Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Saint Louis MO

How to Select a Vet Tech Program near Saint Louis Missouri

Saint Louis MO vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your lifelong aspiration of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician program near Saint Louis MO could at first feel like an overwhelming task. After all, you need to find and enroll in a school that will deliver the proper training to ensure that you can be successful as a veterinary technician. But just how do you go about analyzing and comparing colleges so that you can make the ideal choice? Many aspiring students start their due diligence process by looking for campuses that are near their homes. Once they have identified some area schools, they find out which ones have the cheapest tuition and hone in on those. Although location and cost are important considerations when assessing vet tech schools, they are not the only significant ones when making your evaluations. Qualifiers such as accreditation and internship programs need to be looked into as well. The point is that there are questions you should be asking the vet tech programs you are reviewing before you make a final choice. We have provided several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we’ll explore the various responsibilities of vet techs and the training options available.

The Job of a Vet Tech in Saint Louis MO

cat with cone after surgery in Saint Louis MO Among the first decisions that you will need to make is if you plan to train as a veterinary technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your decision may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the main determiner will probably be which specialty appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they each work under the immediate direction of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are numerous tasks that they can carry out within the Saint Louis MO veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe medications, diagnose conditions, or perform surgeries. In those areas they can only furnish support to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work outside of the typical vet practice, such as for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let’s take a look at the duties and training requirements for each position.

Vet Assistants in most instances will have completed a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a vet clinic or hospital, or by finishing a certificate program at a trade school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet technicians in the performance of their duties. Generally they are not associated with more involved tasks, such as assisting with surgeries. Some of their normal responsibilities may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during exams.
Vet Technicians get more extensive training in contrast to assistants and usually obtain a 2 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 basic job function is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from vet assistants is that they are engaged in more involved duties, such as assisting with surgical procedures or providing medicine. All states presently mandate that veterinary technicians pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.
Vet Technologists are similar to vet technicians and essentially carry out the same job functions. They are mandated to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which generally requires four years to complete. Therefore the main difference between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist’s more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job options, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally required to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

Veterinary technicians and technologists may specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or urgent care. Many may receive certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Saint Louis MO labs or research facilities also.

Online Vet Tech Programs Offered in Saint Louis

student attending online vet tech school in Saint Louis MO An alternative that might be a solution for those with a hectic schedule or who are working full time while going to vet college is to enroll in an online program. Because the classes are provided via the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is accessible. The course of study is taught using various venues, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since the majority of vet technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that segment can usually be completed as an internship or work study program at a local Saint Louis MO veterinary clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in some instances decrease the cost of your education. Tuition and supplementary costs, such as for travel and study materials, may be lower compared to more traditional classroom programs. Just be sure that the program that you choose is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting organization. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything is furnished for a complete education. So if you are dedicated enough to learn in this more independent fashion, an online veterinary technician school may be the ideal option for you.

Questions to Ask Saint Louis MO Veterinary Technician Schools

Questions to ask Saint Louis MO vet tech schools By now you should have decided on which veterinary degree that you want to attain, and if you want to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinarian community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Saint Louis MO area and across the Country, you need to ask some relevant questions to help fine tune your list of alternatives. As we mentioned in our introduction, many prospective students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have already touched on other significant qualifiers, for instance accreditation and internship programs. And of course you want to select a school that offers the specialty and degree that you want to earn. These and other qualifications are addressed in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the vet tech colleges that you are looking at.

