Vet Technician School
How to Choose the Best One Near Pomona California

Choosing a veterinary technician school near Pomona CA to fulfill your lifelong desire to work with and care for our pets may from the start seem like an enormous task. After all, you have to find and enroll in a school that will furnish the proper training to ensure that you can succeed as a vet tech. But just how do you go about evaluating and contrasting programs so that you can make the right selection? When looking for vet tech programs, many potential students start by zeroing in on the ones that are closest to their homes. Once they have located some nearby colleges, they find out which ones have the lowest tuition and focus on those. Although location and cost are significant factors when assessing vet tech programs, they are not the only important ones when making your evaluations. Job placement and intership programs as well as accreditation are just as important if not more so as location and cost. The main point is that prior to making a selection, you need to complete your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the programs you are assessing. We have presented several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we'll explore the different duties of veterinary technicians and the training options offered.

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

Vet Tech Training Options

One of the initial decisions that you will have to make is whether you wish to train as a vet assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your preference might be based on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your training, but the primary determiner will probably be which specialization interests you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they all work under the direct direction of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And while there are many duties that they can perform within the Pomona CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medications, diagnose health issues, or perform surgeries. In those areas they may only furnish support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the typical vet practice, such as for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let's take a look at the job functions and training prerequisites for each specialization.

• Vet Assistants in most cases will have gone through a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by graduating from a certificate program at a trade school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet technicians in the completion of their duties. Usually they are not associated with more involved tasks, such as assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their typical responsibilities may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or handling pets during exams.
• Vet Technicians receive more advanced training compared to assistants and normally obtain 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 fundamental job duty is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from veterinary assistants is that they are included in more complex tasks, for example assisting with surgical procedures or providing medication. All states currently require veterinary technicians pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to vet technicians and for the most part perform the same job functions. They are required to attain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally requires four years to complete. Therefore the main distinction 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 mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.

Veterinary technicians and technologists may 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  Pomona CA laboratories or research facilities as well.

Vet Tech Online Programs Offered

An option that might be a solution for those with a hectic lifestyle or who are working full time while going to veterinary school is to enroll in an online program. Since the classes are offered through the internet, students can study on their own timetable wherever a computer is available. The curriculum is taught using several methods, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since most veterinary tech and technologist degrees require clinical training, that part can usually be completed as an internship or work study program at a local Pomona CA veterinary practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in some instances reduce the cost of your education. Tuition and secondary costs, for instance for traveling and study materials, may be more affordable compared to more standard classroom programs. Just be sure that the program that you enroll in is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting agency. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything is provided for a complete education. So if you are dedicated enough to learn in this more independent mode, an online vet tech school may be the right option for you.

Questions to Ask Veterinary Technician Programs

At this point you should have decided on which veterinary degree that you wish to attain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Pomona CA area and across the United States, you must ask some important questions to help narrow down your list of alternatives. As we mentioned in our introduction, many potential students start by prioritizing location and the cost of tuition. But we have already mentioned other important qualifiers, which include accreditation and internship programs. And of course you want to choose a program that offers the degree and specialty that you would like to earn. These and other factors are addressed in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the vet tech programs that you are looking at.

Is the Veterinary School Accredited?  It's essential that you make sure that the vet tech program you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier mentioned, among the most highly regarded 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 obtain a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are applying for a student loan or financial assistance, since numerous programs are not offered for non-accredited colleges. Last, having a degree or certificate from an accredited college is in many cases a precondition for employment for many Pomona CA area vet practices and hospitals.

What is the School's Reputation?  The veterinarian college or vocational school and program you choose must have an exceptional reputation within the vet field. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the colleges you are interested in for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other pointers include looking on internet school ranking websites and contacting the school's accrediting agencies 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, contact some Pomona CA veterinarians that you might wish to work for after you go through your training. Find out what they think of your school choices. They may even recommend one or more colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The best way to obtain practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Find out if the programs you are looking at have internship programs arranged with Pomona CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and a large number provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial as far as the clinical training, but an internship may also help establish connections in the local vet community and assist in the search for employment after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program?  Searching for a job after graduating from a veterinary technician school 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 might mean that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the curriculum or that a number of students were disappointed with the program and quit. Next, check that the colleges have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate may signify that the college has an exceptional reputation within the Pomona CA veterinary community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may mean that the training is not well 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 most likely will get little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Pomona CA schools you are looking at what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You might also want to sit in on a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between instructors and students. Ask for feedback from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the instructors and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Of course, we already talked about location, but there are several more points to consider on the topic. If you are going to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Pomona CA home, you have to 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, especially if the campus is located close by or within a larger city. Also, if you do choose 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. Of course attending classes online might be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and minimize the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And last, it's essential that you ascertain if the veterinarian colleges you are considering 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 attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Pomona CA. Some may only be able to go to class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you need are offered prior to enrolling. Also, determine if you can make-up classes that you might miss as a result of sickness, work or family emergencies. You might discover that an online college is the best solution to fit your vet training into your active life.

Learn More About Becoming a Vet Technologist in Pomona

Chosse the Right Pomona Vet Technologist Program

Picking the appropriate veterinary technician program is a critical first step to starting a fulfilling career delivering care and treatment for pets and livestock. Future students looking into veterinary technician schools must make their determination based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They usually take on administrative tasks and assist the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have covered, 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 included in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to reduce your choices so that you can make your final choice. And by choosing the right program, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a vet tech in Pomona California.

 

Pomona Veterinary Technician Schools | Pomona Online Vet Tech Programs