Veterinary Technician School
How to Choose the Right One Near Garden Grove California

Finding a veterinary technician school near Garden Grove CA to achieve your lifelong goal to work with and care for our pets may from the start feel like an overwhelming challenge. After all, you need to find and enroll in a program that will deliver the proper training so that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you tackle evaluating and contrasting schools so that you can make the ideal choice? When checking out vet tech schools, the majority of students begin by zeroing in on those that are closest to their homes. After they have located some local colleges, they find out which ones have the lowest tuition and focus on those. Although expense and location are significant factors when evaluating vet tech programs, they are not the only critical ones when making your assessments. Factors such as accreditation and internship programs should be looked into as well. The bottom line is that before making a selection, you must carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are evaluating. 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 responsibilities 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

One of the first decisions that you will need to make is if you plan to train as a vet technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your decision may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your training, but the primary factor will most likely be which specialty appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they all work under the direct supervision of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And while there are numerous functions that they can carry out within the Garden Grove CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe drugs, diagnose conditions, or conduct surgical procedures. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the standard vet practice, such as for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let's take a look at the job functions and training requirements for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in most instances will have gone through a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a practice, or by completing a certificate program at a trade school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet techs in the completion of their duties. Normally they are not involved with more complex tasks, such as assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their usual duties may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or handling pets during exams.
• Vet Technicians undergo more advanced training compared to assistants and typically acquire a two year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the veterinarian equivalent of medical nurses, since their fundamental job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from vet assistants is that they are included in more complicated duties, for example assisting with surgeries or administering medicine. All states currently require vet techs pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary technicians and essentially perform the same work functions. They are required to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which typically requires 4 years to complete. Therefore the main difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist's higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job opportunities, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

Veterinary techs and technologists can specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or urgent care. Many may acquire certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Garden Grove CA laboratories or research facilities as well.

Things to Ask Vet Tech Colleges

At this point you probably have selected which veterinarian degree that you would like to attain, and if you want to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinarian community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the Garden Grove CA area and across the Country, you must ask some qualifying questions to help fine tune your list of options. As we mentioned in our opening, many prospective students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have previously touched on other essential qualifiers, such as accreditation and internship programs. And naturally you want to enroll in a program that offers the specialty and degree 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 Program Accredited?  It's essential that you make sure that the vet tech college you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously stated, among the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a thorough screening process that verifies you will obtain 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 colleges. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited school is in many cases a precondition for employment for many Garden Grove CA area vet practices and hospitals.

What is the School's Reputation?  The vet trade school or college and program you enroll in should have an excellent reputation within the veterinarian community. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the schools you are interested in for references from the employers in their job assistance network. Other tips include checking with online school ranking websites and checking with the school's accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the California school licensing department if there have been any grievances or violations relating to your specific schools. As a final tip, phone some Garden Grove CA vet clinics that you may want to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think about your school choices. They might even recommend one or more programs not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The most effective way to get practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have internship programs arranged with Garden Grove CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and a large number furnish it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable relative to the practical training, but an internship may also help build relationships in the local veterinarian community and assist in the search for a job after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided?  Searching for a job after graduating from a vet tech 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 lower rate could suggest that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the syllabus or that some students were unhappy with the program and quit. 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 school has an outstanding reputation within the Garden Grove CA veterinary community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may signify that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job placement program is ineffective at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are larger in size, you probably will receive little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Request from the Garden Grove CA programs you are researching what their class teacher to student ratios are. You might also want to sit in on a few classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between students and teachers. Get evaluations from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and determine what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the College Located?  Okay, we already covered location, but there are several more points to make on the subject. If you are going to drive to your vet tech classes from your Garden Grove CA home, you must make sure that the driving time fits into your schedule. For example, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won't be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, especially if the campus is located in or near a larger city. In addition, if you do decide to enroll in a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition fees especially for community and state colleges. On the other hand, taking classes online could be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and minimize the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And last, it's important that you ascertain if the veterinarian colleges you are exploring 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 at night near Garden Grove CA. Others might only be able to go to classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you need are offered before enrolling. Also, find out if you can make-up classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family issues. You might find that an online college is the best way to fit your vet training into your active life.

Find Out More About How to Become a Veterinary Technologist in Garden Grove

Enroll in the Best Garden Grove Veterinary Technologist Program

Enrolling in the appropriate vet tech school is a critical first step to starting a gratifying career providing care and treatment for pets and livestock. Students thinking about veterinary technician programs need to make their determination based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They usually take on administrative responsibilities and assist the veterinarian with the animals as 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 goes for online vet tech schools as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to reduce your alternatives so that you can make your final selection. And by selecting the best program, you can achieve your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Garden Grove California.

 

Garden Grove Vet Tech Colleges | Garden Grove Veterinary Technician Schools