Veterinary Technician College
How to Select the Best One Near Santa Rosa California

Realizing your lifelong goal of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician program near Santa Rosa CA could initially seem like a daunting task. But in order to succeed as a working veterinary technician, you must first search for and ultimately enroll in a school that will provide the required training and education. But just how do you approach reviewing and comparing colleges so that you can make the ideal choice? Many potential students launch their due diligence process by searching for colleges that are close to their homes. Once they have found some nearby colleges, they determine which ones have the most affordable tuition and focus on those. Although location and expense are significant considerations when evaluating vet technician programs, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your evaluations. Factors such as accreditation and internship programs need to be looked into as well. The bottom line is that prior to making a selection, you need to complete your due diligence and compare all pertinent aspects of the schools you are evaluating. We have provided several within this article to help get you started, but before we review them we'll go over the varied responsibilities of vet techs and the training options offered.

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Vet Tech Degree Options

One of the first decisions that you will need to make is if you wish to train as a vet assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your preference may be based on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your education, but the primary factor will probably be which specialization interests you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they both work under the immediate direction of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And while there are numerous tasks that they can carry out within the Santa Rosa CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe drugs, diagnose ailments, or carry out surgical procedures. 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 zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the duties and training prerequisites for each specialization.

• Vet Assistants in almost all cases will have gone through a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a vet clinic or hospital, or by completing a certificate program at a community college or vocational school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet technicians in the completion of their duties. Generally they are not involved with more involved undertakings, such as assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their usual responsibilities may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during examinations.
• Vet Technicians receive more advanced training compared with assistants and generally acquire a two year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinarian counterparts of medical nurses, since their fundamental job duty is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from veterinary assistants is that they are involved in more involved functions, such as assisting with surgeries or administering medication. All states currently mandate that veterinary technicians pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary techs and for the most part carry out the same work functions. They are mandated to attain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally takes four years. Therefore the only real distinction 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, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are additionally required to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

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

What to Ask Veterinary Technician Schools

By now you probably have determined which veterinarian credential that you wish to earn, and if you intend to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinary community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the Santa Rosa CA area and across the USA, you should ask some relevant questions to help narrow down your list of options. As we pointed out in our introduction, many prospective students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have previously pointed out other significant qualifiers, for example internship programs and accreditation. And naturally you need to select a program 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 vet tech programs that you are looking at.

Is the Vet School Accredited?  It's important that you verify that the vet tech school you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier stated, one of the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone an extensive screening process that ensures you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not available for non-accredited colleges. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited program is frequently a requirement for employment for a number of Santa Rosa CA area veterinary practices and hospitals.

What is the School's Reputation?  The veterinarian vocational school or college and program you enroll in must have an excellent reputation within the vet community. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the schools you are reviewing for endorsements from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include looking on online school rating websites and contacting 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 tip, phone some Santa Rosa CA veterinary clinics that you may want to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think about your school choices. They might even suggest some programs not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The best approach to obtain clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a clinical setting. Ask if the programs you are considering have internship programs arranged with Santa Rosa CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or practices. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and a large number provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial relative to the clinical training, but an internship can also help establish connections in the local veterinary community and assist in the search for employment after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program?  Getting a job after graduating from a vet tech school can be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the schools you are reviewing. A lower rate may mean that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the course of study or that some students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. Next, check that the colleges have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate may indicate that the program has an outstanding reputation within the Santa Rosa CA vet community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate could mean that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job placement program is a failure at placing students.

How Large are the Classes?  If the classes are larger in size, you most likely will get little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Santa Rosa CA programs you are looking at what their class teacher to student ratios are. You may also want to sit in on some classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between teachers and students. Get feedback from students relating to 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?  Yes, we already discussed location, but there are a few more points to consider on the topic. If you are going to commute to your vet tech classes from your Santa Rosa CA home, you must confirm that the driving 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, especially if the school is located in or near a large city. Also, if you do choose to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition fees particularly for community and state colleges. Of course taking classes online could be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and reduce the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And finally, it's imperative that you determine if the veterinarian programs you are looking at 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 go to classes on the weekends or at night near Santa Rosa CA. Some may only be able to attend class in the morning or in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you require are offered prior to enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make up classes that you might miss because of work, sickness or family emergencies. You might find that an online program is the ideal way to fit your vet education into your active life.

Learn More About How to Become a Vet Tech in Santa Rosa

Enroll in the Right Santa Rosa Vet Technologist Program

Picking the right veterinary technician program is a critical first step to starting a gratifying career delivering care and treatment for animals. Potential students considering veterinary technician programs need to make their determination based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They usually take on administrative responsibilities and assist the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have discussed, it's very important that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This applies to vet tech online colleges as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make your final choice. And by choosing the right program, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Santa Rosa California.

 

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