Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Stillwater OK

How to Pick a Veterinary Technician School near Stillwater Oklahoma

Stillwater OK vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your lifelong goal of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a vet tech college near Stillwater OK may initially feel like a challenging undertaking. After all, you have to search for and enroll in a school that will provide the necessary training to ensure that you can be successful as a veterinary technician. But just how do you approach evaluating and contrasting programs so that you can make the right choice? Many potential students begin their due diligence process by searching for schools that are close to their homes. When they have identified some nearby schools, they find out which ones have the lowest tuition and focus on those. Although cost and location are significant concerns when comparing vet technician schools, they are by no means the only significant ones when making your evaluations. Factors such as internship programs and accreditation should be evaluated also. The point is that there are questions you ought to be asking the vet technician schools you are looking at before you make an ultimate choice. We have furnished several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll explore the varied duties of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives offered.

The Role of a Veterinary Technician in Stillwater OK

cat with cone after surgery in Stillwater OK One of the initial decisions that you will need to make is whether you plan to train as a vet 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 principal determiner will most likely be which specialty interests you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they each work under the immediate supervision of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And even though there are numerous duties that they can perform within the Stillwater OK veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose ailments, or conduct surgeries. In those areas they may only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work exclusive of the conventional veterinarian practice, for example for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the duties and education prerequisites for each specialization.

Vet Assistants in the majority of cases will have completed a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a vet clinic or hospital, or by graduating from a certificate program at a vocational 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. Usually they are not associated with more involved activities, for example assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their regular duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or handling animals during exams.
Vet Technicians undergo more extensive training in contrast to assistants and normally earn a two year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the vet equivalent of medical nurses, since their basic job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from veterinary assistants is that they are engaged in more complex functions, such as assisting with surgeries or administering medicine. All states currently require veterinary techs pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.
Vet Technologists are comparable to vet techs and essentially carry out the same work functions. They are required to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which usually takes 4 years to complete. So the only real distinction 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, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

Vet techs and technologists can specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or emergency care. A number may obtain certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Stillwater OK laboratories or research facilities also.

Vet Tech Online Programs Offered in Stillwater

student attending online vet tech school in Stillwater OK An alternative that might be a solution for those with a hectic lifestyle or who are working full time while attending veterinarian college is to enroll in an online training program. Since the classes are offered through the internet, students can attend on their own schedule wherever a computer is accessible. The curriculum is taught using multiple venues, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since most vet technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that segment can usually be fulfilled as an internship or work study program at a local Stillwater OK veterinarian practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in some instances decrease the cost of your education. Tuition and secondary costs, for example for commuting and study materials, can be more affordable compared to more conventional classroom programs. Just confirm that the online school that you enroll in is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting organization. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything is furnished for a comprehensive education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more self-reliant mode, an online veterinary technician school may be the perfect choice for you.

Questions to Ask Stillwater OK Veterinary Technician Programs

Questions to ask Stillwater OK vet tech schools At this point you should have determined which veterinary degree that you would like to attain, and if you want to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinary community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Stillwater OK area and across the Country, you must ask some important questions in order to fine tune your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our introduction, many prospective students start by prioritizing location and the cost of tuition. But we have previously pointed out other important qualifiers, which include internship programs and accreditation. And of course you need to choose a college that offers the degree and specialty that you would like to earn. These and other qualifications are addressed in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the vet tech schools that you are reviewing.

Is the Veterinary School Accredited? It’s important that you verify that the veterinary technician school you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As previously mentioned, among the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a thorough review process that ensures you will obtain a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are applying for a student loan or financial assistance, since numerous programs are not available for non-accredited colleges. Last, having a degree or certificate from an accredited program is often a precondition for employment for a number of Stillwater OK area vet practices and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation? The vet college or vocational school and program you select should have an excellent reputation within the veterinary community. You can start your due diligence by asking the schools you are looking at for references from the employers in their job placement network. Other pointers include checking with online school ranking websites and contacting the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the Oklahoma school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or infractions regarding your targeted schools. As a final pointer, get in touch with some Stillwater OK 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 suggest some colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The best means to get clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a professional environment. Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have internship programs set up with Stillwater OK veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Most veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and a large number provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable relative to the clinical training, but an internship can also help build connections in the local vet community and assist in the search for employment after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program? Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician program may be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. First, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are evaluating. A low rate may suggest that the teachers were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that some students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. Next, confirm that the schools have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might mean that the college has an outstanding reputation within the Stillwater OK veterinarian community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A low rate could mean that the training is not well regarded by employers or that the job placement program is ineffective at placing students.

How Big are the Classes? If the classes are larger sized, you probably will receive little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Request from the Stillwater OK 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 instructors and students. Get evaluations from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and determine what their backgrounds are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the School Located? Okay, we previously discussed location, but there are several more points to make on the subject. If you are going to drive to your vet tech classes from your Stillwater OK home, you must make sure that the commuting time is compatible with your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won’t be the same as the commute during rush hour traffic, particularly if the college is located in or near a large city. Also, if you do opt to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition charges particularly for community and state colleges. Of course taking online classes may be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and reduce the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And finally, it’s imperative that you ascertain if the veterinary 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 go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Stillwater OK. Others might only be able to attend class in the morning or in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are offered before enrolling. Also, determine if you can make-up classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family emergencies. You may discover that an online school is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary education into your busy life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Stillwater OK?

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

Stillwater, Oklahoma

Stillwater is a city in northeast Oklahoma at the intersection of US-177 and State Highway 51. It is the county seat of Payne County, Oklahoma, United States. As of 2012, the city population was estimated to be 46,560, making it the tenth largest city in Oklahoma. Stillwater is the principal city of the Stillwater Micropolitan Statistical Area which had a population of 78,399 according to the 2012 census estimate. Stillwater was part of the first Oklahoma Land Run held on April 22, 1889 when the Unassigned Lands were opened for settlement and became the core of the new Oklahoma Territory. The city charter was adopted on August 24, 1889.[5] Stillwater is home to the main campus of Oklahoma State University as well as Northern Oklahoma College - Stillwater, Meridian Technology Center, and the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education.

Stillwater has a diverse economy with a foundation in aerospace, agribusiness, biotechnology, optoelectronics, printing and publishing, and software and standard manufacturing. The city operates under a council-manager government system. The city's largest employer is Oklahoma State University. It was one of the 100 Best Places to Live in 2010, according to CNN Money Magazine.[6]

The north-central region of Oklahoma became part of the United States with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. In 1832, author and traveler Washington Irving provided the first recorded description of the area around Stillwater in his book A Tour on the Prairies. He wrote of “a glorious prairie spreading out beneath the golden beams of an autumnal sun. The deep and frequent traces of buffalo, showed it to be a one of their favorite grazing grounds.”[8]

Pick the Best Veterinary Technician Program near Stillwater OK

Stillwater OK vet tech holding dog Picking the appropriate vet tech program is a critical first step to starting a fulfilling career providing treatment and care for animals. Students looking into vet tech colleges need to make their decision based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They usually take on administrative responsibilities and assist the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have covered, it’s very important that you pick a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the field. This applies to vet tech online programs as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to reduce your choices so that you can make your final choice. And by picking the right college, you can achieve your goal of becoming a vet tech in Stillwater OK.