Vet Technician Training Program
How to Select the Best One Near Mountain View California

Realizing your lifelong aspiration of working with and caring for animals by enrolling in a veterinary technician college near Mountain View CA might at first seem like a challenging endeavor. After all, you need to search for and enroll in a college that will provide the necessary training to ensure that you can be successful as a veterinary technician. But just how do you approach reviewing and comparing schools so that you can make the right selection? Many aspiring students launch their due diligence process by searching for campuses that are near their homes. Once they have identified some nearby colleges, they find out which ones have the lowest tuition and focus on those. Although cost and location are significant concerns when assessing veterinary technician schools, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your evaluations. Internship and job placement programs in addition to accreditation are equally important if not more so as location and cost. The point is that there are questions you ought to be asking the vet tech programs you are considering before you make an ultimate choice. We have provided several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we'll go over the various responsibilities of veterinary technicians and the training options available.

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

Vet Technician Education Options

Among the first decisions that you will need to make is if you desire to train as a vet assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your decision may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the main factor will undoubtedly be which specialization interests you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they each work under the immediate supervision of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And while there are a number of functions that they can perform within the Mountain View CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe medications, diagnose conditions, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they may only provide support to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work away from the standard veterinarian practice, for example for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let's take a look at the job functions and training requirements for each specialization.

• Vet Assistants in the majority of cases will have gone through a structured 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 execution of their duties. Generally they are not associated with more complicated tasks, for example assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their normal functions may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during examinations.
• Vet Technicians receive more advanced training in contrast 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 fundamental job duty is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from vet assistants is that they are included in more complicated duties, for instance assisting with surgical procedures or administering medication. All states presently mandate that vet technicians pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary techs and basically perform the same work functions. They are required to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which normally takes four years. So the only real 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 opportunities, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally required to pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.

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

Vet Tech Online Schools Available

An approach that might make sense for those with a busy schedule or who are working full time while going to veterinary college is to enroll in an online training program. Because the classes are made available by means of the internet, students can attend on their own schedule wherever a computer is accessible. The curriculum is taught using various venues, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since most vet tech and technologist degrees require practical training, that portion can usually be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Mountain View CA veterinary clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in many instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and secondary expenditures, for example for commuting and study supplies, may be more affordable compared to more traditional classroom courses. Just confirm that the program that you choose is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting organization. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything is provided for a comprehensive education. So if you are dedicated enough to learn in this more independent fashion, an online veterinary technician program may be the ideal choice for you.

What to Ask Vet Tech Programs

At this point you should have determined which veterinarian credential that you want to attain, and if you want to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of vet community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Mountain View CA area as well as across the United States, you need to ask some important questions to help fine tune your list of alternatives. As we mentioned in our introduction, many future students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have already mentioned other significant qualifiers, such as internship programs and accreditation. And obviously you need to choose a college that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other factors are addressed in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician colleges that you are considering.

Is the Veterinary School Accredited?  It's imperative that you make sure that the veterinary technician college you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously 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 gone through a thorough review process that ensures you will obtain a quality education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since a large number of programs are not available for non-accredited schools. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited school is frequently a requirement for employment for a number of Mountain View CA area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The vet college or trade school and program you select should have an exceptional reputation within the veterinarian community. You can start your due diligence by asking the schools you are interested in for endorsements from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include looking on internet school ranking websites and speaking with the school's accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the California school licensing department if there have been any grievances or infractions involving your specific schools. As a final tip, phone some Mountain View CA veterinarians that you might want to work for after you receive your training. Ask what they think of your school selections. They might even suggest one or more colleges not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The best means to get clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have internship programs set up with Mountain View CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and a large number provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable relative to the practical training, but an internship can also help establish relationships in the local veterinary community and assist in the search for a job after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program?  Getting a job after graduating from a vet tech school can be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are considering. A low rate could suggest that the instructors were unqualified to teach the curriculum or that some students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. Next, confirm that the colleges have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate could signify that the program has an excellent reputation within the Mountain View CA veterinarian community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may signify that the training is not highly thought of by employers or that the job assistance program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are larger, you probably will get little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Request from the Mountain View CA schools you are considering what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You might also decide to attend a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and instructors. Ask for evaluations from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the instructors and find out what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Of course, we already 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 Mountain View 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, particularly if the school is located close by or within a large city. Also, if you do decide to attend a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition costs especially for community and state colleges. Of course taking online classes could be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and minimize the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And finally, it's important that you determine if the veterinary programs you are exploring offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue to work full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near Mountain View CA. Some may only be able to attend classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are available prior to enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make-up classes that you may miss as a result of work, sickness or family responsibilities. You might discover that an online college is the best solution to fit your vet training into your busy life.

Find Out More About How to Become a Veterinary Technician in Mountain View

Enroll in the Best Mountain View Veterinary Technologist School

Enrolling in the appropriate vet tech school is a critical first step to beginning a fulfilling career providing treatment and care for animals. Students thinking about vet tech programs need to make their determination based on several key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly take on administrative duties and assist the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have discussed, it's essential that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This goes for online vet tech programs as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to reduce your choices so that you can make your final selection. And by selecting the right school, you can reach your goal of becoming a vet tech in Mountain View California.

 

Mountain View Veterinary Technician Schools | Mountain View Online Vet Tech Programs