Vet Technician School
How to Enroll In the Best One Near San Rafael California

Finding a veterinary technician school near San Rafael CA to fulfill your passionate desire to work with and care for our pets may from the start feel like an enormous challenge. But in order to succeed as a working 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 evaluating and contrasting programs so that you can make the right selection? When looking for vet tech schools, many potential students begin by targeting the ones that are nearest to their homes. After they have identified some local colleges, they find out which ones have the cheapest tuition and hone in on those. Although expense and location are important factors when evaluating vet technician schools, they are by no means the only significant 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 main point is that prior to making a selection, you need to finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the programs you are reviewing. We have provided several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll discuss the different roles of veterinary technicians and the training options offered.

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

Vet Technician Training Options

Among the initial decisions that you will have to make is if you desire to train as a veterinary assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your determination might be based on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the primary factor will most likely be which specialty appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they all work under the direct supervision of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And even though there are many jobs that they can perform within the San Rafael CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medications, diagnose conditions, or conduct surgical procedures. In those areas they can only furnish support to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work away from the standard vet practice, such as for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let's take a look at the responsibilities and training prerequisites for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in almost all cases will have completed a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by graduating from a certificate program at a community college or trade school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet technicians in the performance of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more complicated tasks, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their usual functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or handling pets during exams.
• Vet Technicians go through more advanced training compared with assistants and typically earn a 2 year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense 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 vet assistants is that they are included in more involved tasks, such as assisting with surgical procedures or administering medicine. All states currently mandate that veterinary techs pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary techs and basically perform the same work functions. They are required to attain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which normally takes 4 years to complete. Therefore the only real distinction between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist's higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job opportunities, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

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

Things to Ask Veterinary Technician Schools

At this point you should have determined which veterinarian degree that you would like to attain, and if you intend to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinarian community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the San Rafael CA area and across the United States, you must ask some relevant questions to help fine tune your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our introduction, many future students start by focusing on location and the cost of tuition. But we have previously pointed out other significant qualifiers, for example internship programs and accreditation. And of course you need to enroll in a school that offers the specialty and degree that you would like to earn. These and other qualifications are covered in the checklist of questions that you should ask the vet tech programs that you are looking at.

Is the Veterinary School Accredited?  It's imperative that you confirm that the vet tech program you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously discussed, among the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through a rigorous screening process that ensures you will get a quality education. Also, accreditation is important if you are requesting a student loan or financial assistance, since a large number of programs are not available for non-accredited schools. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is in many cases a requirement for employment for a number of San Rafael CA area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The vet trade school or college and program you choose must have an exceptional reputation within the veterinary community. You can start your due diligence by asking the schools you are interested in for endorsements from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include checking with internet school ranking 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 infractions concerning your specific schools. As a final suggestion, get in touch with some San Rafael CA vet clinics that you might wish to work for after you go through your training. Find out what they think about your school choices. They may even suggest some colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The most effective way to obtain practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a professional setting. Ask if the programs you are looking at have internship programs arranged with San Rafael CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and many provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable regarding the clinical training, but an internship can also help develop relationships in the local vet community and assist in the search for employment after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Offered?  Finding a job after graduating from a vet tech program can be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. First, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are reviewing. A low rate may suggest that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the curriculum or that some students were dissatisfied 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 could indicate that the program has an exceptional reputation within the San Rafael CA vet community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A low rate could mean that the training is not highly thought of by employers or that the job assistance program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are bigger, you most likely will get little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the San Rafael CA programs you are looking at what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You may also decide to sit in on some classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between teachers and students. Get evaluations from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the instructors and find out what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the School Located?  Of course, we previously talked about location, but there are a few more points to make on the topic. If you are going to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your San Rafael CA home, you need to 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 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 higher tuition costs especially for community and state colleges. On the other hand, taking classes online may be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And last, it's imperative that you ascertain if the vet programs you are considering offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to fit your schedule. For instance, many students continue to work full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near San Rafael CA. Some might only be able to go to classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you need are available before enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make-up classes that you might miss as a result of sickness, work or family responsibilities. You may discover that an online college is the ideal way to fit your vet training into your active life.

Learn More About How to Become a Veterinary Tech in San Rafael

Chosse the Best San Rafael Vet Technologist School

Enrolling in the appropriate vet tech school is a critical first step to beginning a fulfilling career delivering care and treatment for pets and livestock. Potential students looking into veterinary technician schools need to make their selection based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They typically handle administrative duties and assist the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have covered, it's very important that you pick a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the field. This applies to online vet tech programs as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to reduce your choices so that you can make your final choice. And by picking the ideal school, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a vet tech in San Rafael California.

 

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