Veterinary Technician Degree
How to Pick the Best One Near Garden Grove California

Choosing a veterinary technician school near Garden Grove CA to achieve your heartfelt goal to work with and care for our pets may initially feel like an enormous challenge. But to be successful as a practicing veterinary technician, you need to first search for and ultimately enroll in a school that will provide the necessary training and education. But just how do you approach analyzing and contrasting colleges so that you can make the right choice? Many future students begin their due diligence process by searching for colleges that are near their residences. After they have located some local colleges, they ascertain which ones have the lowest tuition and focus on those. Although expense and location are significant factors when evaluating vet technician programs, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your assessments. Internship and job placement programs in addition to accreditation are just as important if not more so as cost and location. The main point is that before making a selection, you must carry out your due diligence and compare all relevant aspects of the programs you are reviewing. We have provided several within this article to help get you started, but before we review them we'll explore the different responsibilities of veterinary technicians and the training options 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 if you wish to train as a veterinary technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your preference may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your training, but the principal factor will probably be which specialization appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they each work under the direct guidance of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And even though there are numerous tasks that they can perform within the Garden Grove CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe medicines, diagnose conditions, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they can only furnish assistance to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work away from the conventional veterinarian practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the duties and training requirements for each specialization.

• Vet Assistants in almost all instances will have undergone a structured 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 execution of their duties. Normally they are not associated with more involved activities, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their normal duties may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or handling pets during examinations.
• Vet Technicians go through more extensive training compared to assistants and normally acquire a 2 year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinarian equivalent of medical nurses, since their general job duty is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from vet assistants is that they are engaged in more complex tasks, for example assisting with surgeries or providing medicine. All states presently require veterinary techs pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to vet technicians and essentially carry out the same job functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which normally requires four years to complete. 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, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are also required to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

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

Vet Tech Online Schools Offered

An approach that may make sense for those with a hectic schedule or who are working full time while attending veterinary school is to enroll in an online program. Because the classes are made available via the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is accessible. The course of study is taught using several methods, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since most veterinary tech and technologist degrees require clinical training, that portion can normally be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Garden Grove CA veterinary practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in some instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and supplementary expenses, for instance for traveling and study materials, may be lower compared to more standard classroom courses. Just be sure that the online school that you choose is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting agency. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything is provided for a complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more independent manner, an online vet tech program may be the perfect choice for you.

Things to Ask Veterinary Technician Programs

By now you should have determined which veterinary degree that you want to earn, and if you prefer to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinarian community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Garden Grove CA area as well as across the United States, you should ask some important questions to help narrow down your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our opening, many potential students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have already pointed out other essential qualifiers, for example internship programs and accreditation. And of course you want to select a college that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other factors are reviewed in the list of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician schools that you are looking at.

Is the Veterinary Program Accredited?  It's imperative that you confirm that the veterinary technician college you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As previously stated, one of the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a demanding review process that ensures you will obtain a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is in many cases a prerequisite for employment for a number of Garden Grove CA area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.

What is the School's Reputation?  The veterinary college or vocational school and program you select must have an excellent reputation within the veterinarian field. You can start your due diligence by asking the schools you are interested in for references from the employers in their job placement network. Other tips include looking on online school ranking websites and checking with 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 suggestion, phone some Garden Grove CA vet clinics that you might wish to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think about your school choices. They might even suggest one or more colleges not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The best way 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 Garden Grove CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or practices. Most veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and many provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable regarding the clinical training, but an internship can also help develop connections in the local veterinary community and aid in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Placement Offered?  Getting a job after graduating from a vet tech program can 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 evaluating. A low rate may 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 schools have a job assistance program and find out what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate might signify that the school has an excellent reputation within the Garden Grove CA vet community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate could indicate that the training is not well thought of by employers or that the job assistance program is ineffective at placing students.

How Large are the Classes?  If the classes are larger sized, you may get little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Garden Grove CA schools you are looking at what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You may also decide to attend a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and instructors. Get evaluations from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and determine what their backgrounds are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the School Located?  Of course, we already covered location, but there are several more points to make on the topic. If you are planning to drive to your vet tech classes from your Garden Grove CA home, you must make certain that the driving time fits into your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to check out the route won't be the same as the commute during rush hour traffic, especially if the school is located in or close by a large city. In addition, if you do choose to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition costs especially for community and state colleges. On the other hand, taking classes online may be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and reduce the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And last, it's imperative that you determine if the vet colleges you are looking at offer class times flexible enough to fit your schedule. For example, a number of students continue to work full time and can only go to 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. Make sure that the class times you need are available before enrolling. Also, determine if you can make-up classes that you might miss due to work, illness or family issues. You may discover that an online school is the ideal way to fit your vet training into your hectic life.

Learn More About How to Become a Vet Technologist in Garden Grove

Chosse the Best Garden Grove Veterinary Technologist Program

Picking the ideal vet tech school is an important first step to beginning a rewarding career delivering treatment and care for pets and livestock. Students considering vet tech programs must make their selection based on several key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They commonly handle administrative duties and assist the veterinarian with the animal patients as 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 profession. 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 choice. And by picking the ideal program, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a vet tech in Garden Grove California.

 

Garden Grove Veterinary Technician Schools | Garden Grove Online Vet Tech Programs