Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Cape Girardeau MO

How to Select a Veterinary Technician Program near Cape Girardeau Missouri

Cape Girardeau MO vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your lifelong dream of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician college near Cape Girardeau MO may initially feel like an overwhelming undertaking. After all, you must search for and enroll in a school that will furnish the appropriate training so 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 ideal selection? Many potential students launch their due diligence process by looking for schools that are close to their homes. When they have located some nearby colleges, they determine which ones have the cheapest tuition and hone in on those. Although expense and location are important considerations when comparing vet tech schools, they are by no means the only important ones when making your assessments. Qualifiers such as accreditation and internship programs need to be evaluated as well. The point is that there are questions you ought to be asking the vet tech schools you are considering before you make a final selection. We have presented several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll discuss the various responsibilities of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives offered.

The Role of a Veterinary Technician in Cape Girardeau MO

cat with cone after surgery in Cape Girardeau MO Among the initial decisions that you will need to make is whether you plan to train as a veterinary technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your preference might be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the primary determiner will undoubtedly be which specialty interests you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they both work under the immediate direction of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And although there are numerous functions that they can perform within the Cape Girardeau MO veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose conditions, or perform surgeries. In those areas they may only furnish assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the standard veterinarian practice, for example for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the responsibilities and training prerequisites for each specialty.

Vet Assistants in most instances will have gone through a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by graduating from a certificate program at a community college or vocational school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet technicians in the completion of their duties. Normally they are not associated with more complex tasks, such as assisting with surgeries. Some of their usual responsibilities may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or handling animals during examinations.
Vet Technicians go through more extensive training in contrast to assistants and typically acquire a 2 year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinary equivalent of medical nurses, since their basic job duty is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from veterinary assistants is that they are involved in more involved tasks, for instance assisting with surgeries or administering medicine. All states currently require vet technicians pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.
Vet Technologists are similar to vet technicians and basically perform the same job functions. They are required to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which typically requires four years to complete. Therefore the main difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist’s higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more career opportunities, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.

Vet techs 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 Cape Girardeau MO labs or research facilities as well.

Veterinary Technician Online Schools Offered in Cape Girardeau

student attending online vet tech school in Cape Girardeau MO An option that may make sense for those with a busy lifestyle or who are working full-time while attending vet school is to enroll in an online training program. Because the classes are made available over the internet, students can study on their own timetable wherever a computer is accessible. The syllabus is taught using various methods, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since most veterinary technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that segment can usually be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Cape Girardeau MO veterinary practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in many instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and secondary costs, such as for travel and study materials, can be cheaper compared to more standard classroom programs. Just make sure that the online school that you enroll in is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting organization. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything is provided for a complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more self-reliant manner, an online veterinary technician school may be the perfect option for you.

Things to Ask Cape Girardeau MO Veterinary Technician Colleges

Questions to ask Cape Girardeau MO vet tech schools At this point you should have determined which veterinarian credential that you would like to attain, and if you want to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Cape Girardeau MO area and across the United States, you should ask some relevant questions to help fine tune your list of options. As we pointed out in our introduction, many future students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have previously mentioned other significant qualifiers, which include accreditation and internship programs. And naturally you want to enroll in a school that offers the specialty and degree that you would like to earn. These and other qualifications are covered in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician programs that you are reviewing.

Is the Veterinary College Accredited? It’s essential that you make sure that the vet tech college you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As earlier discussed, among 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 review process that ensures you will receive a quality education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since many programs are not offered for non-accredited colleges. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited school is frequently a prerequisite for employment for a number of Cape Girardeau MO area veterinary practices and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation? The vet trade school or college and program you select should have an excellent reputation within the vet field. You can begin your due diligence by asking the colleges you are looking at for testimonials from the employers in their job assistance network. Other tips include checking with internet school rating websites and checking with the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Missouri school licensing department if there have been any grievances or infractions involving your targeted schools. As a final recommendation, phone some Cape Girardeau MO veterinary clinics that you might wish to work for after you receive your training. Find out what they think about your school selections. They may even recommend some colleges not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs? The most effective way to obtain practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have internship programs set up with Cape Girardeau MO veterinarians, vet hospitals or practices. Most veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and a large number provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable as far as the clinical training, but an internship may also help establish relationships in the local veterinarian community and aid in the search for a job after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program? Getting a job after graduating from a vet tech school may be difficult without the help of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are reviewing. A lower rate may signify that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the curriculum or that a number of students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. Next, check that the schools have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might mean that the college has an exceptional reputation within the Cape Girardeau MO vet community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may signify 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 larger, you most likely will get little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Cape Girardeau MO colleges you are looking at what their class teacher to student ratios are. You may also want to sit in on some classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between teachers and students. Get feedback from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the teachers and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located? Yes, we previously covered location, but there are a few more points to consider on the topic. If you are planning to commute to your vet tech classes from your Cape Girardeau MO home, you must make certain that the driving time fits into your schedule. For example, driving during the weekend to check out the route won’t be the same as the commute during rush hour traffic, particularly if the campus is located in or close by a large city. In addition, if you do opt to attend a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition fees particularly for state and community colleges. On the other hand, taking online classes may be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and reduce the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And finally, it’s essential that you ascertain if the vet colleges you are exploring offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For example, many students continue to work full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Cape Girardeau MO. Some may only be able to attend class in the morning or in the afternoon. Make certain that the class times you need are available prior to enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make-up classes that you may miss because of work, sickness or family emergencies. You might find that an online school is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary training into your busy life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Cape Girardeau MO?

If you have decided to attend a Veterinary Technician Program in the Cape Girardeau Missouri area, then you may find the following information about the location of your school campus interesting and informing.

Cape Girardeau, Missouri

Cape Girardeau (/ˈkeɪp dʒɪˈrɑːrdoʊ/, French: Cap-Girardeau [kap ʒiʁaʁdo] (listen); colloquially referred to as "Cape") is a city in Cape Girardeau county in the U.S. state of Missouri. It is located approximately 115 miles (185 km) southeast of St. Louis and 175 miles (282 km) north of Memphis. As of the 2017 United States Census Bureau estimates, the city's population was 39,151, making it the 17th-largest city in Missouri,[3] and the largest city in Southeast Missouri. An emerging college town, it is the home of Southeast Missouri State University.

The city is named after Jean Baptiste de Girardot, who established a temporary trading post in the area around 1733. He was a French soldier stationed at Kaskaskia between 1704–1720 in the French colony of La Louisiane. The "Cape" in the city name referred to a rock promontory overlooking the Mississippi River; it was later destroyed by railroad construction.[6] As early as 1765, a bend in the Mississippi River, about 60 miles (97 km) south of the French village of Ste. Genevieve, had been referred to as Cape Girardot or Girardeau.

The settlement of Girardeau is said to date from 1793 when the Spanish government, which had acquired Louisiana in 1764 following the French defeat in the Seven Years' War, granted Louis Lorimier, a French-Canadian, the right to establish a trading post. This gave him trading privileges and a large tract of land surrounding his post. Lorimier was made commandant of the district and prospered from the returns on his land sales and trade with indigenous peoples, such as the Ozark Bluff Dwellers and the Mississippian people.

Select the Ideal Veterinary Technician College near Cape Girardeau MO

Cape Girardeau MO vet tech holding dog Choosing the right vet tech college is an important first step to starting a fulfilling career providing care and treatment for animals. Students considering vet tech programs need to make their decision based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly handle administrative responsibilities and support the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have covered, it’s essential that you choose 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 evaluating schools, you will be able to reduce your options so that you can make your final selection. And by picking the best program, you can reach your goal of becoming a vet tech in Cape Girardeau MO.