Vet Technician College
How to Enroll In the Best One Near Lafayette California

Finding a veterinary technician school near Lafayette CA to achieve your lifelong desire to work with and provide medical treatment for our pets may from the start seem 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 required training and education. And so that you pick the best one you must research and compare each of the schools you are considering. Many potential students launch their due diligence process by searching for schools that are near their homes. After they have found some area colleges, they determine which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although location and expense are important factors when evaluating vet tech schools, they are by no means the only important ones when making your assessments. Factors such as internship programs and accreditation need to be evaluated also. The main idea is that there are questions you need to be asking the vet technician programs you are reviewing before you make a final selection. We have furnished several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll talk about the different responsibilities of veterinary technicians and the training options available.

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

Vet Tech Degree Options

Among the first decisions that you will have to make is whether you wish to train as a vet technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your determination might be based on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your training, but the principal determiner will undoubtedly be which specialization appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they both work under the direct guidance of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And even though there are numerous tasks that they can perform within the Lafayette CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medicines, diagnose conditions, or conduct surgeries. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work outside of the typical vet practice, such as for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let's take a look at the job functions and training requirements for each position.

• Vet Assistants in most instances will have completed 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 vocational school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet technicians in the completion of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more complex activities, for example assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their typical functions may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or handling animals during examinations.
• Vet Technicians go through more extensive training compared to assistants and normally 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 fundamental job function is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from vet assistants is that they are included in more complex functions, such as assisting with surgical procedures or providing medicine. All states currently mandate that vet technicians pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary techs and essentially perform the same job functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which usually requires four years. Therefore the only real distinction between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist's more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more work opportunities, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are additionally required to pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.

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

Veterinary Technician Online Schools Available

An approach that might make sense for those with a busy lifestyle or who are working full time while going to veterinarian school is to enroll in an online training program. Because the classes are offered via the internet, students can attend on their own schedule wherever a computer is accessible. The syllabus is taught using several venues, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since many vet tech and technologist degrees require practical training, that part can typically be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Lafayette CA veterinarian practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in many instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and supplementary expenses, for example for traveling and study materials, can be cheaper compared to more conventional classroom programs. 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 classes and the clinical training, everything is furnished for a complete education. So if you are dedicated enough to learn in this more independent mode, an online veterinary technician school may be the ideal choice for you.

Questions to Ask Veterinary Technician Programs

At this point you should have decided on which veterinarian credential that you wish to earn, and if you want to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Lafayette CA area and across the USA, you should ask some relevant questions in order to fine tune your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our introduction, many future students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have previously touched on other essential qualifiers, for instance internship programs and accreditation. And obviously you need to choose a college that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. These and other factors are reviewed in the list of questions that you should ask the vet tech schools that you are looking at.

Is the Vet School Accredited?  It's imperative that you verify that the vet tech college you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier discussed, among the most highly respected 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 obtain a quality education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since many programs are not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited program is in many cases a prerequisite for employment for many Lafayette CA area veterinary practices and hospitals.

What is the School's Reputation?  The vet trade school or college and program you choose should have an outstanding reputation within the vet community. You can begin your due diligence by asking the schools you are reviewing for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other pointers include checking with internet school ranking websites and contacting the school's accrediting organizations 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 pointer, get in touch with some Lafayette CA veterinary clinics that you might wish to work for after you receive your training. Ask what they think of your school choices. They may even suggest some colleges not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The best approach to obtain clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a professional setting. Ask if the colleges you are considering have internship programs arranged with Lafayette CA veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and a large number provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable relative to the practical training, but an internship can also help build associations in the local vet community and aid in the search for employment after graduation.

Is Job Placement Offered?  Searching for a job after graduating from a veterinary technician school can be difficult without the help of a job placement program. First, ask what the graduation rates are for the schools you are evaluating. A lower rate could signify that the teachers were unqualified to teach the course of study or that some students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. Next, confirm that the schools have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate may mean that the program has an outstanding reputation within the Lafayette CA veterinarian community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A low 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 bigger, you most likely will receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Lafayette CA colleges you are researching what their class student to teacher ratios are. You might also decide to attend some classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between instructors and students. Get evaluations from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the instructors and determine what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the College Located?  Okay, we already covered location, but there are a couple of more points to consider on the topic. If you are planning to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Lafayette CA home, you have to confirm that the driving time is compatible with 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, especially if the campus is located close by or within a larger city. Also, if you do choose to enroll in a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition costs particularly for community and state colleges. Of course taking classes online could be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And last, it's essential that you find out if the veterinary colleges you are looking at offer class times flexible enough to accommodate your schedule. For instance, many students continue to work full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near Lafayette CA. Others might only be able to go to classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you require are offered before enrolling. Also, determine if you can make up classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family issues. You might discover that an online college is the ideal solution to fit your vet training into your hectic life.

Learn More About Becoming a Vet Technician in Lafayette

Enroll in the Best Lafayette Veterinary Technologist School

Selecting the right veterinary technician school is an important first step to beginning a fulfilling career providing treatment and care for animals. Students looking into vet tech colleges must make their determination based on a number of key factors. 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 animal patients when needed. As we have discussed, it's very important that you pick a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This applies to vet tech online colleges as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to reduce your alternatives so that you can make your final selection. And by selecting the right college, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Lafayette California.

 

Lafayette Veterinary Technician Schools | Lafayette Online Vet Tech Programs