Vet Technician School
How to Select the Best One Near Santa Clara California

Fulfilling your lifelong aspiration of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician college near Santa Clara CA may initially feel like an overwhelming task. After all, you need to find and enroll in a college that will furnish the appropriate training to ensure that you can succeed as a vet tech. But just how do you tackle assessing and contrasting colleges so that you can make the best choice? Many potential students launch their due diligence process by searching for colleges that are near their homes. After they have located some local colleges, they ascertain which ones have the lowest tuition and focus on those. Although cost and location are important factors when assessing vet tech programs, they are not the only important ones when making your comparisons. Job placement and intership programs as well as accreditation are just as important if not more so as cost and location. The main point is that prior to making a selection, you must finish your due diligence and compare all important qualifications of the schools you are reviewing. We have presented several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we'll talk about the various responsibilities of vet techs and the training alternatives offered.

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

Vet Technician Education Options

Among the first decisions that you will have to make is whether you want to train as a veterinary assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your preference may be based on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your education, but the main factor will most likely be which specialization appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they all work under the direct direction of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And although there are numerous tasks that they can carry out within the Santa Clara CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe medicines, diagnose conditions, or carry out surgeries. In those areas they may only provide assistance to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work away from the conventional vet practice, for instance for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let's take a look at the responsibilities and education prerequisites for each position.

• Vet Assistants in most instances will have completed a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by completing a certificate program at a community college or trade school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet technicians in the performance of their duties. Usually they are not associated with more complex activities, for example assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their normal duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or handling pets during exams.
• Vet Technicians receive more advanced training in contrast to assistants and generally earn a 2 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 function is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from vet assistants is that they are engaged in more complicated functions, such as assisting with surgeries or administering medicine. All states currently require veterinary techs pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to vet techs and for the most part carry out the same work functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally requires four years. Therefore 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 career options, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.

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

What to Ask Veterinary Technician Programs

By now you should have selected which veterinarian degree that you want to obtain, and if you intend to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Santa Clara CA area as well as across the USA, you should ask some qualifying questions to help narrow down your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our opening, many prospective students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have previously touched on other essential qualifiers, such as accreditation and internship programs. And of course you want to choose a college that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other qualifications are covered in the list of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician programs that you are looking at.

Is the Vet Program Accredited?  It's essential that you make sure that the veterinary technician school you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As earlier stated, among the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a rigorous screening process that ensures you will obtain a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since many programs are not obtainable for non-accredited schools. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited school is frequently a requirement for employment for a number of Santa Clara CA area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The veterinary college or vocational school and program you select must have an excellent reputation within the vet community. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the schools you are looking at for endorsements from the employers in their job placement network. Other pointers include checking with online school rating websites and contacting the school's accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the California school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or infractions regarding your specific schools. As a final pointer, get in touch with some Santa Clara CA veterinarians that you may wish to work for after you receive your training. Ask what they think about your school choices. They may even recommend 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 medical setting. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have internship programs arranged with Santa Clara CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or practices. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and many provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable as far as the clinical training, but an internship may also help establish associations in the local vet community and help in the search for employment after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided?  Finding a job after graduating from a vet tech school can be difficult without the help of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the schools you are reviewing. A low rate may indicate that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the curriculum or that a number of 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 school has an outstanding reputation within the Santa Clara CA veterinarian community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A low rate could signify that the training is not well regarded by employers or that the job assistance program is ineffective at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are larger, you probably will get little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Santa Clara CA colleges you are looking at what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You might also decide to attend some classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between students and teachers. Ask for feedback from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the teachers and find out what their qualifications are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the School Located?  Yes, we previously talked about location, but there are a few more points to make on the subject. If you are planning to commute to your vet tech classes from your Santa Clara CA home, you need to make sure that the driving time fits into your schedule. For instance, 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 near or in 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 community and state colleges. On the other hand, taking online classes may be an option that will give you more flexibility and decrease the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And last, it's imperative that you find out if the veterinarian programs you are evaluating offer class times flexible enough to fit your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Santa Clara CA. Some might only be able to attend classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you require are available prior to enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make-up classes that you might miss because of sickness, work or family issues. You might discover that an online school is the best way to fit your veterinary training into your hectic life.

Find Out More About How to Become a Vet Technologist in Santa Clara

Chosse the Right Santa Clara Vet Technologist Program

Picking the appropriate veterinary technician program is an important first step to beginning a fulfilling career delivering treatment and care for pets and livestock. Students considering veterinary technician colleges must make their selection based on multiple key factors. 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 when needed. As we have covered, it's imperative that you select a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This applies to vet tech online colleges as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to reduce your alternatives so that you can make your final selection. And by choosing the ideal college, you can reach your goal of becoming a vet tech in Santa Clara California.

 

Santa Clara Vet Tech Colleges | Santa Clara Veterinary Technician Schools