Veterinary Technician Training Program
How to Choose the Best One Near Millbrae California

Choosing a veterinary technician school near Millbrae CA to achieve your lifelong goal to help and care for animals might initially feel like an overwhelming challenge. But in order to succeed as a practicing veterinary technician, you need to first search for and finally enroll in a school that will provide the necessary training and education. And in order to pick the best one you must evaluate and compare each of the schools you have placed on your short list. Many future students start their due diligence process by looking for schools that are close to their residences. When they have identified some local colleges, they determine which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although expense and location are important considerations when evaluating veterinary technician programs, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your assessments. Qualifications such as internship programs and accreditation need to be looked into as well. The bottom line is that prior to making a selection, you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are assessing. We have furnished several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll talk about the different duties of veterinary technicians and the training options offered.

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Vet Tech Degree Options

One of the first decisions that you will have to make is if you desire to train as a vet technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your preference may be based on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the main factor will most likely be which specialty appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they both work under the immediate supervision of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And although there are numerous duties that they can carry out within the Millbrae CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe medicines, diagnose ailments, or carry out surgeries. In those areas they may only furnish support to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work away from the conventional vet practice, for example for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let's take a look at the job functions and education requirements for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in almost all cases will have gone through a formal 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 trade school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet techs in the performance of their duties. Generally they are not associated with more complex undertakings, for instance assisting with surgeries. Some of their regular functions may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or handling animals during exams.
• Vet Technicians receive more advanced training compared with assistants and usually obtain a two 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 basic job function is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from vet assistants is that they are included in more complex duties, such as assisting with surgeries or administering medication. All states presently mandate that vet techs pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to vet techs and basically carry out the same job functions. They are mandated to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which usually requires 4 years. So the only real difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist's higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job options, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are also required to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

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

Questions to Ask Vet Tech Schools

By now you should have determined which veterinary credential that you want to attain, and if you intend to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinary community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Millbrae CA area and across the United States, you need to ask some important questions to help fine tune your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our introduction, many potential students start by prioritizing location and tuition expense. But we have previously pointed out other essential qualifiers, for example accreditation and internship programs. And of course you want to enroll in a college that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other qualifications are addressed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician schools that you are reviewing.

Is the Vet College Accredited?  It's important that you verify that the veterinary technician school you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier stated, one of the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone an extensive review process that verifies you will obtain a quality education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since a large number of programs are not obtainable for non-accredited schools. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited school is often a precondition for employment for a number of Millbrae CA area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the School's Reputation?  The veterinary college or vocational school and program you select should have an exceptional reputation within the veterinarian field. You can begin your due diligence by asking the colleges you are interested in for endorsements from the employers in their job assistance network. Other tips include checking with online school ranking websites and checking with the school's accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the California school licensing authority if there have been any grievances or infractions involving your specific schools. As a final tip, call some Millbrae CA veterinarians that you might want to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think about your school selections. They may even recommend one or more colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The best way to obtain practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a medical setting. Ask if the schools you are looking at have internship programs established with Millbrae CA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and a large number provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable regarding the practical training, but an internship may also help develop associations in the local vet community and aid in the search for employment after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided?  Finding a job after graduating from a vet tech college may be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are evaluating. A lower rate could mean that the instructors were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that some students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. Next, confirm that the schools have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might indicate that the college has an outstanding reputation within the Millbrae CA veterinarian community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A low rate might indicate that the training is not highly regarded 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 individualized instruction from the teachers. Request from the Millbrae CA colleges you are researching what their class teacher to student ratios are. You might also want to participate in a couple of classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between students and teachers. Get evaluations from students concerning 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 School Located?  Okay, we already talked about location, but there are a couple of more points to make on the topic. If you are planning to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Millbrae CA home, you need to confirm 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 commute during rush hour traffic, particularly if the school is located in or near a larger city. In addition, if you do decide to enroll in a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition fees especially for state and community colleges. Of course attending classes online may be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and reduce the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And finally, it's imperative that you determine if the vet programs you are evaluating offer class times flexible enough to fit your schedule. For example, a number of students continue to work full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near Millbrae CA. Some might only be able to go to class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you require are available prior to enrolling. Also, find out if you can make-up classes that you may miss because of illness, work or family emergencies. You may find that an online program is the ideal way to fit your veterinary training into your active life.

Learn More About How to Become a Veterinary Technician in Millbrae

Enroll in the Right Millbrae Veterinary Technologist School

Enrolling in the ideal vet tech program is a crucial first step to starting a fulfilling career providing treatment and care for animals. Future students thinking about veterinary technician colleges must make their decision based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They typically take on administrative duties and assist the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have discussed, it's very important that you decide on a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This applies to vet tech online schools as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to narrow down your alternatives so that you can make your final choice. And by choosing the ideal college, you can achieve your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Millbrae California.

 

Millbrae Vet Tech Colleges | Millbrae Veterinary Technician Schools