Veterinary Technician Degree Program
How to Select the Right One Near Santa Cruz California

Fulfilling your lifelong goal of working with and helping animals by enrolling in a vet tech school near Santa Cruz CA might initially feel like a challenging task. 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. And so that you pick the best one you must evaluate and compare each of the schools you have placed on your short list. Many potential students begin their due diligence process by looking for colleges that are near their homes. When they have located some local colleges, they determine which ones have the cheapest tuition and focus on those. Although location and expense are important factors when evaluating vet technician schools, they are not the only significant ones when making your comparisons. Qualifications such as accreditation and internship programs need to be evaluated also. The main point is that prior to making a selection, you need to finish your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the programs you are assessing. We have presented several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll go over the various duties 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 first decisions that you will need to make is if you desire to train as a veterinary technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your preference might be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your training, but the principal determiner will undoubtedly be which specialty appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they each work under the direct direction of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are many jobs that they can carry out within the Santa Cruz CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe medicines, diagnose ailments, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they can only furnish assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the conventional vet practice, such as for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the job functions and training prerequisites for each position.

• Vet Assistants in most instances will have gone through a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a vet clinic or hospital, or by finishing a certificate program at a community college or trade school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet techs in the performance of their duties. Generally they are not associated with more complicated activities, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their usual functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or handling pets during examinations.
• Vet Technicians go through more extensive training in contrast to assistants and normally obtain a two 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 duty is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from veterinary assistants is that they are engaged in more involved duties, such as assisting with surgeries or administering medicine. All states presently mandate that vet technicians pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary techs and essentially perform the same work functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which typically takes 4 years to complete. Therefore the only real difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist's more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job options, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are also required to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

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

Things to Ask Veterinary Technician Colleges

By now you probably have decided on which veterinary credential that you wish to obtain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Santa Cruz CA area as well as across the USA, you need to ask some relevant questions in order to narrow down your list of options. As we pointed out in our opening, many potential students start by prioritizing location and the cost of tuition. But we have previously touched on other important qualifiers, which include accreditation and internship programs. And of course you need to choose a college that offers the specialty and degree that you want to earn. These and other factors are addressed in the list of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician colleges that you are looking at.

Is the Vet College Accredited?  It's imperative that you confirm that the veterinary technician college you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As earlier mentioned, one of 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 demanding screening process that verifies you will receive a superior education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, 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 Cruz CA area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the College's Reputation?  The veterinarian college or trade school and program you enroll in must have an outstanding reputation within the vet field. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the colleges you are reviewing for references from the employers in their job assistance network. Other pointers include checking with online school ranking websites and speaking with the school's accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the California school licensing authority if there have been any grievances or violations concerning your specific schools. As a final recommendation, call some Santa Cruz CA veterinary clinics that you may want to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think of your school choices. They may even suggest some programs not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The most effective means to get clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a medical setting. Find out if the programs you are reviewing have internship programs set up with Santa Cruz CA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and many provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial as far as the clinical training, but an internship can also help develop associations in the local vet community and help in the search for employment after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program?  Getting a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college may be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are reviewing. A lower rate may mean that the instructors were unqualified to teach the curriculum or that some students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. Next, check that the colleges have a job assistance program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate could indicate that the program has an excellent reputation within the Santa Cruz CA veterinary community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate could mean that the training is not well regarded by employers or that the job assistance program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are larger sized, you probably will receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Santa Cruz CA schools you are looking at what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You might also decide to participate in a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and teachers. Get feedback from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Okay, we already talked about location, but there are a few more points to consider on the topic. If you are going to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Santa Cruz CA home, you must make sure that the commuting time fits into 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 close by a large 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 fees especially for state and community colleges. On the other hand, taking online classes may be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and reduce the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And finally, it's important that you ascertain if the veterinary programs you are exploring 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 at night near Santa Cruz CA. Others may only be able to attend classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are offered before enrolling. Also, find out if you can make up classes that you might miss as a result of work, illness or family issues. You may find that an online school is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary training into your active life.

Find Out More About Becoming a Veterinary Tech in Santa Cruz

Enroll in the Best Santa Cruz Veterinary Technologist Program

Picking the right vet tech school is an important first step to starting a gratifying career delivering treatment and care for animals. Potential students thinking about veterinary technician schools must make their determination based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly take on administrative tasks and assist the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have covered, it's very important that you enroll in a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This goes for vet tech online schools 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 decision. And by choosing the ideal program, you can achieve your goal of becoming a vet tech in Santa Cruz California.

 

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