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How to Select a Veterinary Technician Program near Lafayette New Jersey

Lafayette NJ vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your long term aspiration of working with and caring for pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician college near Lafayette NJ may at first seem like a daunting task. After all, you must find and enroll in a college that will furnish the necessary training to ensure that you can succeed as a vet tech. But just how do you approach evaluating and contrasting schools so that you can make the correct choice? Many future students begin their due diligence process by looking for campuses that are near their homes. After they have located some local schools, they determine which ones have the lowest tuition and focus on those. Although cost and location are significant considerations when evaluating vet tech schools, they are not the only important ones when making your evaluations. Factors such as internship programs and accreditation need to be looked into as well. The point is that there are questions you need to be asking the vet tech programs you are evaluating before you make an ultimate selection. We have presented several within this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll go over the various roles of veterinary technicians and the training options offered.

The Function of a Veterinary Technician in Lafayette NJ

cat with cone after surgery in Lafayette NJ One of the initial decisions that you will have to make is whether you want to train as a veterinary 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 training, but the principal determiner will probably be which specialty appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they each work under the direct direction of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And although there are a number of duties that they can perform within the Lafayette NJ veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe medications, diagnose health issues, or conduct surgeries. In those areas they can only furnish assistance to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the typical vet practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let’s take a look at the responsibilities and education requirements for each position.

Vet Assistants in the majority of instances will have completed a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a practice, or by completing a certificate program at a vocational school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet techs in the execution of their duties. Usually they are not associated with more complicated tasks, for example assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their usual functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during exams.
Vet Technicians receive more advanced training in contrast to assistants and usually earn a two 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 general job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from vet assistants is that they are included in more involved functions, for instance assisting with surgeries or providing medicine. All states currently mandate that veterinary technicians pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.
Vet Technologists are comparable to vet technicians and essentially carry out the same work functions. They are required to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which typically requires four years. Therefore the only real difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist’s more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job opportunities, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

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

Online Veterinary Technician Programs Offered in Lafayette

student attending online vet tech school in Lafayette NJ An alternative that might be a solution for those with a hectic schedule or who are working full-time while going to veterinarian college is to enroll in an online training program. Since the classes are made available over the internet, students can attend on their own timetable wherever a computer is available. The curriculum is taught using various methods, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since the majority of veterinary tech and technologist degrees require clinical training, that part can normally be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Lafayette NJ veterinarian practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in some instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and supplementary expenditures, for instance for commuting and study supplies, can be lower compared to more traditional classroom programs. Just confirm that the online school that you select is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting organization. With the online courses and the practical training, everything is furnished for a comprehensive 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.

Questions to Ask Lafayette NJ Veterinary Technician Colleges

Questions to ask Lafayette NJ vet tech schools At this point you should have selected which veterinarian degree that you want to obtain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are a large number of vet community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Lafayette NJ area and across the USA, you need to ask some qualifying questions in order to narrow down your list of options. As we mentioned in our introduction, many future students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have already pointed out other important qualifiers, for instance accreditation and internship programs. And obviously you need to enroll in a school that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other factors are covered in the list of questions that you need to ask the vet tech schools that you are considering.

Is the Vet Program Accredited? It’s imperative that you make sure that the veterinary technician college you select 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 review process that verifies you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are requesting a student loan or financial assistance, since numerous programs are not obtainable for non-accredited colleges. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is often a prerequisite for employment for many Lafayette NJ area veterinary practices and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation? The veterinarian college or trade school and program you choose must have an exceptional reputation within the veterinarian field. You can begin your due diligence by asking the schools you are looking at for references from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include checking with internet school ranking websites and speaking with the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the New Jersey school licensing authority if there have been any grievances or infractions concerning your targeted schools. As a final suggestion, phone some Lafayette NJ veterinarians that you might wish to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think about your school selections. They might even recommend some colleges not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs? The most effective way to obtain clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Ask if the programs you are reviewing have internship programs established with Lafayette NJ veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Most veterinary medicine programs require practical training and a large number provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable regarding the clinical training, but an internship can also help develop relationships in the local veterinarian community and assist in the search for a job after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program? Finding a job after graduating from a vet tech college may be difficult without the help of a job placement program. First, ask what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are considering. A lower rate may suggest that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the course of study or that a number of students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. Next, check that the colleges have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate may signify that the college has an excellent reputation within the Lafayette NJ veterinarian community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may indicate that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job placement program is ineffective at placing students.

How Large are the Classes? If the classes are larger in size, you probably will receive little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Lafayette NJ schools you are looking at what their class student to teacher ratios are. You might also decide to attend a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and teachers. Ask for feedback from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the teachers and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the Campus Located? Okay, we already talked about location, but there are a few more points to make on the topic. If you are going to drive to your vet tech classes from your Lafayette NJ home, you need to make sure 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 commute during rush hour traffic, especially if the school is located in or close by 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 increased tuition costs especially for state and community colleges. Of course taking online classes might be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And last, it’s important that you ascertain if the veterinarian schools you are considering offer class times flexible enough to fit your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Lafayette NJ. Others may only be able to go to classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you require are available prior to enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make up classes that you might miss due to work, sickness or family emergencies. You might discover that an online program is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary education into your busy life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Lafayette NJ?

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

Lafayette Township, New Jersey

Lafayette Township is a township located in the Skylands Region of Sussex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township's population was 2,538,[7][8][9] reflecting an increase of 238 (+10.3%) from the 2,300 counted in the 2000 Census, which had in turn increased by 398 (+20.9%) from the 1,902 counted in the 1990 Census.[18]

Lafayette was formed as a Township based on an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 14, 1845, from part of Frankford Township and Newton Township (the latter now dissolved), based on the results of a referendum held that same day.[19] The township was the first in the country to be named for Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de Lafayette, the French general and statesman who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.[20][21][22]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the township had a total area of 18.049 square miles (46.748 km2), including 17.962 square miles (46.522 km2) of land and 0.087 square miles (0.226 km2) of water (0.48%).[1][2]

Select the Right Vet Tech College near Lafayette NJ

Lafayette NJ vet tech holding dog Picking the ideal vet tech program is a crucial first step to starting a gratifying career delivering care and treatment for pets and livestock. Future students looking into vet tech colleges must make their decision based on several key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They usually handle administrative responsibilities and support the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have discussed, it’s very important that you select a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This goes for online vet tech colleges as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to narrow down your alternatives so that you can make your final choice. And by choosing the right college, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a vet tech in Lafayette NJ.