Vet Technician College
How to Select the Right One Near Palo Alto California

Fulfilling your long term dream of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a vet tech school near Palo Alto CA may initially seem like a daunting endeavor. After all, you must find and enroll in a program that will deliver the appropriate training to ensure that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you go about evaluating and contrasting programs so that you can make the correct choice? Many future students start their due diligence process by looking for colleges that are near their homes. Once they have identified some local colleges, they ascertain which ones have the cheapest tuition and hone in on those. Although location and cost are significant concerns when comparing veterinary technician programs, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your comparisons. Job placement and intership programs in addition to accreditation are just as important if not more so as location and cost. The point is that there are questions you should be asking the veterinary technician programs you are looking at before you make a final choice. We have provided several within this article to help get you started, but before we review them we'll go over the various roles of veterinary technicians and the training options offered.

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Vet Tech Degree Options

Among the initial decisions that you will have to make is whether you desire to train as a veterinary 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 training, but the principal determiner will undoubtedly be which specialization interests you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they all work under the direct supervision of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are a number of functions that they can carry out within the Palo Alto CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe medicines, diagnose health issues, or conduct surgeries. In those areas they may only provide assistance to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work exclusive of the standard veterinarian practice, for instance for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let's take a look at the job functions and education prerequisites for each specialization.

• Vet Assistants in most cases will have gone through a structured training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a vet clinic or hospital, or by finishing a certificate program at a community college or vocational school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet technicians in the performance of their duties. Normally they are not involved with more complex undertakings, such as assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their regular responsibilities may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during exams.
• Vet Technicians go through more advanced training compared with assistants and generally acquire a two year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinarian counterparts of medical nurses, since their fundamental job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from veterinary assistants is that they are involved in more complicated activities, for example assisting with surgical procedures or administering medicine. All states currently require veterinary techs pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to vet technicians and for the most part carry out the same work functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally takes 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 work 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 may specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or emergency care. Some may receive certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Palo Alto CA labs or research facilities as well.

Things to Ask Veterinary Technician Programs

By now you should have determined which veterinarian degree 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 technical schools in the Palo Alto CA area and across the United States, you need to ask some qualifying questions to help narrow down your list of options. As we discussed in our introduction, many potential students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have already pointed out other essential qualifiers, for example accreditation and internship programs. And naturally you want to choose a school that offers the degree and specialty that you would like to earn. These and other qualifications are covered in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the vet tech schools that you are reviewing.

Is the Vet School Accredited?  It's important that you verify that the vet tech college you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As earlier stated, one of the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through an extensive review process that verifies you will receive a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are applying for a student loan or financial assistance, since many programs are not obtainable for non-accredited programs. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is in many cases a prerequisite for employment for a number of Palo Alto CA area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.

What is the College's Reputation?  The vet college or trade school and program you enroll in must have an outstanding reputation within the veterinarian field. You can begin your due diligence by asking the schools you are reviewing for testimonials from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include looking on online school ranking websites and speaking with the school's accrediting organizations 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, phone some Palo Alto CA vet clinics that you might want to work for after you go through your training. Find out what they think of your school selections. They might even suggest some schools not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The most effective approach to get practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a clinical setting. Ask if the programs you are looking at have internship programs established with Palo Alto CA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and many furnish it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial regarding the clinical training, but an internship can also help develop associations in the local vet community and assist in the search for employment after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program?  Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college may be difficult without the help of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are considering. A low rate could mean that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the course of study or that a number of students were disappointed 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 may mean that the program has an outstanding reputation within the Palo Alto CA veterinary community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate could mean that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job placement program is ineffective at placing students.

How Large are the Classes?  If the classes are bigger, you may receive little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Palo Alto CA colleges you are considering what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You might also want to attend some classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and instructors. Ask for evaluations from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and determine what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Of course, we already covered 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 Palo Alto CA home, you have to make certain that the commuting time fits into 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. Also, if you do choose to enroll in a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition fees especially for state and community colleges. On the other hand, attending classes online could be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And last, it's essential that you determine if the veterinarian 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 in the evenings near Palo Alto CA. Others may only be able to attend class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are offered before enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make-up classes that you might miss as a result of illness, work or family issues. You might discover that an online program is the ideal way to fit your veterinary education into your hectic life.

Find Out More About Becoming a Veterinary Tech in Palo Alto

Chosse the Best Palo Alto Veterinary Technologist School

Choosing the right veterinary technician college is an important first step to starting a fulfilling career providing treatment and care for animals. Future students thinking about vet tech programs must make their selection based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They usually handle administrative responsibilities and support the veterinarian with the animals 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 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 narrow down your options so that you can make your final selection. And by selecting the right program, you can reach your goal of becoming a vet tech in Palo Alto California.

 

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