Vet Technician College
How to Enroll In the Right One Near Santa Monica California

Choosing a veterinary technician school near Santa Monica CA to achieve your heartfelt goal to work with and provide medical treatment for our pets might from the start feel like an enormous task. After all, you need to find and enroll in a school that will deliver the necessary training so that you can succeed as a vet tech. And so that you pick the best one you must research and compare all of the schools you have placed on your short list. Many future students start their due diligence process by searching for campuses that are close to their residences. When they have located some local colleges, they determine which ones have the cheapest tuition and hone in on those. Although location and cost are significant considerations when evaluating vet tech programs, they are not the only significant 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 need to complete your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the programs you are evaluating. We have furnished several within this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll go over the different responsibilities of vet techs and the training options available.

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

Vet Technician Degree Options

Among the first decisions that you will need to make is whether you desire to train as a vet assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your preference may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the primary determiner will undoubtedly be which specialization interests you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they both work under the direct guidance of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And although there are a number of duties that they can perform within the Santa Monica CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe drugs, diagnose health issues, or carry out surgeries. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work exclusive of the standard vet practice, for example for animal shelters, zoos or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the job functions and training prerequisites for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in most cases will have completed a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a vet clinic or hospital, or by graduating from 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. Normally they are not associated with more complicated activities, for instance assisting with surgeries. A few of their normal responsibilities may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during examinations.
• Vet Technicians receive more advanced training compared with 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 fundamental job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from vet assistants is that they are engaged in more involved tasks, for example assisting with surgeries or providing medicine. All states currently mandate that veterinary technicians pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary techs and essentially carry out the same job functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally takes 4 years. Therefore the only real distinction between a vet technologist and a technician 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 certification, registration or licensing.

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

Questions to Ask Veterinary Technician Programs

At this point you should have decided on which veterinarian degree that you wish to earn, and if you prefer to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinary community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Santa Monica CA area and across the USA, you should ask some relevant questions to help fine tune your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our opening, many future students start by concentrating on location and the cost of tuition. But we have already touched on other essential qualifiers, for instance internship programs and accreditation. And obviously you want to select a college that offers the degree and specialty that you are interested in. These and other factors are addressed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician schools that you are reviewing.

Is the Vet Program Accredited?  It's essential that you confirm that the veterinary technician school you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier stated, 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 a demanding review process that verifies you will obtain a quality education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since many programs are not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited school is frequently a prerequisite for employment for many Santa Monica CA area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.

What is the College's Reputation?  The veterinarian college or vocational school and program you choose must have an outstanding reputation within the vet community. You can begin your due diligence by asking the schools you are reviewing for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other tips include looking on internet school ranking websites and checking with 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 suggestion, contact some Santa Monica CA veterinary clinics that you may want to work for after you receive your training. Ask what they think of your school choices. They might even suggest one or more programs not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The best means to obtain practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a medical setting. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have internship programs set up with Santa Monica CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and many provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial regarding the clinical training, but an internship may also help build associations in the local veterinarian community and aid in the search for employment after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program?  Getting a job after graduating from a vet tech college may be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are evaluating. A lower rate might indicate that the instructors were unqualified to teach the course of study or that a number of students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. Next, verify that the colleges have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might mean that the program has an excellent reputation within the Santa Monica CA vet community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A low rate might mean that the training is not highly regarded 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 most likely will receive little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Santa Monica CA colleges you are considering what their class student to teacher ratios are. You might also want to participate in some classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and instructors. Ask for feedback from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and determine what their qualifications are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the School Located?  Of course, we already talked about location, but there are a couple of more points to make on the topic. If you are planning to drive to your vet tech classes from your Santa Monica CA home, you must make certain 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, particularly if the school is located near or in a large city. In addition, if you do choose to enroll in a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition costs particularly for state and community colleges. On the other hand, taking classes online might be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and minimize the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And last, it's essential that you find out if the veterinarian schools you are looking at offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For example, many students continue to work full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near Santa Monica CA. Others 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 may miss as a result of work, illness or family responsibilities. You may discover that an online college is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary training into your active life.

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

Enroll in the Best Santa Monica Vet Technologist School

Picking the ideal veterinary technician program is an important first step to beginning a rewarding career providing care and treatment for pets and livestock. Students thinking about vet tech schools must make their decision based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They typically take on administrative responsibilities and support the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have covered, it's essential that you pick a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This applies to online vet tech colleges 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 decision. And by selecting the ideal school, you can reach your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Santa Monica California.

 

Santa Monica Vet Tech Colleges | Santa Monica Veterinary Technician Schools