Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Gettysburg PA

How to Select a Vet Tech Program near Gettysburg Pennsylvania

Gettysburg PA vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your lifelong aspiration of working with and caring for pets by enrolling in a vet tech school near Gettysburg PA may initially seem like a challenging endeavor. After all, you need to locate and enroll in a school that will deliver the necessary training to ensure that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. But just how do you approach assessing and contrasting schools so that you can make the best selection? Many aspiring students launch their due diligence process by looking for schools that are close to their residences. After they have found some local schools, they find out which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although expense and location are important considerations when comparing veterinary technician programs, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your assessments. Qualifications such as accreditation and internship programs should be considered as well. The main idea is that there are questions you should be asking the vet tech programs you are considering 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 responsibilities of veterinary technicians and the training options available.

The Job of a Vet Tech in Gettysburg PA

cat with cone after surgery in Gettysburg PA Among the first decisions that you will have to make is whether you want to train as a veterinary assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your preference might be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your training, but the principal factor will probably be which specialization appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they all work under the immediate guidance of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And even though there are numerous duties that they can perform within the Gettysburg PA veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe medications, diagnose ailments, or perform surgeries. In those areas they may only furnish support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work exclusive of the conventional vet practice, for instance for animal shelters, zoos or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the responsibilities and education requirements for each position.

Vet Assistants in the majority of instances 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 vocational school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet techs in the completion of their duties. Usually they are not associated with more complicated tasks, such as assisting with surgeries. A few of their regular functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during examinations.
Vet Technicians go through more extensive training compared with assistants and usually earn 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 function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from veterinary assistants is that they are involved in more complex duties, for instance assisting with surgeries or administering medication. All states currently require veterinary technicians pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary techs and essentially perform the same work functions. They are mandated to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which generally takes four years. Therefore the main distinction between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist’s more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more work options, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are also required to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

Veterinary techs and technologists may specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or urgent care. Many may receive certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Gettysburg PA laboratories or research facilities as well.

Veterinary Technician Online Schools Offered in Gettysburg

student attending online vet tech school in Gettysburg PA An approach that might be a solution for those with a busy lifestyle or who are working full time while attending vet college is to enroll in an online training program. Since the classes are made available via the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is accessible. The course of study is taught using multiple methods, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since many vet technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that portion can typically be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Gettysburg PA veterinary clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in some instances reduce the cost of your education. Tuition and ancillary expenditures, such as for commuting and study supplies, can be lower compared to more conventional classroom courses. Just confirm that the program that you enroll in is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting agency. With the online classes 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 vet tech program may be the right choice for you.

Questions to Ask Gettysburg PA Vet Tech Schools

Questions to ask Gettysburg PA vet tech schools At this point you probably have determined which veterinarian credential that you would like 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, trade and vocational schools in the Gettysburg PA area as well as across the United States, you should ask some relevant questions in order to fine tune your list of alternatives. As we mentioned in our introduction, many future students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have already mentioned other significant qualifiers, for instance internship programs and accreditation. And naturally you want to enroll in a college that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. These and other factors are reviewed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician programs that you are looking at.

Is the Vet School Accredited? It’s essential that you make sure that the vet tech program 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). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through a thorough review process that verifies you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since many programs are not offered for non-accredited schools. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is frequently a precondition for employment for many Gettysburg PA area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation? The vet college or trade school and program you enroll in must have an outstanding reputation within the vet field. You can begin your due diligence by asking the colleges you are looking at for references from the employers in their job assistance network. Other pointers include checking with internet 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 grievances or violations concerning your specific schools. As a final recommendation, contact some Gettysburg PA vet clinics that you might want to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think of your school selections. They might even suggest one or more schools not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The most effective way to obtain practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Find out if the schools you are looking at have internship programs established with Gettysburg PA veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and many furnish it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial as far as the clinical training, but an internship can also help build connections in the local veterinarian community and aid in the search for a position after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program? Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician program can be difficult without the help of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are considering. A lower rate may indicate that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the curriculum or that a number of students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. Next, check that the schools have a job assistance program and find out what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate might indicate that the college has an excellent reputation within the Gettysburg PA vet community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A low rate could indicate that the training is not highly thought of by employers or that the job assistance program is ineffective at placing students.

How Large are the Classes? If the classes are larger, you probably will receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Request from the Gettysburg PA colleges 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 students and teachers. Ask for feedback from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and determine what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the School Located? Yes, we previously talked about location, but there are a couple of more points to make on the subject. If you are going to drive to your vet tech classes from your Gettysburg PA home, you have to make sure that the driving time fits into your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to check out the route won’t be the same as the commute during rush hour traffic, especially if the school is located close by or within a larger city. In addition, if you do decide to attend a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition fees particularly for community and state colleges. Of course attending online classes may be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And last, it’s important that you determine if the vet schools you are exploring offer class times flexible enough to fit your schedule. For example, many students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near Gettysburg PA. Others might only be able to go to class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are offered before enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make-up classes that you might miss because of work, illness or family issues. You might discover that an online program is the best way to fit your veterinary education into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Gettysburg PA?

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

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Gettysburg is a borough and the county seat of Adams County in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania.[7] The Battle of Gettysburg (1863) and President Abraham Lincoln's Gettysburg Address are named for this town. The town hosts visitors to the Gettysburg National Battlefield in the Gettysburg National Military Park. As of the 2010 census, the borough had a population of 7,620 people.[8]

1761: Samuel Gettys, ancestor of the Getty family,[citation needed] settled at the Shippensburg–Baltimore and Philadelphia–Pittsburgh crossroads with tavern where soldiers and traders came to rest.

1790: A "Strabane" township location between "Hunter's and Getty's towns" was planned to become the Adams county seat. One year later "Revd. Alexander Dobbin and David Moore Sr. were appointed trustees for the county of Adams to erect public buildings in…Gettysburg."[9]

Pick the Ideal Veterinary Technician College near Gettysburg PA

Gettysburg PA vet tech holding dog Picking the appropriate veterinary technician school is a critical first step to beginning a rewarding career providing treatment and care for animals. Students looking into vet tech schools need to make their determination based on several key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They typically take on administrative tasks and support the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have covered, it’s very important that you enroll in a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the field. This goes for vet tech online programs as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to narrow down your options so that you can make your final choice. And by selecting the ideal program, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a vet tech in Gettysburg PA.