Veterinary Technician Program
How to Choose the Right One Near Santa Clarita California

Choosing a veterinary technician school near Santa Clarita CA to achieve your passionate goal to help and provide medical treatment for our pets might initially seem like an overwhelming challenge. But in order to succeed as a practicing veterinary technician, you must first search for and finally enroll in a school that will provide the required education and training. And so that you pick the best one you must research and compare each of the schools you have placed on your short list. When looking for vet tech programs, the majority of students start by zeroing in on those that are nearest to their homes. Once they have located some local schools, they ascertain which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although location and expense are important concerns when evaluating vet tech schools, they are by no means the only important ones when making your assessments. Qualifiers such as accreditation and internship programs need to be considered also. The main idea is that there are questions you should be asking the veterinary technician programs you are evaluating before you make a final decision. We have provided several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll discuss the various roles of vet techs and the training alternatives available.

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

Vet Technician Training Options

One of the initial decisions that you will have to make is whether you desire to train as a vet assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your decision may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your training, but the main factor will probably be which specialization appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they both work under the direct supervision of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And although there are many functions that they can perform within the Santa Clarita CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe drugs, diagnose ailments, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they can only provide assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work away from the conventional vet practice, such as for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let's take a look at the job functions and education prerequisites for each specialization.

• Vet Assistants in the majority of cases will have undergone a structured training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a practice, or by completing a certificate program at a vocational school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet technicians in the execution of their duties. Generally they are not associated with more complex undertakings, such as assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their regular functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during examinations.
• Vet Technicians receive more extensive training compared with assistants and generally earn a two year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the vet counterparts of medical nurses, since their general job function is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from veterinary assistants is that they are involved in more complicated duties, for example assisting with surgeries or administering medicine. All states currently require veterinary technicians pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary technicians and basically carry out the same job functions. They are required to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally takes 4 years to complete. So the main difference 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 required to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

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

Questions to Ask Vet Tech Programs

By now you should have selected which veterinary degree that you want to obtain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinarian community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Santa Clarita CA area and across the USA, you should ask some qualifying questions to help fine tune your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our introduction, many prospective students start by prioritizing location and tuition expense. But we have previously mentioned other essential qualifiers, for example internship programs and accreditation. And of course you need to choose a college that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. These and other qualifications are covered in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the vet tech programs that you are looking at.

Is the Veterinary School Accredited?  It's essential that you verify that the veterinary technician school you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As previously stated, among the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through a demanding review process that verifies you will obtain a quality education. Also, accreditation is important if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since many programs are not offered for non-accredited schools. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited program is in many cases a requirement for employment for a number of Santa Clarita CA area veterinary practices and hospitals.

What is the School's Reputation?  The veterinary college or vocational school and program you choose must have an outstanding reputation within the veterinarian community. You can start your due diligence by asking the schools you are looking at for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other tips include checking with internet school ranking websites and checking with the school's accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the California school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or infractions involving your specific schools. As a final pointer, call some Santa Clarita CA veterinary clinics that you may wish to work for after you receive your training. Find out what they think of your school choices. They might even recommend some schools not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The best way to get clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Find out if the schools you are looking at have internship programs set up with Santa Clarita CA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Most veterinary medicine programs require practical training and many provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable relative to the clinical training, but an internship may also help establish relationships in the local veterinary community and assist in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided?  Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college can be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, ask what the graduation rates are for the schools you are reviewing. A lower rate may signify that the instructors were unqualified to teach the course of study or that a number of students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. Next, confirm that the colleges have a job assistance program and find out what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate could mean that the school has an exceptional reputation within the Santa Clarita CA veterinarian community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may indicate 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 probably will receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Santa Clarita CA programs you are researching what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You might also want to participate in a few classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between students and teachers. Get feedback from students concerning 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 several more points to consider on the subject. If you are going to commute to your vet tech classes from your Santa Clarita CA home, you have to make sure that the commuting time fits into your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to check out the route won't be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, especially if the school is located in or close by a large city. Also, if you do choose 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 attending online classes might be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and decrease the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And finally, it's important that you determine if the veterinarian schools you are considering offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For instance, many students continue to work full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near Santa Clarita CA. Others might only be able to attend class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you need are available prior to enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make-up classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family responsibilities. You may find that an online college is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary education into your active life.

Learn More About How to Become a Veterinary Tech in Santa Clarita

Chosse the Best Santa Clarita Vet Technologist College

Enrolling in the ideal veterinary technician college is a critical first step to starting a fulfilling career providing care and treatment for pets and livestock. Future students considering vet tech colleges must make their decision based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work 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 applies to online vet tech schools as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make your final choice. And by picking the right college, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a vet tech in Santa Clarita California.

 

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