How to Find the Right Vet Tech School near Burlington New Jersey

Achieving your long term aspiration of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a vet tech program near Burlington NJ could at first feel like a daunting task. After all, you have to search for and enroll in a school that will deliver the proper training to ensure that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you tackle reviewing and comparing colleges so that you can make the best choice? Many potential students begin their due diligence process by looking for schools that are near their residences. When they have identified some area colleges, they determine which ones have the cheapest tuition and focus on those. Although cost and location are significant considerations when evaluating vet tech schools, they are not the only critical ones when making your comparisons. Qualifications such as internship programs and accreditation should be considered also. The main idea is that there are questions you need to be asking the veterinary technician programs you are reviewing before you make a final choice. We have provided several within this article to help get you started, but before we review them we’ll go over the different duties of vet techs and the training alternatives available.

The Job of a Vet Tech in Burlington NJ 

Among the first decisions that you will have to make is if you plan to train as a vet assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your decision may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your training, but the primary determiner will undoubtedly be which specialty interests you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they each work under the direct supervision of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And while there are many duties that they can perform within the Burlington NJ veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose conditions, or carry out surgeries. In those areas they may only provide assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work outside of the standard vet practice, such as for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let’s take a look at the responsibilities and training requirements for each position.

• Vet Assistants in most cases will have undergone a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by graduating from a certificate program at a trade 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. Generally they are not involved with more complicated tasks, for example assisting with surgeries. Some of their regular duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or handling animals during examinations.
• Vet Technicians undergo more extensive training compared with assistants and generally obtain a two year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinarian equivalent of medical nurses, since their fundamental job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from veterinary assistants is that they are included in more complicated activities, for example assisting with surgeries or providing medication. All states currently mandate that vet technicians pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary technicians and basically perform the same work functions. They are mandated to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which generally takes 4 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 work opportunities, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

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

Online Vet Tech Schools Offered in Burlington

An alternative that might be a solution for those with a busy lifestyle or who are working full-time while going to vet school is to enroll in an online program. Because the classes are offered via the internet, students can attend on their own schedule wherever a computer is available. The course of study is taught using multiple venues, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since the majority of vet tech and technologist degrees require practical training, that part can typically be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Burlington NJ veterinary practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in many instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and supplementary costs, for instance for commuting and study materials, may be cheaper compared to more conventional classroom programs. Just make certain 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 provided for a complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more self-reliant mode, an online vet tech school may be the ideal option for you.

Questions to Ask Burlington NJ Veterinary Technician Schools

By now you should have decided on which veterinary credential that you want to attain, and if you want to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinary community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Burlington NJ area as well as across the Country, you should ask some relevant questions to help fine tune your list of options. As we discussed in our introduction, many potential students start by focusing on location and the cost of tuition. But we have already mentioned other essential qualifiers, such as internship programs and accreditation. And naturally you need to enroll in a college that offers the specialty and degree that you would like to earn. These and other qualifications are reviewed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the vet tech programs that you are reviewing.

Is the Vet College Accredited?  It’s imperative that you make sure that the vet tech program you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As previously discussed, among the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through a demanding review process that ensures you will receive a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not obtainable for non-accredited programs. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is frequently a precondition for employment for a number of Burlington NJ area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation?  The vet vocational school or college and program you enroll in should have an exceptional reputation within the veterinarian field. You can begin your due diligence by asking the schools you are reviewing for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other pointers include checking with internet school ranking websites and checking with the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the New Jersey school licensing department if there have been any complaints or infractions relating to your specific schools. As a final suggestion, contact some Burlington NJ veterinary clinics that you might wish to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think about your school selections. They may even recommend some colleges not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The most effective approach to get practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a professional environment. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have internship programs established with Burlington NJ veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs require practical training and a large number provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable as far as the clinical 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 Placement Provided?  Getting a job after graduating from a vet tech college can be challenging without the help of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are evaluating. A low rate may suggest that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the course of study or that a number of students were disappointed with the program and quit. Next, confirm that the colleges have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might indicate that the college has an exceptional reputation within the Burlington NJ veterinary community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may mean that the training is not well 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 bigger, you may get little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Burlington NJ schools you are looking at what their class teacher to student ratios are. You might also want to sit in on a few classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between teachers and students. Ask for feedback from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and find out what their qualifications are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the College Located?  Yes, we previously talked about location, but there are a few more points to make on the topic. If you are planning to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Burlington NJ home, you have to make certain that the driving time is compatible with your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won’t be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, especially if the school is located near or in a large city. In addition, if you do choose to enroll in a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition fees particularly for state and community colleges. Of course taking classes online might be an option that will give you more flexibility and minimize the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And finally, it’s important that you ascertain if the veterinary colleges you are exploring 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 Burlington NJ. Some may only be able to attend class in the morning or later 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 due to work, sickness or family emergencies. You might find that an online college is the ideal way to fit your veterinary training into your busy life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Burlington NJ?

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

Pick the Best Veterinary Technician Program near Burlington NJ

Selecting the right veterinary technician college is a critical first step to starting a gratifying career delivering treatment and care for animals. Potential students looking into veterinary technician schools need to make their selection based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly take on administrative tasks and assist the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have covered, it’s imperative that you enroll in 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 evaluating schools, you will be able to narrow down your alternatives so that you can make your final decision. And by choosing the best program, you can reach your goal of becoming a vet tech in Burlington NJ.

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