Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Nova PA - Find Vet Tech Schools Near You

How to Pick a Veterinary Technician School near Nova Pennsylvania

Nova PA vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your long term dream of working with and caring for pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician school near Nova PA may initially feel like an overwhelming task. After all, you need to search for and enroll in a college that will furnish the proper training so that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you go about analyzing and contrasting schools so that you can make the correct selection? Many aspiring students start their due diligence process by searching for schools that are near their residences. After they have found some nearby colleges, they ascertain which ones have the cheapest tuition and focus on those. Although cost and location are significant factors when evaluating vet tech schools, they are not the only significant ones when making your comparisons. Qualifiers such as internship programs and accreditation need to be looked into as well. The main idea is that there are questions you ought to be asking the vet tech schools you are evaluating 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 veterinary technicians and the training options available.

The Job of a Vet Tech in Nova PA

cat with cone after surgery in Nova PA One of the first decisions that you will have to make is if you want to train as a vet assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your determination may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your training, but the primary determiner will undoubtedly be which specialization appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they both work under the immediate guidance of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And even though there are numerous duties that they can perform within the Nova PA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose health issues, or carry out surgeries. In those areas they can only provide assistance to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work away from the typical veterinarian practice, such as for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let’s take a look at the responsibilities and education prerequisites for each specialization.

Vet Assistants in almost all cases will have undergone a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by completing a certificate program at a trade 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 undertakings, such as assisting with surgical procedures. Some 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 receive more advanced training compared to assistants and typically obtain a 2 year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the vet equivalent of medical nurses, since their basic job function is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from vet assistants is that they are involved in more involved activities, for example assisting with surgical procedures or providing medicine. All states currently mandate that veterinary technicians pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.
Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary technicians and for the most part carry out the same job functions. They are required to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which typically takes four years. So the only real distinction between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist’s higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more work options, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.

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

Online Vet Tech Programs Offered in Nova

student attending online vet tech school in Nova PA An alternative that may make sense for those with a hectic lifestyle or who are working full-time while going to veterinarian college is to enroll in an online training program. Since the classes are made available by means of the internet, students can attend on their own schedule wherever a computer is accessible. The educational program is taught using several methods, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since most veterinary technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that part can normally be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Nova PA veterinarian practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in some instances reduce the cost of your education. Tuition and secondary expenditures, for instance for traveling and study materials, can be cheaper compared to more standard classroom programs. Just make certain that the online school that you choose is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting organization. With the online courses and the practical training, everything is included for a complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more independent fashion, an online veterinary technician school may be the perfect option for you.

Questions to Ask Nova PA Vet Tech Colleges

Questions to ask Nova PA vet tech schools By now you should have decided on which veterinarian credential that you wish to obtain, and if you intend to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Nova PA area as well as across the United States, you need to ask some important questions to help narrow down 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 previously touched on other significant qualifiers, which include internship programs and accreditation. And naturally you want to choose a school that offers the specialty and degree that you want to earn. These and other factors are addressed in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician schools that you are looking at.

Is the Veterinary College Accredited? It’s important that you confirm that the vet tech program you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As earlier mentioned, among the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a demanding review process that verifies you will obtain 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. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is frequently a precondition for employment for many Nova PA area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.

What is the School’s Reputation? The veterinarian vocational school or college and program you select should have an excellent reputation within the veterinarian community. You can start your due diligence by asking the colleges you are looking at for references from the employers in their job assistance network. Other pointers include looking on online 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 infractions involving your targeted schools. As a final recommendation, call some Nova PA veterinary clinics that you might wish to work for after you get your training. Ask what they think about your school choices. They might even suggest one or more programs not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The most effective means to get practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Find out if the programs you are considering have internship programs set up with Nova PA veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and a large number furnish it through internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial regarding the practical training, but an internship may also help build connections in the local vet community and aid in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided? Getting a job after graduating from a vet tech school may be difficult without the help of a job placement program. To begin with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are evaluating. A low rate could suggest that the instructors were unqualified to teach the curriculum or that a number of students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. Next, confirm that the colleges have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might indicate that the school has an exceptional reputation within the Nova PA vet community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A low rate might mean that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job assistance program is ineffective at placing students.

How Large are the Classes? If the classes are larger in size, you most likely will receive little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Request from the Nova PA colleges you are researching what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You might also want to participate in a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and teachers. Ask for evaluations 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? Okay, we previously discussed location, but there are a few more points to make on the topic. If you are planning to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Nova PA home, you have to 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 drive during rush hour traffic, especially if the campus is located close by or within a larger city. Also, if you do opt to attend a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition fees especially for state and community colleges. Of course attending online classes may be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and minimize the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And last, it’s imperative that you ascertain if the veterinary colleges you are exploring offer class times flexible enough to accommodate your schedule. For instance, many students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Nova PA. Some might only be able to attend class in the morning or in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you require are available before enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make up classes that you may miss due to sickness, work or family responsibilities. You might find that an online college is the best way to fit your veterinary education into your active life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Nova PA?

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

Nova Chemicals

NOVA Chemicals Corporation is a plastics and chemical company headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, with Executive Offices in the Pittsburgh suburb of Moon Township, Pennsylvania and Lambton County, Ontario. NOVA Chemicals' products are used in a wide variety of applications, including food and electronics packaging, industrial materials, appliances and a variety of consumer goods. The company operates two business units and holds a 50% interest in a major joint venture with INEOS, called INEOS NOVA.

NOVA Chemicals was founded in 1954 as Alberta Gas Trunk Lines by the Alberta government. In the 1970s, NOVA Chemicals expanded into the chemicals industry.[3] The company was privatized in 1961 and was renamed NOVA Corporation in 1980.[4][5][6] In 1998 it merged with TransCanada Pipelines Limited [7][8] and also became a publicly traded company for the first time that year.[5] NOVA Chemicals was long headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, until then-CEO Jeffrey Lipton moved the executive offices to Pittsburgh, PA in the late 1990s. While this move was made in order to be closer to US customers, the benefits of the move never materialized. It was also seen as a snub to the province of Alberta, as Premier Ed Stelmach refused to grant NOVA Chemicals a bailout in 2009 due to the financial meltdown and recession, as well as the company's heavy debt load.[5]

On July 6, 2009, the International Petroleum Investment Company (since 2016 IPIC merged with Mudabala), which is wholly owned by the government of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, completed the 100% purchase of NOVA Chemicals, and transferred its place of incorporation to the Province of New Brunswick.[9][10]

Choose the Best Vet Tech School near Nova PA

Nova PA vet tech holding dog Selecting the appropriate veterinary technician program is a critical first step to beginning a rewarding career providing care and treatment for animals. Students looking into veterinary technician schools must make their decision based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly take on administrative tasks and assist the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have discussed, 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 online vet tech programs as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to reduce your options so that you can make your final choice. And by picking the right school, you can reach your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Nova PA.