Vet Technician School
How to Choose the Best One Near Inglewood California

Finding a veterinary technician school near Inglewood CA to fulfill your passionate goal to work with and provide medical treatment for animals may from the start feel like an overwhelming challenge. After all, you must find and enroll in a school that will provide the proper training so that you can succeed as a vet tech. But just how do you approach assessing and comparing schools so that you can make the proper choice? When checking out vet tech programs, many potential students begin by targeting the ones that are closest to their homes. Once they have found some area colleges, they find out which ones have the cheapest tuition and focus on those. Although location and expense are important considerations when comparing vet technician schools, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your comparisons. Qualifications such as accreditation and internship programs need to be considered as well. The main idea is that there are questions you need to be asking the vet technician schools you are looking at before you make an ultimate choice. We have provided several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we'll talk about the different responsibilities of vet techs and the training alternatives offered.

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

Vet Technician Training Options

Among the first decisions that you will have to make is whether you desire to train as a vet technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your preference may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your training, but the primary factor will probably be which specialization interests you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they each work under the direct supervision of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are many functions that they can perform within the Inglewood CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe drugs, diagnose health issues, or carry out surgeries. In those areas they may only provide support to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work outside of the typical vet practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the responsibilities and training prerequisites for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in the majority of instances will have gone through a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by graduating from a certificate program at a vocational school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet techs in the performance of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more complicated tasks, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their regular functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during examinations.
• Vet Technicians go through more advanced training compared to assistants and generally earn 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 general job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from vet assistants is that they are involved in more involved functions, such as assisting with surgical procedures or providing medication. All states currently mandate that veterinary techs pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to vet technicians and for the most part perform the same job functions. They are required to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally takes 4 years to complete. So the main distinction between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist's more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job opportunities, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.

Veterinary technicians and technologists may specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or urgent care. Some may acquire certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Inglewood CA labs or research facilities as well.

Questions to Ask Veterinary Technician Colleges

By now you should have selected which veterinary degree that you would like to earn, and if you want to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinarian community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Inglewood CA area and across the United States, you need to ask some qualifying questions in order to fine tune your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our opening, many future students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have previously mentioned other significant qualifiers, for example internship programs and accreditation. And obviously you want to choose a school that offers the degree and specialty that you would like to earn. These and other qualifications are reviewed in the list of questions that you should ask the vet tech programs that you are looking at.

Is the Vet College Accredited?  It's essential that you make sure that the veterinary technician program you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier mentioned, 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 confirms you will obtain a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since many programs are not obtainable for non-accredited colleges. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited program is frequently a requirement for employment for a number of Inglewood CA area vet practices and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The veterinary college or vocational school and program you enroll in should have an exceptional reputation within the vet community. You can start your due diligence by asking the colleges you are reviewing for endorsements from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include looking on internet 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 infractions regarding your targeted schools. As a final suggestion, phone some Inglewood CA veterinary clinics that you may wish to work for after you receive your training. Ask what they think about your school choices. They may even recommend one or more colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The most effective way to obtain clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a professional environment. Ask if the colleges you are considering have internship programs arranged with Inglewood CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require practical training and many provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial regarding the clinical training, but an internship can also help establish connections in the local vet community and help in the search for a position after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program?  Finding a job after graduating from a vet tech college can be challenging without the help of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are evaluating. A lower rate might mean that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the course of study or that a number of students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. Next, check that the schools have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate could signify that the school has an excellent reputation within the Inglewood CA vet community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A low rate might mean that the training is not well thought of by employers or that the job assistance program is a failure at placing students.

How Large are the Classes?  If the classes are bigger, you most likely will get little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Request from the Inglewood CA colleges you are researching what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You might also want 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, talk with the instructors and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the School Located?  Yes, we previously covered location, but there are a couple of more points to consider on the subject. If you are going to drive to your vet tech classes from your Inglewood CA home, you must make certain that the commuting time fits into your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to check out the route won't be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, especially if the college is located in or close by a larger city. In addition, 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 especially for state and community colleges. Of course taking online classes may be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And finally, it's imperative that you determine if the vet programs you are exploring 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 in the evenings near Inglewood CA. Some may only be able to go to class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Make certain that the class times you need are available prior to enrolling. Also, determine if you can make-up classes that you might miss as a result of work, sickness or family responsibilities. You may find that an online school is the best way to fit your veterinary training into your hectic life.

Learn More About How to Become a Vet Technician in Inglewood

Enroll in the Best Inglewood Veterinary Technologist Program

Enrolling in the appropriate vet tech school is a critical first step to starting a gratifying career delivering treatment and care for pets and livestock. Potential students thinking about vet tech colleges need to make their determination based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They usually take on administrative tasks and assist the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have discussed, it's imperative that you select a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This goes for online vet tech programs as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to reduce your choices so that you can make your final decision. And by choosing the ideal program, you can reach your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Inglewood California.

 

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