Veterinary Technician Degree
How to Select the Right One Near San Bruno California

Achieving your lifelong goal of working with and caring for animals by enrolling in a veterinary technician college near San Bruno CA might at first seem like a challenging task. After all, you need to find and enroll in a program that will furnish the necessary training to ensure that you can succeed as a vet tech. And in order to pick the best one you must evaluate and compare each of the schools you have placed on your short list. Many aspiring students begin their due diligence process by searching for schools that are near their homes. When they have found some local schools, they determine which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although location and expense are significant considerations when comparing vet technician programs, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your evaluations. Qualifications such as accreditation and internship programs should be considered as well. The main idea is that there are questions you should be asking the vet tech programs you are considering before you make a final selection. We have presented several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we'll talk about the varied 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 first decisions that you will have to make is if you wish to train as a veterinary 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 education, but the main determiner will undoubtedly be which specialty interests you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they all work under the direct supervision of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And while there are a number of duties that they can perform within the San Bruno CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medicines, diagnose ailments, or conduct surgical procedures. In those areas they may only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the conventional veterinarian practice, for example for animal shelters, zoos or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the duties and training prerequisites for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in almost all instances will have completed a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a practice, or by completing a certificate program at a vocational school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet technicians in the performance of their duties. Normally they are not associated with more involved activities, for example assisting with surgeries. Some of their normal duties may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during examinations.
• Vet Technicians undergo more advanced training compared with assistants and usually obtain a 2 year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinary equivalent of medical nurses, since their fundamental job function is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from vet assistants is that they are involved in more complex duties, for instance assisting with surgical procedures or administering medication. All states presently require vet techs pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to vet technicians and basically carry out the same work functions. They are mandated to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which normally takes four years. Therefore the only real distinction between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist's more advanced 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 examination for either certification, registration or licensing.

Vet technicians and technologists may specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or emergency care. A number may acquire certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  San Bruno CA labs or research facilities also.

What to Ask Veterinary Technician Programs

By now you should have determined which veterinary credential that you would like to obtain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are a large number of vet community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the San Bruno CA area as well as across the Country, you should ask some relevant questions to help narrow down your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our introduction, many future students start by concentrating on location and the cost of tuition. But we have already mentioned other essential qualifiers, such as internship programs and accreditation. And of course you want to select a program that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. These and other factors are addressed in the list of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician colleges that you are reviewing.

Is the Vet School Accredited?  It's important that you verify that the veterinary technician school you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As earlier mentioned, one of the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone an extensive review process that verifies you will obtain a superior education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are requesting a student loan or financial assistance, since numerous programs are not available for non-accredited colleges. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited school is frequently a precondition for employment for a number of San Bruno CA area vet practices and hospitals.

What is the School's Reputation?  The vet trade school or college and program you enroll in should have an outstanding reputation within the veterinary field. You can initiate 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 internet school rating websites and contacting the school's accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the California school licensing authority if there have been any grievances or violations relating to your specific schools. As a final suggestion, call some San Bruno CA veterinary clinics that you may want to work for after you go through your training. Find out what they think about your school selections. They might even suggest some programs not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The best approach to get practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Find out if the colleges you are considering have internship programs set up with San Bruno CA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and a large number furnish it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial as far as the clinical training, but an internship may also help develop connections in the local veterinarian community and help in the search for a job after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided?  Getting a job after graduating from a vet tech college can be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are reviewing. A low rate could indicate that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the course of study 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 may indicate that the college has an outstanding reputation within the San Bruno CA vet community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A low rate could indicate that the training is not highly thought of by employers or that the job placement program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are larger in size, you most likely will receive little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the San Bruno CA schools you are researching what their class teacher to student ratios are. You may also want to participate in a couple of classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between teachers and students. Ask for evaluations from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the teachers and find out what their qualifications are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the College Located?  Okay, we previously discussed location, but there are a couple of more points to make on the subject. If you are going to commute to your vet tech classes from your San Bruno CA home, you must confirm that the commuting time is compatible with your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won't be the same as the commute during rush hour traffic, especially if the college is located in or close by a larger city. In addition, if you do decide to enroll in a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition fees particularly for community and state colleges. Of course taking online classes could be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and minimize the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And last, it's essential that you determine if the vet schools you are evaluating offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to fit your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue to work full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near San Bruno CA. Some might only be able to attend classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you require are offered before enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make-up classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family issues. You may find that an online program is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary training into your busy life.

Learn More About Becoming a Vet Technician in San Bruno

Enroll in the Right San Bruno Veterinary Technologist College

Picking the appropriate veterinary technician program is a crucial first step to starting a gratifying career providing care and treatment for pets and livestock. Potential students considering vet tech schools must make their determination 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 animal patients as needed. As we have covered, it's very important that you select a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This applies to online vet tech schools as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to reduce your choices so that you can make your final choice. And by selecting the right college, you can reach your goal of becoming a vet tech in San Bruno California.

 

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