Vet Technician Degree
How to Choose the Right One Near Valencia California

Finding a veterinary technician school near Valencia CA to achieve your lifelong desire to help and care for animals might initially seem like an enormous challenge. After all, you have to search for and enroll in a school that will deliver the appropriate training so that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. And in order to pick the best one you must research and compare each of the schools you have placed on your short list. Many potential students launch their due diligence process by looking for schools that are close to their homes. After they have located some local schools, they ascertain which ones have the cheapest tuition and hone in on those. Although location and expense are important considerations when evaluating vet technician schools, they are not the only important ones when making your evaluations. Qualifiers such as accreditation and internship programs need to be considered as well. The main idea is that there are questions you should be asking the veterinary technician programs you are looking at before you make a final choice. We have presented several in this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll talk about the various duties of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives available.

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Vet Technician Degree Options

Among the first decisions that you will have to make is whether you desire to train as a vet assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your decision might be based on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your education, but the primary factor will undoubtedly be which specialty appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they each work under the direct direction of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And even though there are a number of jobs that they can carry out within the Valencia CA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can't prescribe drugs, diagnose conditions, or perform surgical procedures. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work away from the typical vet practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let's take a look at the job functions and education requirements for each position.

• Vet Assistants in the majority of instances will have undergone a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by completing a certificate program at a community college or trade school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet technicians in the performance of their duties. Normally they are not involved with more complex undertakings, such as assisting with surgeries. Some of their typical duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during examinations.
• Vet Technicians receive more extensive training compared to assistants and normally earn a 2 year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the vet equivalent 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 complicated activities, for example assisting with surgical procedures or providing medicine. All states currently require vet techs pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary techs and basically carry out the same job functions. They are required to attain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which usually 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 exam for either registration, certification or licensing.

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

Veterinary Technician Online Schools Offered

An approach that may make sense for those with a hectic lifestyle or who are working full-time while going to veterinary school is to enroll in an online training program. Because the classes are made available via the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is available. The syllabus is taught using several methods, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since the majority of veterinary technician and technologist degrees require clinical training, that part can normally be fulfilled as an internship or work study program at a local Valencia CA veterinary clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in some instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and ancillary costs, for instance for commuting and study supplies, can be lower compared to more traditional classroom courses. Just be sure that the program that you enroll in is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting agency. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything is provided for a comprehensive education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more independent mode, an online veterinary technician program may be the ideal option for you.

Things to Ask Vet Tech Schools

By now you probably have determined which veterinarian degree that you would like to attain, and if you intend to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinary community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the Valencia CA area and across the Country, you need to ask some qualifying questions in order to fine tune your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our introduction, many future students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have previously pointed out other significant qualifiers, for example internship programs and accreditation. And of course you need to choose a college that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other qualifications are reviewed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the vet tech programs that you are considering.

Is the Vet School Accredited?  It's imperative that you verify that the vet tech school you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier discussed, among the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through a thorough review process that verifies you will receive a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since many programs are not obtainable for non-accredited schools. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is in many cases a requirement for employment for a number of Valencia CA area veterinary practices and hospitals.

What is the School's Reputation?  The veterinarian trade 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 interested in for references from the employers in their job assistance network. Other pointers include looking on internet school ranking websites and contacting the school's accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the California school licensing department if there have been any complaints or infractions relating to your targeted schools. As a final suggestion, phone some Valencia CA vet clinics that you may want to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think about your school choices. They may even suggest one or more schools not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The most effective approach to get clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Ask if the schools you are considering have internship programs set up with Valencia CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and many provide it by means 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 veterinary community and assist in the search for a job after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Provided?  Getting a job after graduating from a veterinary technician program may be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. First, ask what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are reviewing. A lower rate could suggest that the instructors were unqualified to teach the course of study or that a number of students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. Next, verify that the schools have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might signify that the college has an excellent reputation within the Valencia CA veterinarian community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A low rate could indicate that the training is not well regarded by employers or that the job placement program is a failure at placing students.

How Large are the Classes?  If the classes are bigger, you probably will receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Valencia CA programs you are researching what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You may also decide to sit in on some classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between teachers and students. Get evaluations from students relating to 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?  Of course, we already talked about location, but there are a few more points to make on the topic. If you are going to drive to your vet tech classes from your Valencia CA home, you need to make certain 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 drive during rush hour traffic, particularly if the school is located close by or within 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 costs especially for state and community colleges. On the other hand, attending classes online may be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and minimize the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And last, it's essential that you ascertain if the veterinary schools you are looking at offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near Valencia CA. Others might only be able to attend class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you require are available before enrolling. Also, find out if you can make up classes that you might miss due to work, sickness or family emergencies. You may find that an online school is the best way to fit your veterinary training into your hectic life.

Learn More About Becoming a Veterinary Technologist in Valencia

Chosse the Right Valencia Veterinary Technologist Program

Enrolling in the ideal veterinary technician school is a critical first step to starting a gratifying career delivering treatment and care for pets and livestock. Students looking into veterinary technician colleges need to make their selection based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They typically handle administrative responsibilities and assist the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have covered, it's very important that you decide on a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This goes for online vet tech programs 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 program, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Valencia California.

 

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