Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Douglassville PA

How to Select a Veterinary Technician Program near Douglassville Pennsylvania

Douglassville PA vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your long term goal of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician school near Douglassville PA could initially feel like a daunting endeavor. After all, you must find and enroll in a college that will deliver the proper training to ensure that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you tackle assessing and contrasting colleges so that you can make the best choice? Many potential students begin their due diligence process by searching for campuses that are close to their homes. After they have identified some local schools, they ascertain which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although cost and location are significant concerns when assessing vet tech programs, they are by no means the only significant ones when making your comparisons. Factors such as internship programs and accreditation need to be looked into also. The point is that there are questions you ought to be asking the vet technician programs you are looking at before you make an ultimate selection. We have provided several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll discuss the different responsibilities of vet techs and the training alternatives offered.

The Function of a Vet Tech in Douglassville PA

cat with cone after surgery in Douglassville PA One of the initial decisions that you will need to make is if you want 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 invest in your training, but the main 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 immediate direction of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And even though there are numerous jobs that they can carry out within the Douglassville PA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe medications, diagnose conditions, or conduct surgical procedures. In those areas they may only provide assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the conventional vet practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let’s take a look at the duties and education requirements 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 practice, or by finishing a certificate program at a community college or vocational school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet technicians in the completion of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more complicated tasks, for instance assisting with surgeries. Some of their typical responsibilities may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or handling pets during examinations.
Vet Technicians go through more advanced training compared with 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 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 tasks, for instance assisting with surgeries or administering medicine. All states currently mandate that veterinary technicians pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.
Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary techs and basically perform the same work functions. They are required to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which generally requires 4 years to complete. So the only real distinction between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist’s higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job options, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.

Veterinary technicians and technologists may 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 Douglassville PA labs or research facilities as well.

Online Veterinary Technician Schools Offered in Douglassville

student attending online vet tech school in Douglassville PA An alternative that might be a solution for those with a hectic lifestyle or who are working full time while attending vet school is to enroll in an online program. Since the classes are provided by means of the internet, students can study on their own timetable wherever a computer is accessible. The syllabus is taught using several venues, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since the majority of veterinary tech and technologist degrees require clinical training, that part can typically be completed as an internship or work study program at a local Douglassville PA 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, such as for commuting and study materials, may be cheaper compared to more conventional classroom courses. Just make sure that the online school that you select is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting agency. 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 fashion, an online veterinary technician school may be the ideal option for you.

What to Ask Douglassville PA Veterinary Technician Schools

Questions to ask Douglassville PA vet tech schools At this point you probably have determined which veterinarian degree that you want to obtain, 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 trade schools in the Douglassville PA area as well as across the Country, you need to ask some qualifying questions in order to narrow down your list of alternatives. As we mentioned in our introduction, many prospective students start by concentrating on location and the cost of tuition. But we have already touched on other important qualifiers, for example accreditation and internship programs. And of course you want to enroll in a school that offers the specialty and degree that you want to earn. These and other qualifications are addressed in the list of questions that you should ask the vet tech programs that you are considering.

Is the Vet Program Accredited? It’s essential that you verify that the veterinary technician college you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier discussed, among the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through an extensive screening process that confirms you will get a quality education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are applying for a student loan or financial assistance, since numerous programs are not obtainable for non-accredited colleges. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited school is frequently a precondition for employment for a number of Douglassville PA area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program’s Reputation? The vet college or vocational school and program you enroll in should have an outstanding reputation within the veterinary field. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the colleges you are looking at for references from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include looking on online school ranking websites and contacting the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Pennsylvania school licensing department if there have been any complaints or violations involving your targeted schools. As a final recommendation, get in touch with some Douglassville PA veterinarians that you may wish to work for after you go through your training. Find out what they think about your school selections. They might even recommend one or more colleges not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs? The most effective approach to obtain practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a clinical setting. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have internship programs established with Douglassville PA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and many provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial relative to the clinical training, but an internship may also help build relationships in the local veterinary community and help in the search for a job after graduation.

Is Job Placement Offered? Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician school may be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. First, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are considering. A low rate might indicate that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the curriculum or that some students were disappointed with the program and quit. Next, verify that the schools have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate could signify that the program has an excellent reputation within the Douglassville PA veterinarian community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A low rate might signify that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job assistance program is a failure at placing students.

How Large are the Classes? If the classes are larger sized, you probably will get little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Request from the Douglassville PA schools you are looking at what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You might also decide to sit in on a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between instructors and students. Ask for feedback from students regarding 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 School Located? Yes, we previously discussed location, but there are a few more points to make on the subject. If you are going to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Douglassville PA home, you need to make certain that the commuting time is compatible with your schedule. For example, driving during the weekend to check out the route won’t be the same as the commute during rush hour traffic, particularly if the campus is located near or in a larger city. In addition, if you do choose to enroll in a college 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 attending online classes might be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and minimize the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And finally, it’s important that you ascertain if the veterinarian colleges you are exploring offer class times flexible enough to accommodate your schedule. For instance, many students continue to work full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Douglassville PA. Some might only be able to go to classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you need are available before enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make up classes that you might miss because of work, sickness or family responsibilities. You may find that an online college is the ideal way to fit your veterinary training into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Douglassville PA?

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

Douglassville, Pennsylvania

Douglassville is a census-designated place (CDP)[3] in Amity Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. Douglassville is situated along U.S. Route 422 and Pennsylvania Route 724. Developments include the Amity Gardens subdivision, the West Ridge subdivision, the Briarwood subdivision, and the High Meadow[4] subdivision. Douglassville also includes Cider Mill and the Woods Edge subdivision along Pennsylvania Route 562. As of the 2010 census the population of the CDP was 448 residents.[5]

Swedish pioneers were the first European settlers in present Berks County on land granted by William Penn. Swedish Lutheran Minister Andreas Rudman secured an order from William Penn on October 21, 1701 setting aside 10,000 acres (40 km2) up the Schuylkill, near Manatawny Creek, for members of his congregation. The boundaries of Amity Township are almost identical to the boundaries of the original area known as Swedes' tract. Morlatton Village, an early settlement which became part of what is now Douglassville, was Berks County's first settlement site along the Schuylkill River. The settlement later became the location of Old St. Gabriel's Episcopal Church or Old Swedes, founded in 1720 as the oldest church in Berks County. The site also included the Mounce Jones House, built by Swedish settlers in 1716. The house is the oldest documented dwelling in Berks County.[6][7]

Choose the Right Veterinary Technician Program near Douglassville PA

Douglassville PA vet tech holding dog Picking the appropriate veterinary technician program is an important first step to beginning a rewarding career delivering treatment and care for animals. Future students thinking about veterinary technician colleges need to make their selection based on a number of key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They usually take on administrative duties and support the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have discussed, it’s imperative that you decide on a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the field. 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 choices so that you can make your final selection. And by selecting the right program, you can achieve your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Douglassville PA.