Vet Technician College
How to Choose the Best One Near San Jose California

Choosing a veterinary technician school near San Jose CA to fulfill your lifelong desire to work with and care for our pets might from the start seem like an enormous task. But to be successful as a practicing veterinary technician, you need to first search for and ultimately enroll in a program that will provide the required training and education. But just how do you tackle reviewing and comparing programs so that you can make the right choice? Many potential students start their due diligence process by searching for colleges that are close to their residences. Once they have located some area colleges, they find out which ones have the cheapest tuition and focus on those. Although cost and location are important considerations when assessing veterinary technician schools, they are not the only critical ones when making your assessments. Job placement and intership programs as well as accreditation are just as important if not more so as location and cost. The main point is that before making a selection, you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the programs you are reviewing. We have furnished several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll discuss the varied roles of vet techs and the training alternatives offered.

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Vet Tech Education Options

One of the first decisions that you will need to make is if you desire to train as a vet assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your preference may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your education, but the principal determiner will undoubtedly be which specialty appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they both work under the immediate direction of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are a number of duties that they can carry out within the San Jose CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medications, diagnose conditions, or conduct surgical procedures. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work exclusive of the standard veterinarian practice, such as for animal shelters, zoos or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the job functions and training prerequisites for each position.

• Vet Assistants in most instances will have gone through a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a practice, or by completing 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. Generally they are not involved with more complex activities, for example assisting with surgeries. Some of their regular responsibilities may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during exams.
• Vet Technicians undergo 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 veterinarian counterparts of medical nurses, since their general job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from veterinary assistants is that they are involved in more complex tasks, such as assisting with surgical procedures or administering medication. All states presently mandate that veterinary techs pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary technicians and for the most part carry out the same job functions. They are required to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which normally requires 4 years. So 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 career options, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.

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

Online Vet Tech Programs Available

An alternative that may be a solution for those with a hectic lifestyle or who are working full time while attending vet school is to enroll in an online program. Since the classes are provided over the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is accessible. The curriculum is taught using multiple venues, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since most vet technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that segment can typically be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local San Jose CA veterinarian practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in many instances decrease the cost of your education. Tuition and secondary costs, such as for travel and study supplies, can be more affordable compared to more traditional classroom programs. Just be sure that the program that you enroll in is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting organization. With the online classes and the practical training, everything is included for a complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more independent mode, an online vet tech school may be the perfect option for you.

Questions to Ask Vet Tech Schools

By now you probably have decided on which veterinary credential that you wish to obtain, and if you intend 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 Jose CA area as well as across the United States, you must ask some qualifying questions in order to narrow down your list of options. As we pointed out in our introduction, many future students start by concentrating on location and the cost of tuition. But we have previously pointed out other significant qualifiers, such as accreditation and internship programs. And of course you want to select a college that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other qualifications are reviewed in the list of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician programs that you are considering.

Is the Vet School Accredited?  It's essential that you make sure that the veterinary technician college you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously discussed, 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 thorough review process that verifies you will receive a quality education. Also, accreditation is important if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not available for non-accredited schools. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited school is in many cases a requirement for employment for a number of San Jose CA area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The veterinary trade school or college and program you choose should have an outstanding reputation within the veterinary community. You can start your due diligence by asking the colleges you are reviewing for references from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include checking with online school rating websites and contacting the school's accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the California school licensing department if there have been any grievances or violations concerning your specific schools. As a final recommendation, get in touch with some San Jose CA vet clinics that you may wish to work for after you receive your training. Ask what they think about your school selections. They may even suggest some programs not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The most effective means to get practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Ask if the programs you are looking at have internship programs established with San Jose CA veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and many furnish it through internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable regarding the clinical training, but an internship may also help develop associations in the local veterinarian community and assist in the search for a position after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program?  Searching for a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college can be difficult without the help of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are reviewing. A low rate may mean that the instructors were unqualified to teach the curriculum or that some students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. Next, verify that the colleges have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might signify that the college has an outstanding reputation within the San Jose CA vet community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may indicate that the training is not highly regarded 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 may receive little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Find out from the San Jose CA programs you are researching what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You might also decide to sit in on some classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between teachers and students. Get feedback from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and determine what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Yes, we already covered location, but there are several more points to make on the subject. If you are planning to commute to your vet tech classes from your San Jose CA home, you must make certain that the commuting time fits into 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 decide to enroll in a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition fees especially for state and community colleges. On the other hand, taking online classes could be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And finally, it's important that you find out if the veterinary programs you are evaluating 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 San Jose CA. Some might only be able to attend class in the morning or in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are offered before enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make up classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family issues. You may discover that an online college is the ideal way to fit your vet training into your hectic life.

Find Out More About Becoming a Veterinary Tech in San Jose

Chosse the Right San Jose Veterinary Technologist School

Enrolling in the ideal veterinary technician college is a critical first step to beginning a gratifying career delivering treatment and care for animals. Students considering vet tech programs must make their selection based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They commonly take on administrative responsibilities and assist the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have discussed, it's very important 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 schools as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to reduce your alternatives so that you can make your final decision. And by choosing the right program, you can reach your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in San Jose California.

 

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