Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Huntingdon Valley PA

How to Select a Vet Tech School near Huntingdon Valley Pennsylvania

Huntingdon Valley PA vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your long term aspiration of working with and caring for pets by enrolling in a vet tech school near Huntingdon Valley PA might initially feel like a challenging endeavor. After all, you must locate and enroll in a college that will furnish the proper training so that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. But just how do you tackle assessing and contrasting programs so that you can make the ideal selection? Many aspiring students begin their due diligence process by looking for campuses that are close to their residences. After they have found some area colleges, they ascertain which ones have the most affordable tuition and focus on those. Although cost and location are significant concerns when evaluating vet tech programs, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your evaluations. Qualifications such as accreditation and internship programs should be evaluated also. The point is that there are questions you ought to be asking the vet tech schools you are considering before you make a final decision. We have provided several in this article to help get you started, but before we review them we’ll talk about the various responsibilities of vet techs and the training alternatives available.

The Function of a Vet Tech in Huntingdon Valley PA

cat with cone after surgery in Huntingdon Valley PA Among the initial decisions that you will need to make is whether you wish to train as a veterinary assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your preference might be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the main factor will most likely be which specialty appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they both work under the direct guidance of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are a number of tasks that they can perform within the Huntingdon Valley PA veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe medications, diagnose ailments, or conduct surgeries. In those areas they can only furnish support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work exclusive of the conventional veterinarian practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the job functions and education prerequisites for each position.

Vet Assistants in almost all instances will have undergone a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a practice, or by completing a certificate program at a community college or trade school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet technicians in the execution of their duties. Generally they are not associated with more complicated undertakings, for example assisting with surgeries. Some of their usual responsibilities may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during examinations.
Vet Technicians get more advanced training in contrast to assistants and usually acquire a 2 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 basic job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from veterinary assistants is that they are included in more complex duties, for instance assisting with surgeries or administering medicine. All states currently mandate that vet technicians pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.
Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary techs and for the most part carry out the same job functions. They are required to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which generally requires 4 years to complete. Therefore the main distinction between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist’s higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more career opportunities, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.

Vet technicians and technologists may specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or urgent care. Many may earn certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Huntingdon Valley PA laboratories or research facilities also.

Veterinary Technician Online Programs Offered in Huntingdon Valley

student attending online vet tech school in Huntingdon Valley PA An approach that might make sense for those with a busy lifestyle or who are working full time while going to vet school is to enroll in an online training program. Because the classes are made available through the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is accessible. The syllabus is taught using various methods, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since many veterinary tech and technologist degrees require clinical training, that part can usually be fulfilled as an internship or work study program at a local Huntingdon Valley PA veterinarian clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in many instances decrease the cost of your education. Tuition and secondary costs, for instance for travel and study materials, may be cheaper compared to more traditional classroom programs. Just be sure that the program that you choose is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting agency. With the online classes and the practical training, everything is included for a complete education. So if you are dedicated enough to learn in this more self-reliant mode, an online veterinary technician program may be the perfect option for you.

Things to Ask Huntingdon Valley PA Veterinary Technician Colleges

Questions to ask Huntingdon Valley PA vet tech schools At this point you probably have decided on which veterinarian degree that you want to earn, and if you prefer to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinarian community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Huntingdon Valley PA area and across the United States, you need to ask some qualifying questions in order to fine tune your list of options. As we discussed in our opening, many potential students start by prioritizing location and the cost of tuition. But we have already mentioned other essential qualifiers, which include accreditation and internship programs. And obviously you want to enroll in a program that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other factors are reviewed in the list of questions that you should ask the vet tech schools that you are looking at.

Is the Vet Program Accredited? It’s important that you make sure that the vet tech program you select 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 an extensive screening process that verifies you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since many programs are not obtainable for non-accredited colleges. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited college is in many cases a prerequisite for employment for a number of Huntingdon Valley PA area veterinary practices and hospitals.

What is the Program’s Reputation? The vet college or vocational school and program you enroll in must have an excellent reputation within the vet field. You can start your due diligence by asking the schools you are interested in for endorsements from the employers in their job assistance network. Other tips include checking with internet school ranking websites and contacting the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Pennsylvania school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or violations involving your specific schools. As a final pointer, phone some Huntingdon Valley PA veterinarians that you may wish to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think about your school selections. They may even recommend some programs not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The best means to get practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a professional environment. Find out if the colleges you are considering have internship programs arranged with Huntingdon Valley PA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and a large number furnish it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable as far as the practical training, but an internship can also help establish associations in the local veterinarian community and help in the search for a position after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program? Getting a job after graduating from a vet tech college can be difficult without the help of a job placement program. First, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are reviewing. A low rate could mean that the teachers were unqualified to teach the curriculum or that a number of students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. Next, check that the schools have a job assistance program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might signify that the program has an exceptional reputation within the Huntingdon Valley PA veterinary community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate could 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, you probably will receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Huntingdon Valley PA schools you are researching what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You may also want to sit in on some classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between instructors and students. Get feedback from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and determine what their qualifications are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the School Located? Yes, we previously discussed location, but there are several more points to consider on the subject. If you are going to drive to your vet tech classes from your Huntingdon Valley PA home, you need to confirm that the driving time fits into 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, especially if the school is located near or in a larger city. Also, if you do choose to enroll in a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition charges especially for community and state colleges. On the other hand, attending online classes could be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and reduce the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And finally, it’s important that you determine if the veterinary colleges you are looking at offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For example, a number of students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Huntingdon Valley PA. Some might only be able to attend class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you require are available before enrolling. Also, determine if you can make-up classes that you might miss because of illness, work or family responsibilities. You might discover that an online college is the ideal way to fit your vet education into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Huntingdon Valley PA?

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

Huntingdon Valley, Pennsylvania

Huntingdon Valley is a village, as well as a suburban mailing address located in Lower Moreland Township, Upper Moreland Township and Abington Township all in Montgomery County, and in small sections of Upper Southampton Township and Lower Southampton Township in Bucks County, Pennsylvania bordering the Fox Chase section of Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania, United States.

The village of Huntingdon Valley is located along Huntingdon Pike (Pennsylvania Route 232). The Lady Washington Inn was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.[1] The inn is believed to have held first lady, Martha Washington while George Washington was at Valley Forge. The region saw early settlements and mills along the Pennypack Creek. The Fetter's Mill Village Historic District is located in the valley through which the Pennypack Creek flows. The area surrounding the original village was very rural up until the latter half of the 20th Century.

Originally referred to as "Goosetown,"[2] Huntingdon Valley boasts some of the highest standards of living in the Greater Philadelphia area with 90% of the Township being single-dwelling homes and having one of the highest per capita incomes in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania.[3] Huntingdon Valley (zip 19006), Pennsylvania,sales tax rate is 6.00%. Income tax is 4.07%. The income per capita is $45,125, which includes all adults and children. The median household income is $94,961.

Enroll in the Ideal Veterinary Technician School near Huntingdon Valley PA

Huntingdon Valley PA vet tech holding dog Picking the ideal veterinary technician school is a critical first step to beginning a rewarding career delivering care and treatment for animals. Future students considering vet tech schools must make their determination based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They typically handle administrative responsibilities and support the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have discussed, it’s imperative that you select a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This applies to online vet tech schools as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make your final selection. And by choosing the ideal school, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Huntingdon Valley PA.