Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Chester Heights PA

How to Find the Right Vet Tech School near Chester Heights Pennsylvania

Chester Heights PA vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your long term goal of working with and helping animals by enrolling in a veterinary technician school near Chester Heights PA might at first seem like a daunting undertaking. After all, you need to search for and enroll in a college that will deliver the proper training so that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. But just how do you tackle analyzing and comparing schools so that you can make the proper selection? Many potential students begin their due diligence process by looking for colleges that are close to their residences. When they have located some area schools, they ascertain which ones have the cheapest tuition and hone in on those. Although cost and location are significant considerations when evaluating vet tech schools, they are not the only critical ones when making your assessments. Factors such as internship programs and accreditation need to be evaluated as well. The point is that there are questions you need to be asking the vet technician programs you are considering before you make an ultimate decision. We have presented several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll talk about the different roles of vet techs and the training options available.

The Function of a Vet Tech in Chester Heights PA

cat with cone after surgery in Chester Heights PA One of the first decisions that you will need to make is whether you plan to train as a veterinary technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your decision might be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to 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 practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are many tasks that they can carry out within the Chester Heights PA veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe medications, diagnose conditions, or carry out surgeries. In those areas they may only furnish assistance to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the typical vet practice, for example for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let’s take a look at the responsibilities and education requirements for each position.

Vet Assistants in almost all cases will have gone through a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a vet clinic or hospital, or by finishing a certificate program at a community college or trade school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet techs in the completion of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more involved undertakings, for example assisting with surgeries. Some of their usual duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or handling pets during examinations.
Vet Technicians undergo more advanced training compared to assistants and normally obtain a 2 year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the veterinary equivalent of medical nurses, since their fundamental job duty is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from vet assistants is that they are included in more involved duties, for example assisting with surgical procedures or providing medication. All states currently mandate that veterinary technicians pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.
Vet Technologists are comparable to vet techs and essentially carry out the same job functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which usually takes four years to complete. Therefore 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 opportunities, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are also required to pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.

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

Online Veterinary Technician Schools Offered in Chester Heights

student attending online vet tech school in Chester Heights PA An alternative that might make sense for those with a hectic schedule or who are working full-time while going to vet school is to enroll in an online program. Because the classes are provided through the internet, students can study on their own timetable wherever a computer is accessible. The educational program is taught using several methods, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since most veterinary tech and technologist degrees require clinical training, that segment can usually be completed as an internship or work study program at a local Chester Heights PA veterinarian clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in many instances decrease the cost of your education. Tuition and supplementary costs, for instance for traveling and study supplies, can be lower compared to more conventional classroom courses. Just be sure that the online school that you enroll in is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting organization. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything is furnished for a complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more self-reliant fashion, an online vet tech program may be the perfect option for you.

Questions to Ask Chester Heights PA Veterinary Technician Schools

Questions to ask Chester Heights PA vet tech schools By now you should have determined which veterinarian degree that you would like to earn, and if you want to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Chester Heights PA area as well as across the Country, you should ask some relevant questions in order to fine tune your list of options. As we mentioned in our introduction, many future students start by prioritizing location and tuition expense. But we have previously pointed out other significant qualifiers, which include accreditation and internship programs. And of course you want to enroll in a program that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. These and other factors are addressed in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician programs that you are reviewing.

Is the Veterinary Program Accredited? It’s essential that you make sure that the veterinary technician program you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As previously stated, 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 rigorous screening process that confirms you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not offered for non-accredited programs. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is in many cases a prerequisite for employment for a number of Chester Heights PA area vet practices and hospitals.

What is the School’s Reputation? The veterinarian trade school or college and program you select must have an outstanding reputation within the veterinarian field. You can begin your due diligence by asking the schools you are reviewing for references from the employers in their job placement network. Other tips include checking with online school rating websites and checking with the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the Pennsylvania school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or violations relating to your targeted schools. As a final suggestion, call some Chester Heights PA veterinary clinics that you might wish to work for after you receive your training. Find out what they think of your school selections. They might even suggest some colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The best means to obtain practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a professional setting. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have internship programs arranged with Chester Heights PA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. The majority of veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and a large number furnish it through internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial regarding the clinical training, but an internship may also help build connections in the local veterinarian community and help in the search for a job after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program? Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college may be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are considering. A lower rate might indicate that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the syllabus or that a number of students were unhappy with the program and quit. Next, check that the colleges have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might mean that the college has an outstanding reputation within the Chester Heights PA vet community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may indicate that the training is not well regarded by employers or that the job assistance program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes? If the classes are larger in size, you may receive little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Request from the Chester Heights PA programs you are looking at what their class teacher to student ratios are. You may also decide to sit in on a few classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between instructors and students. Get evaluations from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the instructors and determine what their backgrounds are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the Campus Located? Yes, we already discussed location, but there are a few more points to consider on the topic. If you are planning to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Chester Heights PA home, you have to make certain that the commuting time is compatible with your schedule. For example, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won’t be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, particularly if the campus is located in or close by a large city. Also, if you do opt to enroll in a school 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, taking online classes may be an option that will give you more flexibility and minimize the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And last, it’s imperative that you ascertain if the veterinary programs you are considering offer class times flexible enough to accommodate your schedule. For example, many students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near Chester Heights PA. Some may only be able to go to classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are offered before enrolling. Also, find out if you can make-up classes that you may miss due to work, sickness or family issues. You might discover that an online college is the best way to fit your vet training into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Chester Heights PA?

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

Chester Heights, Pennsylvania

The history of Chester Heights predates grants of William Penn, when the Swedes had penetrated some distance inland from the Delaware River and had found the rich soil very conducive to productive farming. To a remarkable extent, the area had continued to be so used until the last decade. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the borough was part of Aston Township, though this northernmost section of Aston did not have a village aspect as such. With the advent of a railroad, which made its first run-through on Christmas Day 1833, a concentration of houses developed. With the reach of the automobile, a settlement of homes sprang up along the oldest road in the borough. That route, now Valleybrook Road, was once known as the "Logtown Road" and was one of the earliest routes from Chester settlement to the interior. It wanders over and along the West Branch of Chester Creek and is noted for its abrupt curves at the borough's southern end.

An 1836 school building on Valleybrook Road and Llewellyn Road was, in its day, rented by its owners to Aston for $2 a month for use as the school for this area. It was subsequently known as the Logtown School and changed to the Chester Heights School in 1880. A second, much later stone school building stands in its place today. The borough was the Fourth Ward of Aston and had been referred to for some time as Chester Heights and Wawa. It was in the northern or "Wawa" area that, over the past one hundred years or more, several large land parcels were acquired for summer residences. To date, most of these tracts have remained relatively unchanged, though they are now used as year-round private residences. ("Wawa" was the Indian name for wild goose.)

In 1852 the cornerstone of St. Thomas the Apostle Church was laid, and it stands today with the addition of a parochial school and residences. In 1872 an association of Methodists purchased a farm in Aston, incorporating as the Chester Heights Camp-Meeting Associations, and it still convenes each July for religious retreats. The borough of Chester Heights was officially incorporated in 1945.

Enroll in the Right Veterinary Technician Program near Chester Heights PA

Chester Heights PA vet tech holding dog Choosing the right veterinary technician college is an important first step to beginning a fulfilling career delivering treatment and care for animals. Future students considering vet tech programs must make their selection based on several key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They usually handle administrative responsibilities and support the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have covered, it’s essential that you pick a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This goes for vet tech online schools as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to reduce your alternatives so that you can make your final selection. And by selecting the ideal college, you can reach your goal of becoming a vet tech in Chester Heights PA.