Veterinary Technician Degree
How to Enroll In the Right One Near Long Beach California

Choosing a veterinary technician school near Long Beach CA to achieve your lifelong desire to help and care for animals may initially seem like an overwhelming task. After all, you need to find and enroll in a program that will provide the necessary training to ensure that you can be successful as a vet tech. And so that you pick the right one you must research and compare all of the schools you are considering. When looking for vet tech schools, many potential students begin by targeting those that are nearest to their homes. When they have identified some nearby colleges, they determine which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although cost and location are important concerns when comparing veterinary technician programs, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your comparisons. Internship and job placement programs as well as accreditation are just as important if not more so as cost and location. The bottom line is that prior to making a selection, you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are reviewing. We have furnished several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we'll go over the various duties 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 initial decisions that you will need to make is whether you wish to train as a vet assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your determination may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your training, but the main factor will probably be which specialty appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they both work under the direct direction of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And even though there are numerous duties that they can carry out within the Long Beach CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe drugs, diagnose conditions, or perform surgical procedures. In those areas they may only provide support to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work exclusive of the conventional veterinarian practice, such as for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the job functions and training prerequisites for each position.

• Vet Assistants in almost all cases will have gone through a structured training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a vet clinic or hospital, 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 performance of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more complicated activities, for example assisting with surgeries. A few of their usual functions may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or handling animals during exams.
• Vet Technicians go through more advanced training compared with assistants and typically acquire 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 vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from vet assistants is that they are included in more involved activities, for instance assisting with surgical procedures or providing medication. All states currently mandate that veterinary techs pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to vet techs and essentially carry out the same job functions. They are mandated to attain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally takes four years. So the main difference between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist's more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job options, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.

Veterinary technicians and technologists can specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or urgent care. A number may receive certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Long Beach CA laboratories or research facilities also.

What to Ask Veterinary Technician Colleges

At this point you probably have decided on which veterinary degree that you wish to attain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinarian community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the Long Beach CA area as well as across the United States, you should ask some important questions to help narrow down your list of options. As we mentioned in our introduction, many potential students start by concentrating on location and the cost of tuition. But we have previously mentioned other essential qualifiers, which include internship programs and accreditation. And of course you need to enroll in a program that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. These and other factors are addressed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the vet tech schools that you are looking at.

Is the Veterinary School Accredited?  It's important that you verify that the vet tech college you enroll in 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 a demanding screening process that confirms you will obtain a superior education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are requesting a student loan or financial assistance, since a large number of programs are not offered for non-accredited schools. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is often a prerequisite for employment for many Long Beach CA area vet practices and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The veterinarian college or vocational school and program you enroll in must have an exceptional reputation within the veterinarian community. You can begin your due diligence by asking the schools you are looking at for endorsements from the employers in their job assistance network. Other pointers include looking on online school rating websites and speaking with the school's accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the California school licensing department if there have been any grievances or infractions involving your targeted schools. As a final recommendation, contact some Long Beach CA vet clinics that you might wish to work for after you receive your training. Ask what they think about your school selections. They might even recommend one or more programs not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The best way to get clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a clinical setting. Find out if the programs you are reviewing have internship programs set up with Long Beach CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or practices. The majority of veterinary medicine programs require practical training and many provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable as far as the clinical training, but an internship can also help develop connections in the local veterinary community and assist in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Provided?  Finding a job after graduating from a vet tech program may be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, find out what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are evaluating. A low rate might signify that the teachers were unqualified to teach the curriculum or that a number of students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. Next, verify that the colleges have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate could mean that the program has an exceptional reputation within the Long Beach CA vet community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A low rate could indicate that the training is not well regarded by employers or that the job assistance program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are bigger, you most likely will receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Request from the Long Beach CA programs you are looking at what their class student to teacher ratios are. You might also decide to sit in on a couple of classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between students and teachers. Ask for evaluations from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and determine what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Okay, we already talked about location, but there are a couple of more points to consider on the topic. If you are planning to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Long Beach CA home, you need to make sure 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 commute during rush hour traffic, particularly if the college is located close by or within a larger city. Also, if you do decide to enroll in a school 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 classes online may be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and minimize the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And last, it's imperative that you ascertain if the veterinarian schools you are evaluating offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For example, a number of students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near Long Beach CA. Others may only be able to go to class in the morning or in the afternoon. Make certain that the class times you require are available prior to enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make up classes that you may miss because of work, sickness or family emergencies. You might discover that an online college is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary training into your busy life.

Find Out More About How to Become a Veterinary Technician in Long Beach

Chosse the Right Long Beach Veterinary Technologist Program

Picking the ideal vet tech school is an important first step to starting a gratifying career delivering care and treatment for animals. Potential students looking into veterinary technician colleges must make their decision based on a number of key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They usually take on administrative duties and support the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have covered, it's essential that you enroll in a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This applies to online vet tech schools 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 right program, you can achieve your goal of becoming a vet tech in Long Beach California.

 

Long Beach Vet Tech Colleges | Long Beach Veterinary Technician Schools