Vet Technician College
How to Find the Best One Near Rancho Santa Margarita California

Finding a veterinary technician school near Rancho Santa Margarita CA to fulfill your passionate goal to work with and care for our pets may from the start feel like an enormous challenge. After all, you need to find and enroll in a school that will deliver the appropriate training so that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you tackle reviewing and contrasting programs so that you can make the proper selection? When checking out vet tech schools, the majority of students start by zeroing in on the ones that are nearest to their homes. After they have identified some local colleges, they ascertain which ones have the lowest tuition and hone in on those. Although expense and location are important factors when comparing vet technician programs, they are not the only important ones when making your evaluations. Qualifiers such as internship programs and accreditation should be considered also. The bottom line is that before making a selection, you need to finish your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the programs you are reviewing. We have presented several in 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 options available.

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 want to train as a vet assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your determination may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your training, but the principal determiner will most likely be which specialization interests you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they both work under the direct guidance of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And while there are many jobs that they can perform within the Rancho Santa Margarita CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe medicines, diagnose health issues, or carry out surgeries. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work exclusive of the standard veterinarian practice, such as 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 the majority of cases will have undergone a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by finishing a certificate program at a community college or vocational school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet technicians in the execution of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more involved tasks, for example assisting with surgeries. A few of their usual duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during examinations.
• Vet Technicians undergo more extensive training compared to assistants and normally earn a two year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the vet equivalent of medical nurses, since their basic job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from veterinary assistants is that they are engaged in more complicated functions, for instance assisting with surgical procedures or administering medication. All states presently mandate that veterinary technicians pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to vet techs and essentially carry out the same work functions. They are mandated to attain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which normally takes four years. 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 job options, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.

Veterinary techs and technologists can specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or urgent care. Some may acquire certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Rancho Santa Margarita CA laboratories or research facilities also.

What to Ask Veterinary Technician Programs

By now you should have selected which veterinary credential that you want to obtain, and if you intend to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinary community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the Rancho Santa Margarita CA area and across the United States, you need to ask some qualifying questions in order to fine tune your list of options. As we mentioned in our introduction, many prospective students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have already pointed out other essential qualifiers, for example internship programs and accreditation. And of course you want to choose a program that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. These and other qualifications are addressed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the vet tech schools that you are reviewing.

Is the Veterinary Program Accredited?  It's essential that you make sure that the vet tech school you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier stated, among the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through a demanding review process that ensures you will get 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. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is often a prerequisite for employment for a number of Rancho Santa Margarita CA area veterinarian practices and hospitals.

What is the School's Reputation?  The vet college or vocational school and program you choose should have an outstanding reputation within the vet community. You can begin your due diligence by asking the colleges you are looking at for endorsements from the employers in their job assistance 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 grievances or infractions concerning your targeted schools. As a final pointer, phone some Rancho Santa Margarita CA veterinary clinics that you may want to work for after you receive your training. Find out what they think about your school selections. They might even suggest one or more colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The most effective way to get practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a medical setting. Find out if the schools you are considering have internship programs arranged with Rancho Santa Margarita CA veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. Most veterinary medicine programs require practical training and many provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable as far as the practical training, but an internship may also help establish connections in the local veterinarian community and assist in the search for employment after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program?  Searching for a job after graduating from a vet tech school may be difficult without the help of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are considering. A low rate could mean that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the course of study or that some students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. Next, check that the colleges have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate may signify that the school has an exceptional reputation within the Rancho Santa Margarita CA veterinarian community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may indicate that the training is not well regarded by employers or that the job assistance program is ineffective at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are larger in size, you most likely will get little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Rancho Santa Margarita CA schools you are researching what their class teacher to student ratios are. You might also want to participate in a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and instructors. Ask for evaluations from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the instructors and determine what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Yes, we previously covered location, but there are several more points to make on the subject. If you are planning to commute to your vet tech classes from your Rancho Santa Margarita CA home, you must make sure 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, especially if the school is located close by or within a large city. Also, if you do opt to enroll in a college 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 attending classes online might be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and reduce the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And last, it's important that you find out if the vet schools you are looking at offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to fit your schedule. For example, a number of students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near Rancho Santa Margarita CA. Some may only be able to go to classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you require are available before enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make-up classes that you might miss because of sickness, work or family issues. You may discover that an online program is the best way to fit your vet education into your active life.

Learn More About How to Become a Vet Tech in Rancho Santa Margarita

Enroll in the Right Rancho Santa Margarita Veterinary Technologist College

Selecting the right veterinary technician school is a crucial first step to starting a rewarding career delivering treatment and care for pets and livestock. Future students thinking about veterinary technician colleges need to make their selection based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly take on administrative duties and assist the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have discussed, it's very important that you select a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This goes for vet tech online programs as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make your final decision. And by picking the right program, you can reach your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Rancho Santa Margarita California.

 

Rancho Santa Margarita Vet Tech Colleges | Rancho Santa Margarita Veterinary Technician Schools