Vet Technician School
How to Find the Best One Near Irvine California
Finding a veterinary technician school near Irvine CA to achieve your lifelong desire to help and provide medical treatment for animals may from the start seem like an enormous task. After all, you must find and enroll in a school that will provide the appropriate training to ensure that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. But just how do you tackle analyzing and contrasting colleges so that you can make the right choice? When looking for vet tech schools, many potential students start by targeting those that are nearest to their homes. Once they have found some local schools, they ascertain which ones have the most affordable tuition and focus on those. Although cost and location are significant concerns when assessing vet tech programs, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your evaluations. 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 examining. We have presented several within this article to help get you started, but before we review them we'll discuss the various roles of vet techs and the training alternatives available.
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Vet Tech Training Options
Among the initial decisions that you will need to make is if you plan to train as a veterinary assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your determination might be based on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your training, but the principal factor will most likely be which specialization appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they both work under the direct supervision of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And although there are numerous functions that they can perform within the Irvine CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medications, diagnose conditions, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they can only furnish support to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work away from the standard veterinarian practice, such as for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the job functions and education requirements for each position.
- Vet Assistants in almost all instances will have completed a structured training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a vet clinic or hospital, or by completing a certificate program at a trade school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet techs in the completion of their duties. Generally they are not associated with more involved activities, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their regular duties may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during examinations.
- Vet Technicians receive more extensive training in contrast to assistants and normally acquire a 2 year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the vet counterparts of medical nurses, since their general job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from vet assistants is that they are engaged in more complex activities, for instance assisting with surgeries or administering medication. All states currently require veterinary technicians pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.
- Vet Technologists are similar to vet techs and basically perform the same job functions. They are required to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which normally requires four years to complete. So 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 job opportunities, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.
Veterinary technicians and technologists may 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 Irvine CA laboratories or research facilities as well.
Questions to Ask Veterinary Technician Programs
By now you should have determined which veterinary credential that you wish to obtain, 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 Irvine CA area as well as across the United States, you need to ask some relevant questions to help narrow down your list of alternatives. As we mentioned in our introduction, many potential students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have previously pointed out other essential qualifiers, such as accreditation and internship programs. And naturally you need to choose a college that offers the degree and specialty that you are interested in. These and other factors are reviewed in the list of questions that you should ask the vet tech schools that you are considering.
Is the Vet College Accredited? It's essential that you make sure that the vet tech school you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously stated, among the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a thorough screening process that verifies you will receive a superior education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are requesting a student loan or financial assistance, since numerous programs are not available for non-accredited schools. Last, having a degree or certificate from an accredited school is in many cases a precondition for employment for many Irvine CA area vet practices and hospitals.
What is the Program's Reputation? The veterinary college or vocational school and program you enroll in must have an exceptional reputation within the veterinarian community. You can initiate 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 rating websites and contacting the school's accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the California school licensing department if there have been any complaints or violations involving your targeted schools. As a final suggestion, phone some Irvine CA veterinary clinics that you may wish to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think about your school selections. They may even recommend some schools not on your list.
Are there Internship Programs? The best way to get practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a professional setting. Find out if the programs you are reviewing have internship programs set up with Irvine CA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Most veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and many provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable as far as the practical training, but an internship may also help develop relationships in the local veterinarian community and aid in the search for a job 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 colleges you are evaluating. A lower rate might signify that the teachers were unqualified to teach the course of study or that a number of students were unhappy with the program and quit. Next, confirm that the schools have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might signify that the college has an outstanding reputation within the Irvine CA veterinary community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may indicate that the training is not highly thought of by employers or that the job placement program is ineffective at placing students.
How Big are the Classes? If the classes are larger sized, you may get little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Request from the Irvine CA colleges you are looking at what their class student to teacher ratios are. You might also decide to attend a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between teachers and students. Ask for feedback from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their methods of teaching.
Where is the School Located? Yes, we previously talked about location, but there are a couple of more points to make on the topic. If you are going to commute to your vet tech classes from your Irvine CA home, you have to make sure that the driving time is compatible with 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 college is located near or in a large city. In addition, if you do opt to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition charges especially for community and state colleges. On the other hand, taking classes online could be an option that will give you more flexibility and reduce the necessity for travel.
Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And finally, it's imperative that you determine if the vet schools you are looking at offer class times flexible enough to fit your schedule. For instance, many students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Irvine 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 require are available before enrolling. Also, find out if you can make-up classes that you might miss due to work, sickness or family responsibilities. You might find that an online college is the best way to fit your vet education into your hectic life.
Find Out More About Becoming a Veterinary Technologist in Irvine
Chosse the Best Irvine Vet Technologist College
Choosing the appropriate veterinary technician school is a critical first step to starting a gratifying career delivering care and treatment for pets and livestock. Potential students considering veterinary technician programs must make their determination based on several key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly handle administrative tasks and support the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have discussed, it's imperative that you decide on a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This goes for vet tech online programs as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to reduce your alternatives so that you can make your final decision. And by choosing the best college, you can reach your goal of becoming a vet tech in Irvine California.