Vet Technician Degree
How to Choose the Best One Near Redwood City California

Finding a veterinary technician school near Redwood City CA to fulfill your passionate goal to work with and provide medical treatment for our pets may initially feel like an enormous task. After all, you have to locate and enroll in a college that will furnish the necessary training to ensure that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you approach assessing and comparing schools so that you can make the proper selection? Many potential students launch their due diligence process by searching for colleges that are close to their homes. After they have located some local schools, they find out which ones have the most affordable tuition and focus on those. Although location and cost are important concerns when assessing vet tech programs, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your assessments. Qualifications such as internship programs and accreditation should be considered also. The point is that there are questions you ought to be asking the veterinary technician programs you are reviewing before you make an ultimate selection. We have provided several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll talk about the different responsibilities of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives offered.

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

Vet Technician Training Options

One of the first decisions that you will need to make is if you want to train as a vet assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your decision may be based on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the main factor will undoubtedly be which specialty interests you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they both work under the direct supervision of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are many functions that they can perform within the Redwood City CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medications, diagnose ailments, or conduct surgeries. In those areas they may only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work outside of the conventional veterinarian practice, such as for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let's take a look at the responsibilities and training requirements for each specialization.

• Vet Assistants in most cases will have gone through a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a practice, or by graduating from 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 performance of their duties. Normally they are not associated with more complicated activities, for example assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their typical functions may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during exams.
• Vet Technicians go through more extensive training in contrast to assistants and usually 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 function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from vet assistants is that they are included in more complicated functions, for instance assisting with surgeries or providing medication. All states presently mandate that vet technicians pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
• 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 generally takes four years. So the main difference between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist's more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job opportunities, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.

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

Things to Ask Vet Tech Schools

By now you probably have determined which veterinarian degree that you would like to obtain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinarian community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Redwood City CA area as well as across the USA, you need to ask some qualifying questions in order to fine tune your list of alternatives. As we mentioned in our opening, many future students start by concentrating on location and the cost of tuition. But we have already pointed out other important qualifiers, for example internship programs and accreditation. And obviously you want to choose a program that offers the specialty and degree that you would like to earn. These and other qualifications are addressed in the list of questions that you need to ask the vet tech schools that you are considering.

Is the Veterinary Program Accredited?  It's important that you verify that the vet tech program you enroll in 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 gone through a rigorous screening process that verifies you will get a quality 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 schools. Last, having a degree or certificate from an accredited program is often a precondition for employment for a number of Redwood City CA area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The veterinarian college or trade school and program you select must have an excellent reputation within the veterinarian community. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the colleges you are reviewing for references from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions 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 complaints or violations relating to your specific schools. As a final pointer, call some Redwood City CA veterinarians that you may want to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think of your school choices. They may even suggest some colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The most effective means to obtain practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Ask if the schools you are looking at have internship programs set up with Redwood City CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and a large number provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable regarding the clinical training, but an internship can also help develop connections in the local veterinarian community and help in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Placement Offered?  Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician school can be challenging without the help of a job placement program. First, find out what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are considering. A lower rate could mean that the teachers were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that some students were disappointed with the program and quit. Next, confirm that the schools have a job assistance program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might mean that the program has an outstanding reputation within the Redwood City CA vet community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate could indicate that the training is not well regarded by employers or that the job assistance program is ineffective at placing students.

How Large are the Classes?  If the classes are bigger, you most likely will receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Request from the Redwood City CA programs you are researching what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You may also decide to participate in a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between teachers and students. Get evaluations from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and determine what their backgrounds are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the School Located?  Of course, we previously covered location, but there are a few more points to make on the topic. If you are going to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Redwood City CA home, you have to make certain that the commuting time is compatible with your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to check out the route won't be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, particularly if the campus is located close by or within a large city. In addition, if you do opt to attend a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition costs especially for community and state colleges. Of course taking classes online may be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and minimize the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And last, it's imperative that you ascertain if the veterinary colleges you are considering offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near Redwood City CA. Some might only be able to attend class in the morning or in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you need are available prior to enrolling. Also, find out if you can make-up classes that you may miss because of work, sickness or family responsibilities. You may find that an online program is the best way to fit your vet training into your hectic life.

Learn More About Becoming a Veterinary Technologist in Redwood City

Enroll in the Best Redwood City Vet Technologist School

Picking the appropriate veterinary technician school is an important first step to beginning a gratifying career delivering care and treatment for animals. Future students considering veterinary technician schools need to make their selection based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They typically take on administrative tasks and support the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have covered, it's very important that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This applies to vet tech online schools as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make your final choice. And by choosing the ideal program, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Redwood City California.

 

Redwood City Vet Tech Colleges | Redwood City Veterinary Technician Schools