Vet Technician College
How to Choose the Right One Near Riverside California

Choosing a veterinary technician school near Riverside CA to achieve your passionate goal to help and provide medical treatment for animals might from the start feel like an overwhelming challenge. After all, you need to search for and enroll in a college that will deliver the proper training to ensure that you can be successful as a veterinary technician. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing schools so that you can make the proper choice? Many future students start their due diligence process by looking for campuses that are close to their homes. When they have located some area colleges, they find out which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although location and expense are significant factors when evaluating vet technician schools, they are by no means the only important ones when making your evaluations. Internship and job placement programs in addition to accreditation are equally important if not more so as location and cost. The point is that there are questions you need to be asking the veterinary technician programs you are considering before you make a final selection. We have presented several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll talk about the different duties of vet techs and the training options offered.

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

Vet Tech Education Options

Among the initial decisions that you will have to make is if you want to train as a vet technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your determination might be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the principal determiner will most likely be which specialization interests you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they all work under the immediate supervision of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And even though there are numerous jobs that they can perform within the Riverside CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe medications, diagnose conditions, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they can only furnish assistance to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work exclusive of the typical vet practice, for example 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 instances will have gone through a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a vet clinic or hospital, or by finishing a certificate program at a community college or trade school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet techs in the execution of their duties. Usually they are not associated with more involved undertakings, such as assisting with surgeries. A few of their normal responsibilities may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or handling animals during examinations.
• Vet Technicians receive more extensive training compared to assistants and generally obtain a 2 year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the vet equivalent of medical nurses, since their fundamental job duty is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from vet assistants is that they are included in more complex functions, for instance assisting with surgeries or providing medication. All states presently mandate that veterinary techs pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary techs and essentially perform the same job functions. They are mandated to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which usually requires four years. Therefore the only real difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist's higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job opportunities, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are also required to pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.

Vet technicians and technologists can specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or urgent care. A number may acquire certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Riverside CA laboratories or research facilities as well.

Online Veterinary Technician Schools Offered

An approach that may be a solution for those with a busy schedule or who are working full-time while attending veterinary school is to enroll in an online training program. Because the classes are offered via the internet, students can attend on their own schedule wherever a computer is accessible. The course of study is taught using multiple methods, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since many vet tech and technologist degrees require clinical training, that part can normally be fulfilled as an internship or work study program at a local Riverside CA veterinarian practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in some instances reduce the cost of your education. Tuition and ancillary costs, for instance for commuting and study materials, can be more affordable compared to more traditional classroom courses. Just make sure that the online school that you enroll in is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting agency. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything is included for a comprehensive education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more self-reliant fashion, an online vet tech school may be the perfect choice for you.

What to Ask Vet Tech Schools

At this point you should have determined which veterinarian degree that you wish to obtain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinarian community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Riverside CA area and across the Country, you must ask some qualifying questions to help fine tune your list of alternatives. As we mentioned in our opening, many potential students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have already touched on other important qualifiers, for instance 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 addressed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the vet tech programs that you are considering.

Is the Veterinary School Accredited?  It's essential that you confirm that the veterinary technician college you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As earlier discussed, among the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through a thorough review process that confirms you will obtain a superior education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since a large number of programs are not offered for non-accredited programs. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is frequently a requirement for employment for a number of Riverside CA area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the School's Reputation?  The veterinary vocational school or college and program you enroll in must have an outstanding reputation within the vet field. You can begin your due diligence by asking the colleges you are reviewing for references 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 violations involving your specific schools. As a final pointer, get in touch with some Riverside CA veterinary clinics that you might want to work for after you go through your training. Find out what they think about your school choices. They may even recommend some colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The most effective approach to obtain clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Find out if the schools you are considering have internship programs established with Riverside CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require practical training and many furnish it through internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable regarding the clinical training, but an internship may also help build associations in the local veterinary community and aid in the search for employment after graduation.

Is Job Placement Offered?  Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician school may be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, find out what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are evaluating. A lower rate may mean that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the syllabus or that a number of students were disappointed with the program and quit. Next, verify that the colleges have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate may signify that the program has an excellent reputation within the Riverside CA veterinary community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A low rate could signify 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 larger sized, you most likely will receive little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Riverside CA colleges you are researching 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 instructors and students. Ask for evaluations from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and find out what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Okay, we already talked about location, but there are a few more points to consider on the topic. If you are going to drive to your vet tech classes from your Riverside CA home, you need to make certain that the driving 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 school is located near or in a larger city. In addition, if you do opt to enroll in a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition costs particularly for community and state colleges. Of course attending online classes might be an option that will give you more flexibility and minimize the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And finally, it's essential that you determine if the vet programs you are exploring offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For instance, many students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Riverside CA. Some might only be able to attend class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Make certain that the class times you require are available prior to enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make up classes that you might miss due to work, illness or family emergencies. You might discover that an online college is the best way to fit your vet training into your active life.

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

Enroll in the Best Riverside Vet Technologist College

Selecting the right veterinary technician program is an important first step to starting a rewarding career providing care and treatment for animals. Future students considering veterinary technician colleges must make their decision based on several key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They typically handle administrative tasks and support the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have discussed, it's essential that you enroll in a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This goes for online vet tech colleges as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to narrow down your alternatives so that you can make your final selection. And by picking the right program, you can achieve your goal of becoming a vet tech in Riverside California.

 

Riverside Vet Tech Schools | Riverside Vet Tech Schools Online