Vet Technician Degree
How to Pick the Right One Near Tustin California

Achieving your long term aspiration of working with and helping animals by enrolling in a veterinary technician school near Tustin CA may at first seem like a challenging task. After all, you need to locate and enroll in a program that will furnish the appropriate training to ensure that you can be successful as a veterinary technician. But just how do you tackle assessing and comparing colleges so that you can make the proper selection? Many future students begin their due diligence process by searching for schools that are close to their homes. After they have identified some area colleges, they find out which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although cost and location are significant factors when comparing vet technician schools, they are by no means the only important 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 point is that there are questions you should be asking the vet tech programs you are evaluating before you make an ultimate selection. We have presented several within this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll explore the varied duties of vet techs and the training options offered.

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

Vet Technician Degree Options

Among the initial decisions that you will need to make is if you wish to train as a veterinary assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your decision might be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your training, but the main factor will most likely be which specialization appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they each work under the immediate supervision of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are many functions that they can perform within the Tustin CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe medications, diagnose conditions, or perform surgical procedures. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the standard veterinarian practice, such as for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the responsibilities and education prerequisites for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in most cases will have completed a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by finishing 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 execution of their duties. Generally they are not associated with more complicated activities, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their regular responsibilities may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during examinations.
• Vet Technicians get more extensive training in contrast to assistants and generally obtain a two year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinarian counterparts of medical nurses, since their general job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from veterinary assistants is that they are engaged in more involved activities, such as assisting with surgical procedures or providing medication. All states currently mandate that vet technicians pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary techs and for the most part carry out the same job functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which generally takes four years. Therefore the only real distinction between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist's higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job options, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are also required to pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.

Vet technicians 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  Tustin CA labs or research facilities also.

Questions to Ask Vet Tech Schools

By now you should have selected which veterinarian degree that you want to earn, and if you prefer to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of vet community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Tustin CA area and across the Country, you must ask some important questions to help fine tune your list of options. As we discussed in our introduction, many future students start by prioritizing location and tuition expense. But we have previously pointed out other significant qualifiers, for instance internship programs and accreditation. And of course you want to enroll in a program that offers the specialty and degree that you want to earn. These and other factors are addressed in the list of questions that you need to ask the vet tech programs that you are considering.

Is the Vet School Accredited?  It's essential that you verify that the vet tech college you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As previously discussed, one of the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a rigorous screening process that ensures you will receive a quality education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are applying for a student loan or financial assistance, since a large number of programs are not available for non-accredited schools. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is frequently a precondition for employment for many Tustin CA area vet practices and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The vet vocational school or college and program you choose should have an excellent reputation within the veterinary community. You can begin your due diligence by asking the schools you are reviewing for endorsements from the employers in their job placement network. Other tips include looking on online school rating websites and checking with the school's accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the California school licensing department if there have been any grievances or infractions concerning your targeted schools. As a final pointer, phone some Tustin CA vet clinics that you may want to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think about your school choices. They may even recommend one or more schools not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The most effective means to get clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a professional setting. Ask if the programs you are reviewing have internship programs arranged with Tustin CA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs require practical training and many provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable relative to the practical training, but an internship can also help establish associations in the local vet community and help in the search for employment after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program?  Finding a job after graduating from a vet tech college may be challenging without the help of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are evaluating. A lower rate could mean that the teachers were unqualified to teach the curriculum or that a number of students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. Next, confirm that the colleges have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate could signify that the college has an exceptional reputation within the Tustin CA vet community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may mean that the training is not well thought of by employers or that the job placement program is ineffective at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are bigger, you probably will receive little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Request from the Tustin CA colleges you are researching what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You may also decide to sit in on a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and teachers. Get feedback from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the School Located?  Of course, we already covered location, but there are a few more points to consider on the subject. If you are planning to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Tustin CA home, you need to confirm that the driving 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 decide to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition costs particularly for state and community colleges. Of course taking classes online could be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And finally, it's imperative that you find out if the veterinary colleges you are evaluating offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to fit your schedule. For instance, many students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Tustin CA. Others may only be able to attend classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Make certain that the class times you require are available before enrolling. Also, find out if you can make up classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies. You might discover that an online college is the best way to fit your vet training into your busy life.

Find Out More About Becoming a Vet Tech in Tustin

Enroll in the Best Tustin Vet Technologist School

Selecting the right veterinary technician college is a crucial first step to beginning a gratifying career providing care and treatment for animals. Students considering vet tech colleges must make their determination based on several key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They usually handle administrative duties and support the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have covered, it's essential that you pick a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This goes for online vet tech schools as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make your final choice. And by picking the best college, you can reach your goal of becoming a vet tech in Tustin California.

 

Tustin Vet Tech Colleges | Tustin Veterinary Technician Schools