Is the Veterinary College Accredited? It’s essential that you make sure that the veterinary technician college you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously discussed, among the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through a demanding screening process that confirms you will get a quality education. Also, accreditation is important if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not obtainable for non-accredited schools. Last, having a degree or certificate from an accredited program is in many cases a precondition for employment for a number of Saint Louis MO area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program’s Reputation? The veterinarian vocational school or college and program you select must have an outstanding reputation within the veterinarian field. You can start your due diligence by asking the schools you are interested in for testimonials from the employers in their job assistance network. Other tips include checking with internet school ranking websites and checking with the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the Missouri school licensing department if there have been any complaints or violations concerning your specific schools. As a final recommendation, phone some Saint Louis MO veterinarians that you might wish to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think of your school choices. They might even suggest one or more programs not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The most effective means to obtain practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a professional environment. Find out if the schools you are looking at have internship programs arranged with Saint Louis MO veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and a large number furnish it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable as far as the practical training, but an internship may also help establish relationships in the local veterinarian community and aid in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Offered? Getting a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college can be difficult without the help of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the programs you are considering. A low rate may mean that the teachers were unqualified to teach the curriculum or that some students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. Next, check that the schools have a job assistance program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate could mean that the school has an exceptional reputation within the Saint Louis MO veterinarian community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may indicate that the training is not well thought of by employers or that the job assistance program is ineffective at placing students.

How Big 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 Saint Louis MO colleges you are researching what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You might also decide to sit in on a few classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between teachers and students. Ask for feedback from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and determine what their qualifications are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the College Located? Of course, we already discussed location, but there are several more points to consider on the topic. If you are planning to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Saint Louis MO home, you need to confirm that the commuting time is compatible with your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to check out the route won’t be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, especially if the school is located in or near a large city. Also, 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 community and state colleges. On the other hand, attending online classes could be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And last, it’s imperative that you determine if the vet colleges you are evaluating offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to fit your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near Saint Louis MO. Others may only be able to go to class in the morning or in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you require are offered before enrolling. Also, find out if you can make up classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family issues. You may find that an online school is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary training into your active life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Saint Louis MO?

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

St. Louis

St. Louis (/seɪnt ˈluːɪs/)[10][11][12] is an independent city[13] and a major U.S. port in the state of Missouri, built along the western bank of the Mississippi River, which marks Missouri's border with Illinois. The city had an estimated 2017 population of 308,626[8] and is the cultural and economic center of the St. Louis metropolitan area (home to nearly 3,000,000 people), which is the largest metropolitan area in Missouri, the second-largest in Illinois (after Chicago), and the 22nd-largest in the United States.

Prior to European settlement, the area was a major regional center of Native American Mississippian culture. The city of St. Louis was founded in 1764 by French fur traders Pierre Laclède and Auguste Chouteau, and named after Louis IX of France. In 1764, following France's defeat in the Seven Years' War, the area was ceded to Spain and retroceded back to France in 1800. In 1803, the United States acquired the territory as part of the Louisiana Purchase.[14] During the 19th century, St. Louis developed as a major port on the Mississippi River; at the time of the 1870 Census it was the fourth-largest city in the U.S. It separated from St. Louis County in 1877, becoming an independent city and limiting its own political boundaries. In 1904, it hosted the Louisiana Purchase Exposition and the Summer Olympics.

The economy of metropolitan St. Louis relies on service, manufacturing, trade, transportation of goods, and tourism. Its metro area is home to major corporations, including Anheuser-Busch, Express Scripts, Centene, Boeing Defense, Emerson, Energizer, Panera, Enterprise, Peabody Energy, Ameren, Post Holdings, Monsanto, Edward Jones, Go Jet, Purina and Sigma-Aldrich. Nine of the ten Fortune 500 companies based in Missouri are located within the St. Louis metropolitan area. This city has also become known for its growing medical, pharmaceutical and research presence due to institutions such as Washington University in St. Louis and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. St. Louis has two professional sports teams: the St. Louis Cardinals of Major League Baseball and the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League. One of the city's iconic sights is the 630-foot (192 m) tall Gateway Arch in the downtown area.

Choose the Ideal Veterinary Technician Program near Saint Louis MO

Saint Louis MO vet tech holding dog Selecting the appropriate veterinary technician college is an important first step to beginning a gratifying career delivering treatment and care for animals. Potential students considering veterinary technician colleges need to make their determination based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly handle administrative tasks and assist the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have discussed, it’s very important that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This applies to online vet tech colleges as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to narrow down your alternatives so that you can make your final decision. And by choosing the right school, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Saint Louis MO.