Vet Technician Degree
How to Choose the Best One Near Laguna Niguel California

Choosing a veterinary technician school near Laguna Niguel CA to achieve your lifelong goal to help and provide medical treatment for animals may initially seem like an enormous task. After all, you have to locate and enroll in a school that will deliver the proper training to ensure that you can be successful as a veterinary technician. And in order to pick the right one you must evaluate and compare all of the schools you have placed on your short list. Many aspiring students start their due diligence process by searching for colleges that are close to their homes. When they have found some nearby colleges, they determine which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although cost and location are important factors when evaluating veterinary technician schools, they are by no means the only important ones when making your comparisons. Qualifiers such as internship programs and accreditation need to be considered as well. The point is that there are questions you ought to be asking the vet tech schools you are looking at before you make a final selection. We have presented several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll go over the various duties of vet techs and the training alternatives available.

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

Vet Technician Education Options

Among the initial decisions that you will have to make is whether you wish to train as a veterinary assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your determination may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the primary factor will undoubtedly be which specialty appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they all work under the immediate supervision of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are a number of jobs that they can carry out within the Laguna Niguel CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medications, diagnose ailments, or perform surgical procedures. In those areas they can only furnish support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work outside of the typical vet practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let's take a look at the responsibilities and education prerequisites for each position.

• Vet Assistants in almost all cases will have undergone a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a practice, or by finishing a certificate program at a community college or trade school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet techs in the performance of their duties. Generally they are not involved with more involved undertakings, such as assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their regular duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during exams.
• Vet Technicians undergo more extensive training compared to assistants and normally obtain a 2 year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense 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 veterinary assistants is that they are engaged in more involved functions, for example assisting with surgical procedures or providing medication. All states currently require vet techs pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary technicians and for the most part perform the same work functions. They are mandated to attain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which usually takes four years. Therefore the only real difference between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist's higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job opportunities, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

Veterinary techs and technologists may specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or urgent care. A number may earn certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Laguna Niguel CA laboratories or research facilities as well.

Things to Ask Veterinary Technician Schools

At this point you probably have decided on which veterinarian credential that you want to earn, and if you want to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinary community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Laguna Niguel CA area as well as across the USA, you must ask some important questions in order to narrow down your list of options. As we pointed out in our introduction, many potential students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have already pointed out other essential qualifiers, which include internship programs and accreditation. And obviously you want to enroll in a school that offers the specialty and degree that you would like to earn. These and other factors are reviewed in the list of questions that you need to ask the vet tech programs that you are reviewing.

Is the Veterinary School Accredited?  It's important that you confirm that the vet tech program you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier mentioned, 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 thorough review process that ensures you will get a quality education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since many programs are not available for non-accredited schools. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is often a prerequisite for employment for many Laguna Niguel CA area veterinarian practices and hospitals.

What is the College's Reputation?  The veterinary trade school or college and program you enroll in must have an excellent reputation within the veterinarian community. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the colleges you are interested in for references from the employers in their job placement network. Other pointers include looking on internet school ranking websites and speaking with the school's accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the California school licensing department if there have been any complaints or infractions concerning your targeted schools. As a final tip, call some Laguna Niguel CA veterinarians that you may wish to work for after you go through your training. Find out what they think about your school choices. They might even suggest some schools not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The most effective approach to obtain practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a medical setting. Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have internship programs set up with Laguna Niguel CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and many furnish it through internships. Not only will the experience be valuable as far as the practical training, but an internship can also help build associations in the local veterinary community and assist in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Provided?  Searching for a job after graduating from a veterinary technician program may be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. First, find out what the graduation rates are for the programs you are considering. A lower rate could signify that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the syllabus or that some students were unhappy with the program and quit. Next, verify that the schools have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate might mean that the college has an excellent reputation within the Laguna Niguel CA veterinary community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may indicate that the training is not highly 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 in size, you may receive little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Laguna Niguel CA colleges you are looking at what their class student to teacher ratios are. You may also want to attend a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between teachers and students. Ask for evaluations from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, talk 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 consider on the topic. If you are planning to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Laguna Niguel CA home, you need to make sure that the commuting 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 college is located near or in a larger city. Also, if you do decide to attend a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition charges especially for state and community colleges. Of course taking online classes may be an option that will give you more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And finally, it's imperative that you find out if the veterinarian colleges you are evaluating offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near Laguna Niguel CA. Others might only be able to attend classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you need are available before enrolling. In addition, 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 school is the ideal solution to fit your vet education into your busy life.

Find Out More About How to Become a Veterinary Technician in Laguna Niguel

Enroll in the Right Laguna Niguel Veterinary Technologist Program

Enrolling in the appropriate veterinary technician college is a crucial first step to beginning a rewarding career delivering care and treatment for pets and livestock. Students thinking about vet tech schools must make their decision based on several key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They typically take on administrative duties and assist the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have discussed, it's essential that you select a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This goes for vet tech online programs 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 decision. And by choosing the ideal college, you can achieve your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Laguna Niguel California.

 

Laguna Niguel Vet Tech Colleges | Laguna Niguel Veterinary Technician Schools