Veterinary Technician Degree
How to Find the Best One Near Santa Clara California

Fulfilling your lifelong goal of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a vet tech program near Santa Clara CA could initially seem like a challenging undertaking. After all, you have to search for and enroll in a college that will provide the necessary training to ensure that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. But just how do you tackle evaluating and contrasting colleges so that you can make the right choice? When checking out vet tech programs, many potential students begin by zeroing in on those that are nearest to their homes. When they have found some nearby colleges, they determine which ones have the lowest tuition and focus on those. Although expense and location are significant considerations when comparing veterinary technician programs, they are by no means the only significant ones when making your assessments. Internship and job placement programs in addition to accreditation are just as important if not more so as location and cost. The bottom line is that before making a selection, you must complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent qualifications of the schools you are assessing. We have provided several within this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll explore the varied responsibilities of veterinary technicians and the training options available.

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

Vet Tech Education Options

One of the initial decisions that you will need to make is if you want to train as a vet technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your decision may be based on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your education, but the main factor will probably be which specialization interests you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they each work under the immediate supervision of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And although there are a number of duties that they can perform within the Santa Clara CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medicines, diagnose health issues, or carry out surgeries. In those areas they may only provide assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work outside of the standard veterinarian practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the duties and education requirements for each position.

• Vet Assistants in most instances will have completed a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by finishing a certificate program at a community college or vocational school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet technicians in the performance of their duties. Generally they are not associated with more involved activities, for example assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their usual functions may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during examinations.
• Vet Technicians undergo more advanced training in contrast to assistants and generally acquire a 2 year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the vet counterparts 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 involved in more complicated activities, for instance assisting with surgeries or providing medication. All states currently require veterinary techs pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.
• Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary technicians and essentially carry out the same job functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally requires 4 years. Therefore the main 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, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

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

Questions to Ask Vet Tech Programs

By now you should have selected which veterinarian credential that you want to obtain, and if you intend to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of vet community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Santa Clara CA area and across the Country, you need to ask some qualifying questions to help narrow down your list of options. As we pointed out in our opening, many future students start by focusing on location and the cost of tuition. But we have already touched on other important qualifiers, for instance accreditation and internship programs. And of course you need to enroll in a school that offers the degree and specialty that you would like to earn. These and other factors are reviewed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the vet tech colleges that you are considering.

Is the Veterinary School Accredited?  It's important that you verify that the vet tech school you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier mentioned, 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 superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since many programs are not available for non-accredited colleges. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited college is often a precondition for employment for a number of Santa Clara CA area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the College's Reputation?  The vet vocational school or college and program you choose must have an exceptional reputation within the veterinary community. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the colleges you are reviewing for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other tips include looking on internet 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 targeted schools. As a final recommendation, get in touch with some Santa Clara CA veterinary clinics that you might want to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think about your school choices. They may even recommend one or more colleges not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The most effective way to get clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a clinical setting. Ask if the programs you are reviewing have internship programs established with Santa Clara CA veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and many provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable as far as the clinical training, but an internship may also help build associations in the local veterinarian community and aid in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Offered?  Searching for a job after graduating from a veterinary technician program can be challenging without the help of a job placement program. To begin with, find out what the graduation rates are for the programs you are evaluating. A low rate may signify that the instructors were unqualified to teach the curriculum 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 signify that the program has an exceptional reputation within the Santa Clara CA veterinary community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate might signify that the training is not well regarded by employers or that the job placement program is ineffective at placing students.

How Large are the Classes?  If the classes are larger in size, you probably will get little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Santa Clara CA schools you are researching what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You might also decide to participate in some classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between teachers and students. Get feedback from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the teachers and determine what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the College Located?  Okay, we already discussed location, but there are several more points to make on the subject. If you are going to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Santa Clara CA home, you need to confirm that the commuting time is compatible with your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won't be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, especially if the school is located in or near a larger city. In addition, if you do opt to enroll in a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition costs particularly for community and state colleges. Of course taking classes online may be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and minimize the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And last, it's imperative that you determine if the veterinary programs you are evaluating offer class times flexible enough to fit your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue to work full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Santa Clara CA. Others might only be able to go to classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Make certain that the class times you require are available before enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make-up classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies. You might find that an online program is the best way to fit your veterinary education into your busy life.

Find Out More About How to Become a Veterinary Tech in Santa Clara

Enroll in the Right Santa Clara Vet Technologist School

Enrolling in the ideal veterinary technician program is a crucial first step to beginning a fulfilling career providing treatment and care for pets and livestock. Future students looking into veterinary technician programs need to make their determination based on several key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly handle administrative duties and assist the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have discussed, it's imperative that you enroll in a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This goes for online vet tech colleges as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to narrow down your alternatives so that you can make your final choice. And by selecting the best college, you can achieve your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Santa Clara California.

 

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