Veterinary Technician Program
How to Pick the Right One Near Larkspur California

Realizing your lifelong dream of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a vet tech program near Larkspur CA might initially feel like an overwhelming undertaking. But in order to succeed as a practicing veterinary technician, you must first locate and ultimately enroll in a school that will provide the required education and training. And in order to pick the best one you must evaluate and compare all of the schools you are considering. When checking out vet tech programs, many potential students begin by targeting the ones that are nearest to their homes. After they have identified some nearby colleges, they find out which ones have the cheapest tuition and focus on those. Although location and expense are significant considerations when assessing vet tech schools, they are by no means the only significant ones when making your evaluations. Factors such as internship programs and accreditation need to be considered as well. The main point is that before making a selection, you must carry out your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are assessing. We have provided several within this article to help get you started, but before we review them we'll go over the different duties of vet techs and the training options offered.

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Vet Tech Training Options

Among the first decisions that you will need to make is whether you plan to train as a vet assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your determination may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the principal determiner will undoubtedly be which specialization appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they both work under the immediate direction of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And while there are a number of tasks that they can perform within the Larkspur CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe drugs, diagnose conditions, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they may only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work exclusive of the standard vet practice, for example 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 graduating from a certificate program at a vocational school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet techs in the execution of their duties. Normally they are not involved with more complicated activities, such as assisting with surgeries. A few of their usual responsibilities may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or handling animals during exams.
• Vet Technicians go through more advanced training compared to assistants and usually earn a 2 year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the vet equivalent of medical nurses, since their general job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from veterinary assistants is that they are engaged in more complicated duties, for example assisting with surgeries or administering medicine. All states presently mandate that veterinary techs pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to vet technicians and essentially carry out the same job functions. They are required to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally requires 4 years to complete. Therefore the main distinction between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist's higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job options, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration 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  Larkspur CA labs or research facilities as well.

What to Ask Vet Tech Schools

By now you probably have decided on which veterinarian degree that you wish to earn, and if you intend to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinary community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the Larkspur CA area as well as across the USA, you must ask some qualifying questions to help fine tune your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our introduction, many potential students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have already mentioned other important qualifiers, such as internship programs and accreditation. And of course you want to select a program that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other factors are addressed in the list of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician schools that you are reviewing.

Is the Veterinary Program Accredited?  It's imperative that you confirm that the veterinary technician school you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As earlier stated, one of the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a rigorous screening process that confirms 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 college is often a requirement for employment for many Larkspur CA area vet practices and hospitals.

What is the School's Reputation?  The veterinarian college or trade school and program you choose must have an outstanding reputation within the veterinary community. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the schools you are looking at for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other tips include checking with online school rating websites and contacting the school's accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the California school licensing department if there have been any complaints or infractions relating to your targeted schools. As a final tip, call some Larkspur CA veterinarians that you may want to work for after you go through your training. Find out what they think of your school choices. They might even recommend one or more colleges not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The best means to obtain practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a medical setting. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have internship programs arranged with Larkspur CA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and many provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial as far as the practical training, but an internship may also help develop connections in the local vet community and aid in the search for a job after graduation.

Is Job Placement Offered?  Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician program may be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, find out what the graduation rates are for the programs you are considering. A lower rate could indicate that the instructors were unqualified to teach the course of study or that some students were disappointed with the program and quit. Next, verify that the schools have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate may indicate that the program has an excellent reputation within the Larkspur CA veterinarian community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may mean that the training is not well thought of by employers or that the job placement program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are larger in size, you may get little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Larkspur CA programs you are looking at what their class student to teacher ratios are. You might also want to attend a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between teachers and students. Get feedback from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the teachers and determine what their backgrounds are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Yes, we previously talked about location, but there are several more points to make on the topic. If you are going to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Larkspur CA home, you must 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 commute during rush hour traffic, especially if the campus is located in or close by a large city. Also, if you do choose to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition charges especially for community and state colleges. On the other hand, attending online classes might be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And finally, it's essential that you determine if the veterinarian colleges you are exploring 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 Larkspur CA. Others might only be able to go to classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are offered before enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make-up classes that you may miss because of work, sickness or family emergencies. You might find that an online school is the best way to fit your vet education into your hectic life.

Learn More About Becoming a Vet Technologist in Larkspur

Chosse the Right Larkspur Veterinary Technologist Program

Selecting the right vet tech program is a crucial first step to starting a gratifying career delivering care and treatment for animals. Potential students looking into veterinary technician schools must make their decision based on a number of key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly handle administrative responsibilities and assist the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have covered, it's very important that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This goes for online vet tech schools as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to reduce your options so that you can make your final decision. And by choosing the ideal college, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Larkspur California.

 

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