Veterinary Technician Degree
How to Select the Best One Near San Leandro California

Choosing a veterinary technician school near San Leandro CA to achieve your passionate goal to help and care for our pets might from the start seem like an overwhelming challenge. After all, you need to search for and enroll in a school that will deliver the appropriate training so that you can succeed as a vet tech. But just how do you tackle evaluating and comparing colleges so that you can make the best selection? When checking out vet tech programs, many potential students begin by zeroing in on the ones that are nearest to their homes. Once they have found some area colleges, they find out which ones have the cheapest tuition and focus on those. Although location and cost are significant concerns when comparing vet tech schools, they are by no means the only critical 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 should be asking the vet technician schools you are looking at before you make an ultimate decision. We have furnished several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we'll discuss the various duties of veterinary technicians and the training options available.

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 whether you plan to train as a veterinary assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your preference may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your education, but the principal determiner will undoubtedly be which specialization interests you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they each work under the direct direction of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And although there are numerous duties that they can perform within the San Leandro CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medicines, diagnose ailments, or conduct surgeries. In those areas they may only furnish assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work outside of the typical vet practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let's take a look at the responsibilities and education requirements for each position.

• Vet Assistants in the majority of cases will have undergone a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by graduating from a certificate program at a trade school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet techs in the completion of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more involved tasks, for example assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their usual functions may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or handling animals during exams.
• Vet Technicians get more extensive training compared to assistants and normally obtain a two year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the veterinary equivalent of medical nurses, since their basic job function is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from vet assistants is that they are included in more complex activities, such as assisting with surgical procedures or providing medication. All states currently require vet techs pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to vet techs and basically perform the same work functions. They are required to attain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which normally requires four years. So 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, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are also required to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

Veterinary technicians and technologists may specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or urgent care. Many may receive certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  San Leandro CA laboratories or research facilities as well.

Questions to Ask Vet Tech Colleges

At this point you probably have decided on which veterinarian credential that you would like to obtain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinarian community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the San Leandro CA area and across the Country, you must ask some important questions to help fine tune your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our introduction, many future students start by prioritizing location and tuition expense. But we have previously touched on other significant qualifiers, for instance accreditation and internship programs. And of course you want to enroll in a school that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other qualifications are covered in the checklist of questions that you should ask the vet tech colleges that you are reviewing.

Is the Vet College Accredited?  It's important that you confirm that the vet tech program you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As earlier discussed, one of the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through an extensive review process that confirms you will receive a quality education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are requesting a student loan or financial assistance, since a large number of programs are not obtainable for non-accredited programs. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited school is frequently a prerequisite for employment for a number of San Leandro CA area veterinary practices and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The veterinary college or trade school and program you select must have an outstanding reputation within the vet community. You can begin your due diligence by asking the colleges you are reviewing for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other pointers include checking with online school ranking websites and speaking with the school's accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the California school licensing department if there have been any grievances or violations relating to your specific schools. As a final recommendation, get in touch with some San Leandro CA veterinary clinics that you may wish to work for after you go through your training. Find out what they think about your school choices. They might even suggest some schools not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The most effective approach to get practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a professional environment. Find out if the schools you are looking at have internship programs arranged with San Leandro CA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Most veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and many furnish it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial relative to the clinical training, but an internship can also help develop associations in the local vet community and assist in the search for employment after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Offered?  Searching for a job after graduating from a vet tech school may be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are evaluating. A lower rate could indicate that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the course of study or that a number of students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. Next, check that the colleges have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate may indicate that the college has an excellent reputation within the San Leandro CA veterinarian community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may mean that the training is not highly thought of by employers or that the job assistance program is a failure at placing students.

How Large are the Classes?  If the classes are larger sized, you most likely will get little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the San Leandro CA programs you are researching what their class teacher to student ratios are. You may also want to sit in on a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between instructors and students. Ask for feedback from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the College Located?  Of course, we already covered location, but there are several more points to consider on the subject. If you are planning to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your San Leandro CA home, you must make sure 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 school is located in or close by a large city. Also, 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 charges especially for state and community colleges. On the other hand, attending classes online could be an option that will give you more flexibility and minimize the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And finally, it's imperative that you determine if the veterinary colleges you are considering offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For example, a number of students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near San Leandro CA. Others might only be able to go to classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you require are offered before enrolling. Also, find out if you can make-up classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family emergencies. You may find that an online college is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary education into your active life.

Learn More About Becoming a Vet Technician in San Leandro

Chosse the Best San Leandro Veterinary Technologist School

Enrolling in the ideal vet tech program is a crucial first step to starting a gratifying career delivering treatment and care for animals. Potential students looking into veterinary technician colleges need to make their selection based on a number of key issues. 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 very important that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This goes for vet tech online schools as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to narrow down your options so that you can make your final decision. And by choosing the right college, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a vet tech in San Leandro California.

 

San Leandro Vet Tech Colleges | San Leandro Veterinary Technician Schools