Veterinary Technician School
How to Enroll In the Right One Near Northridge California

Realizing your long term dream of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician college near Northridge CA could initially seem like a daunting task. But in order to succeed as a practicing veterinary technician, you need to first locate and finally enroll in a program that will provide the necessary education and training. And so that you pick the best one you must evaluate and compare each of the schools you are considering. When looking for vet tech programs, many potential students begin by targeting the ones that are nearest to their homes. Once they have located some area schools, they determine which ones have the lowest tuition and hone in on those. Although expense and location are significant considerations when assessing veterinary technician programs, they are not the only critical ones when making your comparisons. Internship and job placement programs in addition to accreditation are just as important if not more so as location and cost. The main idea is that there are questions you need to be asking the vet tech schools you are evaluating before you make a final selection. We have furnished several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we'll talk about the different 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 initial decisions that you will have to make is whether you plan to train as a veterinary technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your determination might be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your training, but the primary determiner will probably be which specialization appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they both work under the immediate direction of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are many tasks that they can perform within the Northridge CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe medications, diagnose health issues, or carry out surgeries. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work outside of the standard veterinarian practice, for example for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the duties and education prerequisites for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in most cases will have undergone a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a practice, or by completing a certificate program at a community college or vocational school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet techs in the performance of their duties. Usually they are not associated with more complicated undertakings, such as assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their typical responsibilities may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or handling pets during examinations.
• Vet Technicians get more extensive training compared with assistants and usually acquire a two year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinarian equivalent of medical nurses, since their general job function is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from veterinary assistants is that they are included in more complex activities, such as assisting with surgeries or administering medication. All states presently mandate that vet technicians pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to vet technicians and for the most part carry out the same work functions. They are required to attain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which normally requires 4 years to complete. Therefore 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 work opportunities, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

Veterinary techs and technologists may specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or emergency care. Many may earn certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Northridge CA labs or research facilities also.

Questions to Ask Veterinary Technician Colleges

At this point you should have selected which veterinarian credential that you wish to attain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinarian community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Northridge CA area as well as across the United States, you need to ask some relevant questions in order to fine tune your list of options. As we mentioned in our introduction, many prospective students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have previously mentioned other significant qualifiers, such as accreditation and internship programs. And naturally you need to select a college that offers the degree and specialty that you would like to earn. These and other factors are covered in the list of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician schools that you are reviewing.

Is the Vet College Accredited?  It's important that you verify that the veterinary technician program you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. 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 rigorous review process that verifies you will receive a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since a large number of programs are not offered for non-accredited colleges. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is in many cases a prerequisite for employment for a number of Northridge CA area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The veterinarian college or trade school and program you enroll in must have an excellent reputation within the veterinarian community. You can start your due diligence by asking the colleges you are looking at for endorsements from the employers in their job assistance network. Other tips 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 violations regarding your targeted schools. As a final tip, phone some Northridge CA veterinarians that you might wish to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think about your school selections. They may even suggest one or more programs not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The best approach to get practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have internship programs set up with Northridge CA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and a large number furnish it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable as far as the practical training, but an internship may also help develop relationships in the local veterinary community and help in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Placement Offered?  Searching for a job after graduating from a vet tech college can be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are considering. A low rate may indicate that the teachers were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that a number of students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. Next, verify that the schools have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate could signify that the program has an outstanding reputation within the Northridge CA vet community and has a substantial 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 ineffective at placing students.

How Large are the Classes?  If the classes are bigger, you probably will receive little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Northridge CA colleges you are researching what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You may also decide to attend a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between instructors and students. Ask for feedback from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the instructors and determine what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Of course, we already covered location, but there are a couple of more points to consider on the topic. If you are planning to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Northridge CA home, you must make certain 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 in or close by a large city. In addition, if you do opt to attend a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition costs particularly for community and state colleges. Of course taking classes online may be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And last, it's imperative that you determine if the vet programs you are exploring offer class times flexible enough to fit your schedule. For instance, many students continue to work full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near Northridge CA. Others may only be able to attend class in the morning or in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you require are offered before enrolling. Also, find out if you can make-up classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family issues. You might discover that an online college is the best way to fit your vet training into your busy life.

Find Out More About Becoming a Veterinary Tech in Northridge

Enroll in the Best Northridge Vet Technologist School

Choosing the right vet tech program is an important first step to starting a fulfilling career delivering treatment and care for animals. Potential students considering veterinary technician colleges 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 typically take on administrative duties and support the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have discussed, it's imperative that you decide on a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This applies to vet tech online programs as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make your final choice. And by selecting the ideal program, you can achieve your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Northridge California.

 

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