continue to work full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Fountain Valley CA. Some may only be able to go to class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you require are offered before enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make up classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family issues. You might discover that an online school is the best solution to fit your veterinary training into your hectic life.

Learn More About How to Become a Veterinary Tech in Fountain Valley

Chosse the Right Fountain Valley Veterinary Technologist School

Enrolling in the ideal vet tech college is an important first step to beginning a fulfilling career providing treatment and care for pets and livestock. Future students thinking about veterinary technician schools need to make their determination based on several key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They usually take on administrative responsibilities and assist the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have covered, it's imperative that you enroll in a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This goes for online vet tech colleges as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to reduce your choices so that you can make your final selection. And by selecting the ideal program, you can achieve your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Fountain Valley California.

 

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