Vet Technician Degree
How to Choose the Best One Near Van Nuys California

Fulfilling your lifelong dream of working with and helping animals by enrolling in a veterinary technician program near Van Nuys CA might initially seem like a daunting task. After all, you need to find and enroll in a college that will furnish the appropriate training to ensure that you can succeed as a vet tech. But just how do you tackle analyzing and contrasting colleges so that you can make the ideal selection? When looking for vet tech programs, the majority of students start by zeroing in on those that are closest to their homes. Once they have identified some local schools, they find out which ones have the cheapest tuition and hone in on those. Although location and cost are significant considerations when assessing vet tech schools, they are not the only significant ones when making your evaluations. Factors such as internship programs and accreditation need to be evaluated as well. The bottom line is that before making a selection, you need to carry out your due diligence and compare all important aspects of the schools you are assessing. We have presented several within this article to help get you started, but before we review them we'll talk about the different responsibilities of vet techs and the training options offered.

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Vet Tech Training Options

Among the first decisions that you will need to make is whether you want to train as a vet technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your decision might be based on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to 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 immediate supervision of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And even though there are many functions that they can carry out within the Van Nuys CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe drugs, diagnose ailments, or perform surgical procedures. In those areas they may only provide assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work outside of the standard veterinarian practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let's take a look at the responsibilities and training requirements for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in almost all cases will have gone through a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a vet clinic or hospital, or by graduating from a certificate program at a vocational school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet technicians in the execution of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more involved tasks, such as assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their typical 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 compared with assistants and usually obtain a two year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinarian equivalent of medical nurses, since their general job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from vet assistants is that they are involved in more complicated duties, for example assisting with surgeries or providing medicine. All states currently require vet technicians pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.
• Vet Technologists are similar to vet technicians and essentially perform the same job functions. They are required to obtain a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which typically takes 4 years. Therefore the main distinction between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist's more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more career options, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are also required to pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.

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

What to Ask Vet Tech Schools

At this point you probably have selected which veterinarian degree that you would like to obtain, and if you want to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinary community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Van Nuys CA area as well as across the United States, you must ask some qualifying questions to help fine tune your list of options. As we mentioned in our opening, many potential students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have previously mentioned other essential qualifiers, such as internship programs and accreditation. And obviously you want to choose a program that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other factors are addressed in the list of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician schools that you are looking at.

Is the Vet College Accredited?  It's imperative that you verify that the veterinary technician college you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As earlier 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 thorough screening process that ensures you will obtain a quality education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not offered for non-accredited programs. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited school is frequently a prerequisite for employment for a number of Van Nuys CA area veterinary clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program's Reputation?  The vet vocational school or college and program you enroll in must have an excellent reputation within the veterinary field. You can start your due diligence by asking the colleges you are interested in for references from the employers in their job placement network. Other tips include checking with internet school rating websites and checking with 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 Van Nuys CA veterinary clinics that you may want to work for after you get your training. Ask what they think of your school choices. They might even recommend one or more schools 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 professional environment. Find out if the programs you are considering have internship programs established with Van Nuys CA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Most veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and a large number furnish it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable regarding the practical training, but an internship can also help develop connections in the local veterinarian community and help in the search for a job after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Provided?  Searching for a job after graduating from a vet tech school may be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are reviewing. A low rate may mean that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the curriculum or that some students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. Next, verify that the colleges have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate might mean that the program has an outstanding reputation within the Van Nuys CA veterinarian community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate could indicate that the training is not highly thought of 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 most likely will receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Van Nuys CA schools you are considering what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You might also want to sit in on a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and teachers. Get feedback from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Of course, we already covered location, but there are a few more points to consider on the topic. If you are going to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Van Nuys CA home, you need to make certain that the commuting 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 close by or within a large city. In addition, 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 particularly for state and community colleges. Of course attending 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 determine if the vet schools you are exploring offer class times flexible enough to accommodate your schedule. For example, many students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Van Nuys CA. Others may only be able to go to class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Make certain that the class times you require are available prior to enrolling. Also, find out if you can make up classes that you might miss due to work, illness or family emergencies. You may discover that an online school is the best way to fit your vet education into your busy life.

Find Out More About How to Become a Vet Tech in Van Nuys

Chosse the Best Van Nuys Vet Technologist College

Picking the right vet tech college is a critical first step to starting a gratifying career providing treatment and care for pets and livestock. Potential students thinking about vet tech colleges must make their selection based on several key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly handle administrative tasks and support the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have discussed, it's imperative that you pick a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the field. This goes for online vet tech colleges as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to reduce your choices so that you can make your final choice. And by choosing the ideal program, you can reach your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Van Nuys California.

 

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