Vet Technician Degree Program
How to Choose the Right One Near Redding California

Realizing your long term dream of working with and caring for pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician college near Redding CA might initially feel like a challenging undertaking. But to be successful as a working veterinary technician, you must first search for and ultimately enroll in a program that will provide the necessary training and education. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you can make the right selection? When checking out vet tech schools, many potential students start by targeting the ones that are nearest to their homes. Once they have found some nearby colleges, they find out which ones have the most affordable tuition and focus on those. Although cost and location are important concerns when evaluating vet technician programs, they are by no means the only significant ones when making your comparisons. Qualifications such as internship programs and accreditation need to be considered as well. The main idea is that there are questions you should be asking the vet technician schools you are reviewing before you make a final decision. We have provided several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll go over the various duties of veterinary technicians and the training options offered.

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Vet Technician Degree Options

One of the first decisions that you will need to make is if you wish to train as a vet assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your preference may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your education, but the primary determiner will undoubtedly be which specialization appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they both work under the immediate supervision of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And even though there are numerous duties that they can carry out within the Redding CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe medicines, diagnose health issues, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they can only furnish assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the typical vet practice, such as for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let's take a look at the duties and education requirements 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 trade school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet technicians in the execution of their duties. Generally they are not associated with more complicated tasks, such as assisting with surgeries. Some of their typical responsibilities may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or handling animals during examinations.
• Vet Technicians get more advanced training compared with assistants and generally obtain a 2 year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the vet counterparts of medical nurses, since their basic job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from veterinary assistants is that they are involved in more complicated functions, such as assisting with surgical procedures or providing medication. All states currently require veterinary techs pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.
• Vet Technologists are similar to vet technicians and basically carry out the same work functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which typically requires four years. So the only real distinction between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist's higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more work opportunities, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

Vet techs and technologists may specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or urgent care. Some may receive certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Redding CA laboratories or research facilities as well.

What 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 college on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinarian community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the Redding CA area as well as across the Country, you need to ask some qualifying questions to help narrow down your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our opening, many potential students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have already pointed out other significant qualifiers, which include accreditation and internship programs. And obviously you need to select a college that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. 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 imperative that you verify that the vet tech school you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier mentioned, among the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a thorough review process that ensures you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are applying for a student loan or financial assistance, since numerous programs are not available for non-accredited programs. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited school is frequently a prerequisite for employment for many Redding CA area veterinary practices and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The veterinary trade school or college and program you enroll in must have an outstanding reputation within the veterinarian community. You can begin your due diligence by asking the schools you are interested in for references from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include looking on internet 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 violations involving your targeted schools. As a final suggestion, contact some Redding CA veterinary clinics that you may want to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think of your school selections. They might even suggest some colleges not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The best means to obtain practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a medical setting. Ask if the schools you are looking at have internship programs set up with Redding CA veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and a large number furnish it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial as far as the practical training, but an internship may also help develop associations in the local vet community and assist in the search for a job after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program?  Searching for a job after graduating from a vet tech college may be challenging without the help of a job placement program. To start with, ask what the graduation rates are for the schools you are evaluating. A lower rate could indicate that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the syllabus or that a number of students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. Next, verify that the schools have a job assistance program and find out what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate could mean that the college has an exceptional reputation within the Redding CA vet community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may indicate that the training is not well thought of by employers or that the job assistance program is ineffective at placing students.

How Large are the Classes?  If the classes are larger sized, you probably will receive little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Redding CA schools you are considering what their class student to teacher ratios are. You might also decide to attend some classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between teachers and students. Ask for evaluations from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the College Located?  Yes, we already discussed location, but there are a few more points to make on the subject. If you are planning to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Redding CA home, you need to make sure 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 commute during rush hour traffic, especially if the college is located near or in a large city. Also, if you do choose to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition charges especially for community and state colleges. On the other hand, taking classes online may be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and decrease the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And finally, it's imperative that you find out if the vet programs you are exploring offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to fit your schedule. For instance, many students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near Redding CA. Others may only be able to go to class in the morning or in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you require are available prior to enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make up classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family issues. You may discover that an online college is the best way to fit your vet training into your hectic life.

Find Out More About How to Become a Vet Technologist in Redding

Chosse the Best Redding Veterinary Technologist Program

Enrolling in the ideal veterinary technician program is a critical first step to beginning a fulfilling career delivering care and treatment for animals. Future students looking into veterinary technician colleges need to make their selection based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly take on administrative tasks and assist the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have covered, it's essential that you select a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This goes for vet tech online schools as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to reduce your choices so that you can make your final selection. And by picking the best school, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a vet tech in Redding California.

 

Redding Vet Tech Colleges | Redding Veterinary Technician Schools