Veterinary Technician School
How to Pick the Best One Near Stanford California

Realizing your long term goal of working with and caring for animals by enrolling in a veterinary technician college near Stanford CA may at first feel like a daunting task. After all, you must find and enroll in a program that will furnish the necessary training to ensure that you can be successful as a veterinary technician. And in order to pick the right one you must evaluate and compare each of the schools you have placed on your short list. Many future students begin their due diligence process by looking for schools that are near their residences. After they have identified some nearby schools, they find out which ones have the lowest tuition and hone in on those. Although location and cost are important factors when assessing vet tech schools, they are not the only important ones when making your evaluations. Qualifications such as internship programs and accreditation should be considered as well. The main point is that before making a selection, you need to complete your due diligence and compare all relevant qualifications of the programs you are evaluating. We have presented several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll discuss the different roles of vet techs and the training options offered.

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Vet Technician Training Options

One of the initial decisions that you will need to make is whether you desire to train as a veterinary assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your decision might be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the principal determiner will most likely be which specialization interests you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they both work under the immediate supervision of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And while there are a number of duties that they can perform within the Stanford CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe medicines, diagnose health issues, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they can only furnish assistance to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work away from the conventional veterinarian practice, such as for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let's take a look at the job functions and training requirements for each specialization.

• Vet Assistants in the majority of cases will have gone through a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a practice, 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 techs in the completion of their duties. Generally they are not involved with more involved activities, for example assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their regular duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or handling pets during examinations.
• Vet Technicians receive more advanced training in contrast to assistants and typically obtain a two year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinary counterparts of medical nurses, since their basic job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from vet assistants is that they are engaged in more involved functions, for example assisting with surgical procedures or administering medicine. All states currently require veterinary techs pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to vet techs and basically carry out the same job functions. They are mandated to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally takes four years. Therefore the only real difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist's higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more work opportunities, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

Veterinary technicians and technologists can specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or emergency care. Some may receive certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Stanford CA labs or research facilities as well.

Questions to Ask Vet Tech Programs

By now you should have selected which veterinarian degree that you want to earn, and if you intend to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinarian community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Stanford CA area as well as across the Country, you should ask some relevant questions to help fine tune your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our introduction, many future students start by prioritizing location and tuition expense. But we have previously touched on other essential qualifiers, which include accreditation and internship programs. And obviously you want to enroll in a program that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other qualifications are reviewed in the list of questions that you need to ask the vet tech programs that you are considering.

Is the Veterinary Program Accredited?  It's important that you make sure that the vet tech school you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As previously discussed, among the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone an extensive screening process that confirms you will obtain a superior education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since many programs are not obtainable for non-accredited colleges. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited program is often a prerequisite for employment for a number of Stanford CA area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The veterinary college or vocational school and program you enroll in must have an exceptional reputation within the veterinarian community. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the colleges you are interested in for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other tips include checking with online 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 grievances or violations involving your specific schools. As a final recommendation, call some Stanford CA veterinary clinics that you might wish to work for after you receive your training. Ask what they think about your school selections. They may even recommend one or more programs not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The best means to get clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Ask if the schools you are considering have internship programs established with Stanford CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Most veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and a large number furnish it through internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable regarding the practical training, but an internship may also help establish connections in the local vet community and help in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided?  Getting a job after graduating from a vet tech college may be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, ask what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are reviewing. A lower rate may mean that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the curriculum or that some students were disappointed with the program and quit. Next, confirm that the schools have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate could indicate that the program has an outstanding reputation within the Stanford CA veterinarian community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate could signify that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job assistance program is a failure at placing students.

How Large are the Classes?  If the classes are larger in size, you may receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Request from the Stanford CA schools you are considering what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You might also decide to sit in on a few classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between students and instructors. Get evaluations from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the teachers and find out what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Of course, we already talked about location, but there are a few more points to consider on the subject. If you are planning to drive to your vet tech classes from your Stanford CA home, you need to confirm 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 commute during rush hour traffic, particularly if the college is located in or close by a large city. Also, if you do choose to attend a college 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 decrease the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And finally, it's imperative that you find out if the veterinarian colleges you are considering offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For instance, many students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Stanford CA. Others may only be able to attend classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you require are offered prior to enrolling. Also, find out if you can make-up classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family issues. You may discover that an online school is the ideal solution to fit your vet training into your busy life.

Learn More About Becoming a Vet Tech in Stanford

Chosse the Right Stanford Vet Technologist School

Enrolling in the ideal veterinary technician school is a critical first step to beginning a fulfilling career providing treatment and care for animals. Future students thinking about veterinary technician schools need to make their decision based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They typically take on administrative tasks and support the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have discussed, 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 provided 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 picking the best program, you can reach your goal of becoming a vet tech in Stanford California.

 

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