Veterinary Technician Program
How to Enroll In the Best One Near San Fernando California

Choosing a veterinary technician school near San Fernando CA to achieve your lifelong desire to help and care for animals might from the start feel like an enormous task. But to be successful as a working veterinary technician, you must first locate and finally enroll in a school that will provide the necessary training and education. But just how do you tackle reviewing and comparing schools so that you can make the best selection? Many future students launch their due diligence process by searching for colleges that are near their residences. Once they have found some nearby colleges, they find out which ones have the lowest tuition and hone in on those. Although expense and location are important factors when assessing veterinary technician schools, they are not the only critical ones when making your comparisons. Internship and job placement programs as well as accreditation are just as important if not more so as location and cost. The bottom line is that prior to making a selection, you must carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are reviewing. We have presented several within this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll discuss the various roles of vet techs and the training options available.

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

Vet Tech Degree Options

One of the initial decisions that you will need to make is whether you wish to train as a veterinary assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your decision might be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your education, but the main determiner will undoubtedly be which specialization appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they all work under the immediate direction of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And while there are a number of duties that they can perform within the San Fernando CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medicines, diagnose ailments, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work outside of the typical vet practice, for example for animal shelters, zoos or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the job functions and training prerequisites for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in the majority of instances will have completed a structured 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 techs in the completion of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more involved undertakings, for example assisting with surgeries. Some of their regular functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or handling animals during examinations.
• Vet Technicians receive more advanced training in contrast to assistants and typically acquire a two year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinary counterparts of medical nurses, since their fundamental job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from veterinary assistants is that they are involved in more complicated activities, for example assisting with surgical procedures or providing medicine. All states presently mandate that vet techs pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary technicians and essentially perform the same job functions. They are mandated to attain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally requires four years to complete. So the only real difference between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist's more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more work opportunities, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.

Veterinary techs and technologists may specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or urgent care. Many may earn certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  San Fernando CA labs or research facilities also.

Things to Ask Veterinary Technician Programs

At this point you probably have selected which veterinary credential that you would like 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 technical schools in the San Fernando CA area as well as across the Country, you need to ask some important questions to help narrow down your list of alternatives. As we mentioned in our opening, many future students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have previously pointed out other essential qualifiers, such as accreditation and internship programs. And obviously you want to enroll in a program that offers the degree and specialty that you are interested in. These and other factors are addressed in the list of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician schools that you are looking at.

Is the Vet School Accredited?  It's important that you confirm that the veterinary technician college you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier stated, one of 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 thorough review process that verifies you will receive a superior 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 programs. Last, having a degree or certificate from an accredited program is frequently a precondition for employment for many San Fernando CA area vet practices and hospitals.

What is the College's Reputation?  The vet college or vocational school and program you select should have an excellent reputation within the vet community. You can begin your due diligence by asking the schools you are reviewing for references from the employers in their job assistance network. Other pointers include checking with online school rating websites and speaking with the school's accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the California school licensing authority if there have been any grievances or infractions involving your specific schools. As a final tip, contact some San Fernando CA veterinary clinics that you may want to work for after you receive your training. Find out what they think about your school choices. They may even suggest some programs not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The best way to obtain practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a professional setting. Find out if the programs you are considering have internship programs arranged with San Fernando CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or practices. Most veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and a large number provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable as far as the clinical training, but an internship can also help establish associations in the local vet community and assist in the search for a position after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program?  Finding a job after graduating from a vet tech college can be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are considering. A lower rate might indicate that the instructors were unqualified to teach the course of study or that a number of students were unhappy with the program and quit. Next, verify that the schools have a job assistance program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate may indicate that the school has an outstanding reputation within the San Fernando CA veterinarian community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate might signify that the training is not well regarded by employers or that the job placement program is ineffective at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are larger in size, you probably will receive little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Find out from the San Fernando CA colleges you are researching what their class student to teacher ratios are. You might also decide to attend a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and instructors. Get feedback from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and determine what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the College Located?  Okay, we previously covered location, but there are a couple of more points to make on the subject. If you are going to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your San Fernando CA home, you must confirm that the commuting time fits into 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 campus is located close by or within a large city. In addition, if you do decide to enroll in a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition fees especially for community and state colleges. On the other hand, attending classes online might be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and decrease the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And last, it's important that you ascertain if the veterinarian programs you are considering offer class times flexible enough to fit your schedule. For example, many students continue to work full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near San Fernando CA. Some may only be able to go to classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Make certain that the class times you need are available prior to enrolling. Also, find out if you can make up classes that you might miss due to sickness, work or family responsibilities. You may discover that an online program is the ideal solution to fit your vet education into your busy life.

Learn More About How to Become a Veterinary Technician in San Fernando

Enroll in the Best San Fernando Veterinary Technologist College

Choosing the appropriate vet tech school is a critical first step to starting a rewarding career delivering care and treatment for animals. Students looking into vet tech programs need to make their selection based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They usually handle administrative responsibilities and support the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have covered, it's essential that you decide on a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the field. This applies to online vet tech schools as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to narrow down your options so that you can make your final decision. And by selecting the ideal program, you can achieve your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in San Fernando California.

 

San Fernando Online Vet Tech Schools | San Fernando Vet Tech Schools