Veterinary Technician College
How to Find the Right One Near San Luis Obispo California

Achieving your lifelong dream of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician school near San Luis Obispo CA could at first feel like a challenging endeavor. After all, you must locate and enroll in a college that will provide the appropriate training to ensure that you can succeed as a vet tech. But just how do you approach analyzing and comparing schools so that you can make the correct selection? Many aspiring students launch their due diligence process by looking for schools that are close to their homes. After they have located some local schools, they find out which ones have the lowest tuition and hone in on those. Although cost and location are significant factors when evaluating vet tech programs, they are by no means 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 bottom line is that prior to making a selection, you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are reviewing. We have presented several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll talk about the various duties of vet techs and the training alternatives offered.

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

Vet Technician Degree Options

Among the first decisions that you will have to make is if you wish to train as a vet assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your preference may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the main determiner will probably be which specialty interests you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they both work under the direct guidance of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are numerous duties that they can carry out within the San Luis Obispo CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe medicines, diagnose ailments, or conduct surgeries. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work exclusive of the standard vet practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let's take a look at the responsibilities and training requirements for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in most instances will have completed a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a vet clinic or hospital, or by completing 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 performance of their duties. Generally they are not involved with more complicated activities, for instance assisting with surgeries. Some of their regular responsibilities may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or handling animals during exams.
• Vet Technicians go through more advanced training in contrast to assistants and normally acquire a two year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the veterinarian equivalent of medical nurses, since their general job duty is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from veterinary assistants is that they are included in more complex tasks, such as assisting with surgical procedures or administering medicine. All states currently mandate that vet technicians pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary techs and for the most part perform the same job functions. They are mandated to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which usually takes 4 years to complete. So the main 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 exam for either registration, certification or licensing.

Vet techs and technologists can specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or emergency care. Some may obtain certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  San Luis Obispo CA laboratories or research facilities also.

Online Vet Tech Schools Available

An approach that may be a solution for those with a hectic schedule or who are working full time while going to veterinarian school is to enroll in an online program. Because the classes are provided through the internet, students can attend on their own timetable wherever a computer is accessible. The curriculum is taught using several venues, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since most vet technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that segment can usually be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local San Luis Obispo CA veterinarian clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in some instances reduce the cost of your education. Tuition and supplementary expenses, for example for traveling and study materials, may be more affordable compared to more traditional classroom courses. Just be sure that the program that you select is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting agency. With the online classes and the practical training, everything is included for a comprehensive education. So if you are dedicated enough to learn in this more independent mode, an online veterinary technician program may be the perfect option for you.

Questions to Ask Vet Tech Schools

At this point you should have decided on which veterinary credential that you would like to attain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinary community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the San Luis Obispo CA area as well as across the Country, you need to ask some qualifying questions to help narrow down your list of options. As we discussed in our opening, many future students start by concentrating on location and the cost of tuition. But we have already touched on other important qualifiers, for example internship programs and accreditation. And naturally you need 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 need to ask the veterinary technician colleges that you are looking at.

Is the Vet Program Accredited?  It's imperative that you confirm that the vet tech college you select 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 an extensive review process that verifies you will receive a quality education. Also, accreditation is essential 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 degree or certificate from an accredited college is in many cases a precondition for employment for many San Luis Obispo CA area veterinarian practices and hospitals.

What is the College's Reputation?  The veterinary vocational school or college and program you choose should have an excellent reputation within the vet field. You can start your due diligence by asking the schools you are interested in for endorsements from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include checking with online school ranking websites and contacting the school's accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the California school licensing department if there have been any grievances or infractions regarding your targeted schools. As a final pointer, phone some San Luis Obispo CA veterinary clinics that you might want to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think about your school selections. They might even suggest some colleges not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The best approach to obtain practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Find out if the programs you are looking at have internship programs established with San Luis Obispo CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or practices. Most veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and many furnish it through internships. Not only will the experience be valuable as far as the clinical training, but an internship may also help build connections in the local vet community and aid in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Placement Offered?  Finding a job after graduating from a vet tech school may be challenging without the help of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the programs you are reviewing. A low rate may suggest that the teachers were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that a number of students were unhappy with the program and quit. Next, verify that the schools have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate may signify that the school has an outstanding reputation within the San Luis Obispo CA vet community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A low rate could indicate that the training is not highly 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 get little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Find out from the San Luis Obispo CA programs you are considering what their class teacher to student ratios are. You may also want to participate in a few classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between students and instructors. Ask for evaluations from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the School Located?  Of course, we previously covered location, but there are several more points to consider on the subject. If you are going to drive to your vet tech classes from your San Luis Obispo CA home, you must make sure that the driving 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, particularly if the campus is located in or near a larger city. In addition, if you do opt to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition costs especially for state and community colleges. Of course attending classes online could be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And last, it's important that you determine if the vet colleges you are looking at offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For example, many students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near San Luis Obispo CA. Others might only be able to go to classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Confirm 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 work, sickness or family emergencies. You may find that an online college is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary training into your busy life.

Learn More About Becoming a Veterinary Tech in San Luis Obispo

Enroll in the Best San Luis Obispo Vet Technologist Program

Picking the ideal vet tech program is a critical first step to starting a rewarding career delivering treatment and care for pets and livestock. Students thinking about veterinary technician colleges must make their decision based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They typically take on administrative duties and support the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have discussed, it's very important that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This goes for vet tech online colleges as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to narrow down your options so that you can make your final decision. And by choosing the best college, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in San Luis Obispo California.

 

San Luis Obispo Vet Tech Schools | San Luis Obispo Vet Tech Schools Online