Veterinary Technician Training
How to Find the Right One Near Santa Clarita California

Realizing your long term aspiration of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician program near Santa Clarita CA might at first feel like a challenging task. After all, you must find and enroll in a school that will provide the appropriate training to ensure that you can succeed as a vet tech. But just how do you tackle analyzing and comparing colleges so that you can make the right choice? When looking for vet tech schools, the majority of students start by zeroing in on those that are closest to their homes. After they have found some area schools, they ascertain which ones have the cheapest tuition and focus on those. Although location and cost are significant concerns when comparing veterinary technician schools, they are not the only important ones when making your comparisons. Internship and job placement programs as well as accreditation are equally important if not more so as location and cost. The main point is that before making a selection, you must complete your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the schools you are examining. We have provided several in this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll go over the different roles of vet techs and the training options offered.

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 need to make is if you plan to train as a veterinary technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your determination might be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your training, but the primary factor will probably be which specialization interests you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they all work under the direct guidance of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And even though there are a number of tasks that they can carry out within the Santa Clarita 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 vet. There are technicians and technologists that work exclusive of the standard vet practice, for instance for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let's take a look at the job functions and education requirements for each specialization.

• Vet Assistants in the majority of instances will have completed a structured training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a vet clinic or hospital, or by finishing 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 performance of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more involved activities, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their typical responsibilities may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or handling animals during exams.
• Vet Technicians get more advanced training compared to assistants and typically obtain a two year Associate Degree, preferably 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 veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from vet assistants is that they are involved in more complicated functions, for instance assisting with surgical procedures or providing medicine. All states presently mandate that vet techs pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to vet techs and essentially perform the same work functions. They are required to attain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally takes four years to complete. So 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 options, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.

Veterinary techs and technologists can specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or urgent care. A number may acquire certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Santa Clarita CA laboratories or research facilities as well.

Veterinary Technician Online Programs Offered

An option that may make sense for those with a hectic lifestyle or who are working full time while going to vet school is to enroll in an online program. Since the classes are made available over the internet, students can attend on their own schedule wherever a computer is accessible. The curriculum is taught using various methods, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since most vet technician and technologist degrees require clinical training, that portion can normally be completed as an internship or work study program at a local Santa Clarita CA veterinarian clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in some instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and secondary expenses, for example for travel and study supplies, can be cheaper compared to more conventional classroom courses. Just confirm that the online school that you select is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting organization. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything is included for a comprehensive education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more independent manner, an online veterinary technician program may be the ideal choice for you.

What to Ask Veterinary Technician Programs

At this point you should have determined which veterinary degree that you would like to attain, and if you want to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are a large number of vet community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Santa Clarita CA area as well as across the United States, you must ask some important questions to help fine tune your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our introduction, many potential students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have previously mentioned other significant qualifiers, which include accreditation and internship programs. And naturally you need to enroll in a school that offers the specialty and degree that you would like to earn. These and other factors are reviewed in the list of questions that you should ask the vet tech schools 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, 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 screening process that confirms you will get a quality education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are applying for a student loan or financial assistance, since a large number of programs are not obtainable for non-accredited schools. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited school is in many cases a requirement for employment for many Santa Clarita CA area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The vet college or trade school and program you select must have an exceptional reputation within the veterinarian field. You can begin your due diligence by asking the schools you are interested in for endorsements from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include looking on online school rating websites and checking with 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 recommendation, get in touch with some Santa Clarita CA vet clinics that you might want to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think of your school choices. They may even suggest one or more colleges not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The most effective way to obtain clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a medical setting. Find out if the schools you are looking at have internship programs arranged with Santa Clarita CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or practices. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and a large number provide it through internships. Not only will the experience be valuable relative to the practical training, but an internship can also help build connections in the local veterinary community and help in the search for employment after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Provided?  Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician school may be challenging without the help of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are reviewing. A low rate might signify that the instructors 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 placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might indicate that the program has an excellent reputation within the Santa Clarita CA veterinarian community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A low rate could signify that the training is not highly thought of 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 may get little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Santa Clarita CA programs you are researching what their class teacher to student ratios are. You might also want to attend some classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between teachers and students. Get evaluations from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and determine what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Okay, we previously covered location, but there are a few more points to consider on the topic. If you are going to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Santa Clarita CA home, you need 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 commute during rush hour traffic, particularly if the campus is located in or near a large city. Also, if you do opt to attend a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition charges especially for state and community colleges. Of course attending online classes might be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and minimize the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And last, it's imperative that you find out if the veterinary colleges you are considering offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For instance, a number of 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 go to classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you require are available before enrolling. Also, find out if you can make up classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family emergencies. You may find that an online school is the ideal way to fit your veterinary education into your active life.

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

Enroll in the Right Santa Clarita Vet Technologist School

Enrolling in the appropriate vet tech college is a crucial first step to starting a fulfilling career providing treatment and care for animals. Future students looking into vet tech schools need to make their decision based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They typically handle administrative tasks and assist the veterinarian with the animals as 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 goes for online vet tech programs as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to reduce your options so that you can make your final decision. And by selecting the best program, you can achieve your goal of becoming a vet tech in Santa Clarita California.

 

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