Veterinary Technician Degree
How to Choose the Right One Near Tamalpais Homestead Valley California

Choosing a veterinary technician school near Tamalpais Homestead Valley CA to achieve your heartfelt desire to help and care for animals might from the start feel like an overwhelming challenge. But to be successful as a practicing veterinary technician, you must first locate and ultimately enroll in a school that will provide the necessary training and education. But just how do you go about assessing and comparing programs so that you can make the proper choice? Many aspiring students start their due diligence process by looking for campuses that are close to their homes. Once they have located some area colleges, they ascertain which ones have the most affordable tuition and focus on those. Although expense and location are important concerns when assessing veterinary technician schools, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your assessments. Internship and job placement programs in addition to accreditation are just as important if not more so as location and cost. The point is that there are questions you should be asking the vet tech programs you are considering before you make an ultimate choice. We have presented several in this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll explore the different roles of veterinary technicians and the training options offered.

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Vet Technician Training Options

Among the first decisions that you will have to make is whether you want to train as a vet 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 education, but the primary determiner will undoubtedly be which specialization appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants have 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 functions that they can carry out within the Tamalpais Homestead Valley CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe medications, diagnose conditions, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they may only furnish support to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work exclusive of the conventional veterinarian practice, such as for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let's take a look at the job functions and education prerequisites for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in the majority of instances will have gone through a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by completing a certificate program at a vocational school or community college. 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 tasks, for example assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their regular duties may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or handling pets during examinations.
• Vet Technicians receive more extensive training compared with assistants and normally obtain a 2 year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the vet counterparts of medical nurses, since their fundamental job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from vet assistants is that they are included in more involved functions, for instance assisting with surgical procedures or providing medicine. All states currently mandate that vet technicians pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary technicians and essentially perform the same work functions. They are mandated to attain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally takes four years to complete. So 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 options, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

Vet techs and technologists can specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or urgent care. Many may earn certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Tamalpais Homestead Valley CA labs or research facilities as well.

Questions to Ask Vet Tech Colleges

At this point you probably have selected which veterinarian credential that you want to attain, and if you intend to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinary community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Tamalpais Homestead Valley CA area as well as across the United States, you need to ask some important questions in order to narrow down your list of options. As we pointed out in our opening, many future students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have already touched on other essential qualifiers, for example accreditation and internship programs. And naturally you need to choose a college that offers the degree and specialty that you would like to earn. These and other factors are reviewed in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the vet tech colleges that you are reviewing.

Is the Veterinary College Accredited?  It's imperative that you verify that the veterinary technician school you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier stated, among the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a thorough review process that ensures you will get a quality education. Also, accreditation is important if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not available for non-accredited schools. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited college is often a prerequisite for employment for many Tamalpais Homestead Valley CA area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The veterinarian trade school or college and program you choose should have an outstanding reputation within the veterinarian field. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the colleges you are reviewing for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other pointers include looking on online school ranking websites and speaking with the school's accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the California school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or violations relating to your targeted schools. As a final recommendation, call some Tamalpais Homestead Valley CA vet clinics that you may want to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think about your school selections. They might even recommend some programs not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The best 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 Tamalpais Homestead Valley CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Most veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and a large number provide it through internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable relative to the clinical training, but an internship can also help build associations in the local veterinary community and assist in the search for a position after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program?  Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college can be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are reviewing. A low rate could mean that the teachers were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that some students were unhappy with the program and quit. Next, verify that the colleges have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate may indicate that the school has an outstanding reputation within the Tamalpais Homestead Valley CA veterinary community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A low rate might mean that the training is not well thought of by employers or that the job assistance program is ineffective at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are larger, you most likely will receive little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Tamalpais Homestead Valley CA schools you are considering what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You may also want to attend some classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between students and teachers. Ask for feedback from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the instructors and determine what their qualifications are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Yes, we previously 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 Tamalpais Homestead Valley CA home, you must make certain that the driving time is compatible with your schedule. For example, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won't be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, particularly if the campus is located near or in a large city. Also, if you do opt to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition costs especially for community and state colleges. Of course attending online classes may be an option that will give you more flexibility and reduce the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And finally, it's imperative that you find out if the vet colleges you are exploring offer class times flexible enough to fit your schedule. For example, many students continue to work full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Tamalpais Homestead Valley CA. Some may only be able to attend class in the morning or in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you need are available 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 find that an online college is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary education into your active life.

Find Out More About Becoming a Vet Tech in Tamalpais Homestead Valley

Chosse the Best Tamalpais Homestead Valley Veterinary Technologist College

Picking the ideal veterinary technician school is a critical first step to beginning a rewarding career delivering care and treatment for pets and livestock. Potential students considering vet tech programs must make their decision based on several key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They usually take on administrative duties and assist the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have covered, it's imperative that you pick 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 included in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to reduce your alternatives so that you can make your final choice. And by picking the best school, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Tamalpais Homestead Valley California.

 

Tamalpais Homestead Valley Vet Tech Colleges | Tamalpais Homestead Valley Veterinary Technician Schools