Veterinary Technician School
How to Find the Right One Near Pleasant Hill California

Choosing a veterinary technician school near Pleasant Hill CA to achieve your passionate goal to work with and provide medical treatment for our pets may initially feel like an enormous task. After all, you need to find and enroll in a program that will provide the necessary training to ensure that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you tackle analyzing and comparing schools so that you can make the best selection? Many future students launch their due diligence process by looking for colleges that are close to their residences. Once they have found some local schools, they ascertain which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although expense and location are significant factors when evaluating veterinary technician programs, they are by no means the only significant ones when making your assessments. Job placement and intership programs as well as accreditation are equally important if not more so as cost and location. The point is that there are questions you need to be asking the vet tech schools you are reviewing before you make a final choice. We have provided several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we'll talk about the different roles of vet techs and the training alternatives available.

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

Vet Technician Degree Options

One of the initial decisions that you will need to make is if you plan to train as a veterinary assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your preference might be based on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your education, but the main factor will most likely be which specialization appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they each work under the immediate guidance of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And while there are numerous duties that they can perform within the Pleasant Hill CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe medicines, diagnose health issues, or conduct surgeries. In those areas they may only provide support 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 prerequisites for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in almost all cases will have completed a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice 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 execution of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more complex tasks, such as assisting with surgeries. A few of their regular functions may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or handling animals during exams.
• Vet Technicians get more extensive training in contrast to assistants and typically earn a 2 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 general job duty is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from vet assistants is that they are included in more complicated duties, such as assisting with surgical procedures or administering medication. All states presently mandate that veterinary techs pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary technicians and basically carry out the same job functions. They are required to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which usually requires four years. Therefore the main 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 possible management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.

Vet techs and technologists can specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or urgent care. Some may obtain certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Pleasant Hill CA labs or research facilities also.

What to Ask Vet Tech Programs

By now you should have decided on which veterinary credential that you would like to attain, and if you intend to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are a large number of vet community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the Pleasant Hill CA area as well as across the USA, you should ask some qualifying questions to help narrow down your list of alternatives. As we mentioned in our opening, many prospective students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have previously mentioned other essential qualifiers, for example internship programs and accreditation. And of course you need to enroll in a program that offers the specialty and degree that you want to earn. These and other factors are reviewed in the list of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician programs that you are considering.

Is the Veterinary College Accredited?  It's important that you make sure that the vet tech program you choose 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 undergone a thorough screening process that confirms you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are applying for a student loan or financial assistance, since numerous programs are not available for non-accredited colleges. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is often a prerequisite for employment for a number of Pleasant Hill CA area veterinary practices and hospitals.

What is the College's Reputation?  The veterinarian vocational school or college and program you select should have an exceptional reputation within the vet community. You can start your due diligence by asking the colleges you are looking at for references from the employers in their job assistance network. Other pointers include looking on online school ranking 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 relating to your targeted schools. As a final tip, call some Pleasant Hill CA veterinarians that you might want to work for after you receive your training. Ask what they think of your school choices. They might even recommend one or more colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The best way to get practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have internship programs established with Pleasant Hill CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or practices. Most veterinary medicine programs require practical training and a large number provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable regarding the clinical training, but an internship may also help establish relationships in the local veterinary community and help in the search for a job after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program?  Getting a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college may be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, ask what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are considering. A lower rate could indicate that the instructors were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that a number of students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. Next, confirm that the schools have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate could indicate that the college has an exceptional reputation within the Pleasant Hill CA veterinarian community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A low rate might indicate that the training is not well regarded by employers or that the job placement program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are larger sized, you most likely will get little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Pleasant Hill CA programs you are considering what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You may also want to sit in on some classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between students and teachers. Get evaluations from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the teachers and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Okay, we already covered location, but there are several more points to consider on the topic. If you are going to drive to your vet tech classes from your Pleasant Hill CA home, you must confirm that the commuting time is compatible with your schedule. For example, 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 near or in a larger city. Also, if you do opt to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition charges especially for state and community colleges. Of course taking classes online could be an option that will give you more flexibility and decrease the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And finally, it's imperative that you determine if the vet colleges you are exploring offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to fit your schedule. For example, many students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near Pleasant Hill CA. Some may only be able to go to class in the morning or in the afternoon. Make certain that the class times you need are offered prior to enrolling. Also, find out if you can make-up classes that you might miss because of illness, work or family issues. You might discover that an online school is the best solution to fit your vet education into your busy life.

Find Out More About How to Become a Veterinary Technologist in Pleasant Hill

Enroll in the Best Pleasant Hill Vet Technologist Program

Enrolling in the right vet tech college is a critical first step to starting a gratifying career providing treatment and care for animals. Students considering veterinary technician schools must make their decision based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They typically handle administrative tasks and support the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have discussed, it's imperative that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the field. This applies to vet tech online colleges as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to narrow down your options so that you can make your final choice. And by picking the ideal college, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Pleasant Hill California.

 

Pleasant Hill Vet Tech Colleges | Pleasant Hill Veterinary Technician Schools