Veterinary Technician Program
How to Find the Best One Near Palm Desert California

Fulfilling your lifelong dream of working with and helping animals by enrolling in a vet tech school near Palm Desert CA may at first seem like a challenging endeavor. After all, you need to find and enroll in a program that will provide the appropriate training so that you can succeed as a vet tech. And so that you pick the right one you must research and compare all of the schools you are considering. Many aspiring students start their due diligence process by looking for schools that are near their homes. After they have located some local colleges, they determine which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although cost and location are significant considerations when evaluating veterinary technician programs, they are by no means the only significant ones when making your evaluations. Internship and job placement programs in addition to accreditation are equally important if not more so as cost and location. The point is that there are questions you should be asking the vet technician schools you are evaluating before you make a final decision. We have furnished several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll go over the various roles of vet techs and the training alternatives available.

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

Vet Tech Degree Options

One of the initial decisions that you will need to make is whether you want to train as a vet assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your determination might be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your training, but the main factor will most likely be which specialty appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they both work under the direct guidance of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And even though there are many jobs that they can perform within the Palm Desert CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe medicines, diagnose ailments, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they may only provide assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work exclusive of the conventional vet practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let's take a look at the responsibilities and education prerequisites for each position.

• Vet Assistants in almost all instances will have undergone a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a vet clinic or hospital, or by finishing a certificate program at a trade school or community college. 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 involved with more complicated tasks, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their usual duties may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or handling animals during exams.
• Vet Technicians get more advanced training compared with assistants and generally acquire a 2 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 vets 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 surgeries or administering medication. All states currently require vet techs pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary techs and basically carry out the same job functions. They are mandated to attain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which normally requires 4 years to complete. Therefore the only real distinction between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist's more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more career opportunities, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are also mandated 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 urgent care. A number may earn certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Palm Desert CA laboratories or research facilities as well.

What to Ask Vet Tech Programs

By now you probably have decided on which veterinarian degree that you would like to attain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinarian community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Palm Desert CA area as well as across the USA, you need to ask some relevant questions to help fine tune your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our opening, many future students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have previously pointed out other important qualifiers, which include internship programs and accreditation. And naturally you need to choose a school that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other factors are reviewed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician schools that you are looking at.

Is the Vet College Accredited?  It's essential that you verify that the veterinary technician college you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As previously discussed, one of the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through a rigorous screening process that confirms you will obtain a quality education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are applying for a student loan or financial assistance, since numerous programs are not offered for non-accredited programs. Last, having a degree or certificate from an accredited school is in many cases a requirement for employment for a number of Palm Desert CA area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the College's Reputation?  The vet trade school or college and program you choose must have an excellent reputation within the veterinarian community. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the schools you are interested in for references from the employers in their job placement network. Other pointers include checking with online school rating websites and contacting the school's accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the California school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or violations involving your specific schools. As a final pointer, contact some Palm Desert CA veterinarians that you might want to work for after you get your training. Ask what they think about your school choices. They might even recommend some colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The best means to get practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a medical setting. Ask if the programs you are considering have internship programs established with Palm Desert CA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Most veterinary medicine programs require practical training and many furnish it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable as far as the clinical training, but an internship can also help build relationships in the local veterinarian community and aid in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Provided?  Getting a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college may be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. First, find out what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are considering. A low rate could suggest that the instructors were unqualified to teach the course of study or that some students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. Next, check that the schools have a job assistance program and find out what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate may indicate that the college has an exceptional reputation within the Palm Desert CA vet community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate might mean 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 larger sized, you probably will receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Palm Desert CA programs you are considering what their class teacher to student ratios are. You may also decide to participate in a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between instructors and students. Ask for feedback from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and find out what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the School Located?  Yes, we previously talked about location, but there are several more points to consider on the subject. If you are planning to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Palm Desert CA home, you have to make certain that the commuting time is compatible with 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 campus is located in or close by a larger city. Also, if you do decide to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition costs particularly for state and community colleges. On the other hand, attending online classes could be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And finally, it's important that you determine if the veterinary schools you are evaluating 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 attend classes on the weekends or at night near Palm Desert CA. Others may only be able to go to class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you need are offered prior to enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make-up classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family emergencies. You might find that an online college is the best way to fit your veterinary training into your busy life.

Find Out More About Becoming a Veterinary Technician in Palm Desert

Chosse the Best Palm Desert Veterinary Technologist College

Enrolling in the right veterinary technician college is an important first step to beginning a gratifying career providing care and treatment for animals. Students looking into veterinary technician schools need to make their determination based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly handle administrative duties and support the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have covered, it's imperative that you pick a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This goes for online vet tech colleges as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to reduce your options so that you can make your final choice. And by picking the right school, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Palm Desert California.

 

Palm Desert Vet Tech Colleges | Palm Desert Veterinary Technician Schools