Veterinary Technician Degree Program
How to Find the Best One Near Orangevale California

Realizing your long term goal of working with and caring for animals by enrolling in a vet tech school near Orangevale CA could at first feel like an overwhelming undertaking. But in order to succeed as a practicing veterinary technician, you must first search for and ultimately enroll in a program that will provide the required education and training. But just how do you go about assessing and comparing programs so that you can make the best selection? Many potential students launch their due diligence process by looking for campuses that are close to their homes. Once they have located some local colleges, they determine which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although location and cost are important concerns when assessing vet technician schools, they are not the only critical ones when making your evaluations. Qualifications such as internship programs and accreditation need to be considered as well. The point is that there are questions you should be asking the vet tech programs you are reviewing before you make an ultimate choice. We have furnished several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll go over the varied duties of veterinary technicians and the training options available.

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Vet Tech Education Options

One of the first decisions that you will have to make is if you want to train as a veterinary technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your determination may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your education, but the primary determiner will probably be which specialty interests you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they both work under the immediate supervision of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And even though there are a number of functions that they can carry out within the Orangevale CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe medications, diagnose conditions, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they may only provide assistance to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the typical vet practice, for instance for animal shelters, zoos or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the job functions and education requirements for each position.

• Vet Assistants in most instances will have undergone a structured training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a practice, or by completing 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 completion of their duties. Usually they are not associated with more complex undertakings, such as assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their regular duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during exams.
• Vet Technicians receive more advanced training compared to assistants and typically acquire a 2 year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the veterinary equivalent of medical nurses, since their general job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from vet assistants is that they are engaged in more complicated functions, for instance assisting with surgical procedures or providing medication. All states presently mandate that veterinary techs pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to vet techs and for the most part carry out the same job functions. They are mandated to attain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which usually requires 4 years. So the only real difference between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist's higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more work options, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are also required to pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.

Vet technicians and technologists can specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or emergency care. Many may receive certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Orangevale CA laboratories or research facilities also.

Questions to Ask Veterinary Technician Schools

By now you probably have selected which veterinarian credential that you want to obtain, 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 technical schools in the Orangevale CA area and across the United States, you need to ask some important questions in order to fine tune your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our introduction, many future students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have previously mentioned other significant qualifiers, such as internship programs and accreditation. And obviously you want to choose a program that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. These and other qualifications are reviewed in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the vet tech programs that you are reviewing.

Is the Veterinary School Accredited?  It's important that you confirm that the veterinary technician college you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier mentioned, among the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a rigorous review process that confirms you will get a quality education. Also, accreditation is important if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since a large number of programs are not available for non-accredited colleges. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is frequently a prerequisite for employment for a number of Orangevale CA area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the School's Reputation?  The veterinarian vocational school or college and program you choose should have an excellent reputation within the veterinarian community. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the colleges you are looking at for references from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include checking with internet school rating websites and contacting the school's accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the California school licensing department if there have been any grievances or infractions concerning your targeted schools. As a final pointer, phone some Orangevale CA veterinary clinics that you might wish to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think of your school choices. They might even suggest one or more programs not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The most effective means to get practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Find out if the programs you are considering have internship programs arranged with Orangevale CA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and many provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable as far as the practical training, but an internship may also help develop relationships in the local vet community and help in the search for a job after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided?  Getting a job after graduating from a veterinary technician school may be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the schools you are reviewing. A lower rate could suggest that the instructors were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that some students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. Next, verify that the colleges have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate could mean that the program has an exceptional reputation within the Orangevale CA vet community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may signify that the training is not well thought of by employers or that the job assistance program is ineffective at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are bigger, you most likely will get little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Orangevale CA schools you are researching what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You may also decide to sit in on a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between instructors and students. Get feedback from students relating to 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 College Located?  Yes, we previously discussed location, but there are several more points to make on the subject. If you are going to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Orangevale CA home, you must confirm that the commuting time fits into your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to investigate 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 large city. Also, if you do decide to enroll in a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition fees particularly for state and community colleges. On the other hand, attending classes online may be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And last, it's imperative that you determine if the veterinarian colleges you are exploring offer class times that are sufficiently flexible 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 in the evenings near Orangevale CA. Others might only be able to attend class in the morning or in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you need are available before enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make up classes that you might miss because of sickness, work or family emergencies. You may discover that an online college is the best solution to fit your veterinary education into your busy life.

Learn More About How to Become a Vet Technician in Orangevale

Enroll in the Right Orangevale Veterinary Technologist College

Picking the ideal vet tech college is a critical first step to starting a gratifying career delivering treatment and care for pets and livestock. Potential students thinking about vet tech colleges need to make their decision based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly take on administrative tasks and support the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have discussed, it's imperative that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This goes for online vet tech schools as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to reduce your alternatives so that you can make your final choice. And by selecting the ideal college, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Orangevale California.

 

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