Veterinary Technician Training
How to Pick the Right One Near West Hills California

Choosing a veterinary technician school near West Hills CA to achieve your heartfelt desire to help and care for our pets might initially seem like an overwhelming challenge. But to be successful as a practicing veterinary technician, you must first locate and finally enroll in a program that will provide the required training and education. And in order to pick the best one you must research and compare all of the schools you are considering. Many aspiring students start their due diligence process by looking for schools that are near their residences. Once they have found some nearby schools, they determine which ones have the cheapest tuition and hone in on those. Although expense and location are significant considerations when evaluating vet tech programs, they are not the only important ones when making your comparisons. Job placement and intership programs in addition to accreditation are just as important if not more so as cost and location. The point is that there are questions you should be asking the veterinary technician programs you are evaluating before you make an ultimate selection. We have presented several in this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we'll discuss the different duties of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives available.

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

Vet Technician Education Options

One of the first decisions that you will have to make is if you want to train as a vet technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your decision might be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your education, but the main determiner will most likely be which specialty interests you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they both work under the direct supervision of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And even though there are a number of duties that they can carry out within the West Hills CA veterinary practice or hospital, they can't prescribe drugs, diagnose ailments, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they may only furnish assistance to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work outside of the standard veterinarian practice, such as for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let's take a look at the duties and training requirements for each specialization.

• Vet Assistants in the majority of cases will have gone through a structured training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a vet clinic or hospital, 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 performance of their duties. Generally they are not involved with more complex undertakings, for instance assisting with surgeries. Some of their normal duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or handling pets during examinations.
• Vet Technicians undergo more advanced training compared to assistants and normally earn a two year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the vet counterparts of medical nurses, since their fundamental job function is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from veterinary assistants is that they are engaged in more complicated tasks, for example assisting with surgeries or providing medication. All states presently require veterinary technicians pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to vet technicians and essentially carry out the same work functions. They are required to earn a Bachelor's Degree in veterinary technology, which typically takes 4 years. Therefore the only real distinction between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist's higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more career opportunities, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are also required to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

Vet technicians and technologists may specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or emergency care. Some may obtain certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  West Hills CA labs or research facilities also.

Questions to Ask Vet Tech Colleges

At this point you probably have decided on which veterinarian degree that you would like to obtain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the West Hills CA area as well as across the USA, you should ask some important questions in order to narrow down your list of alternatives. As we mentioned in our introduction, many future students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have already mentioned other significant qualifiers, for example internship programs and accreditation. And obviously you need to select a college that offers the degree and specialty that you are interested in. These and other factors are addressed in the list of questions that you should ask the vet tech programs that you are considering.

Is the Veterinary Program Accredited?  It's essential that you confirm that the veterinary technician program you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously discussed, one of the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a rigorous screening process that confirms you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are requesting a student loan or financial assistance, since many programs are not available for non-accredited colleges. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited school is in many cases a requirement for employment for a number of West Hills CA area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the School's Reputation?  The veterinarian college or trade school and program you enroll in should have an exceptional reputation within the veterinary field. You can begin your due diligence by asking the schools you are reviewing for endorsements from the employers in their job assistance network. Other pointers include looking on online school ranking websites and contacting the school's accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the California school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or infractions regarding your specific schools. As a final pointer, phone some West Hills CA vet clinics that you might want to work for after you receive your training. Find out what they think about your school selections. They may even recommend one or more programs not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The most effective means to obtain clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Find out if the programs you are considering have internship programs set up with West Hills CA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Most veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and a large number provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable relative to the practical training, but an internship can also help develop relationships in the local vet community and help in the search for employment after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program?  Getting a job after graduating from a vet tech school can be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are evaluating. A lower rate could indicate that the teachers were unqualified to teach the curriculum or that a number of students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. Next, check that the colleges have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate could mean that the program has an exceptional reputation within the West Hills CA veterinary community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate could mean that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job assistance program is ineffective at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are larger, you probably will receive little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Request from the West Hills CA programs you are looking at what their class teacher to student ratios are. You might also decide to participate in a few classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between instructors and students. Get feedback from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, talk 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 previously covered location, but there are several more points to make on the topic. If you are going to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your West Hills 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 larger 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 especially for community and state colleges. Of course attending online classes might be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and reduce the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And finally, it's important that you determine if the veterinarian programs you are evaluating offer class times flexible enough to accommodate your schedule. For example, a number of students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near West Hills CA. Some may only be able to go to classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are offered prior to enrolling. Also, determine if you can make-up classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family emergencies. You might discover that an online college is the best solution to fit your vet education into your busy life.

Find Out More About Becoming a Vet Technician in West Hills

Chosse the Right West Hills Veterinary Technologist Program

Choosing the right veterinary technician college is an important first step to starting a gratifying career delivering care and treatment for pets and livestock. Students thinking about veterinary technician programs must make their selection based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They usually handle administrative duties and support the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have covered, it's imperative that you decide on a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. 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 options so that you can make your final selection. And by selecting the ideal school, you can reach your goal of becoming a vet tech in West Hills California.

 

West Hills Vet Tech Colleges | West Hills Veterinary Technician Schools