How to Pick a Veterinary Technician School near Tarentum Pennsylvania

Realizing your lifelong dream of working with and helping animals by enrolling in a vet tech school near Tarentum PA may initially seem like a challenging endeavor. After all, you have to find and enroll in a school that will deliver the proper training so that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. But just how do you approach assessing and contrasting colleges so that you can make the correct selection? Many potential students launch their due diligence process by looking for campuses that are near their homes. Once they have found some local schools, they determine which ones have the cheapest tuition and focus on those. Although cost and location are important considerations when comparing veterinary technician schools, they are by no means the only important ones when making your comparisons. Qualifiers 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 looking at before you make an ultimate choice. We have provided several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we’ll talk about the various responsibilities of vet techs and the training alternatives offered.

The Function of a Vet Tech in Tarentum PA 

One of the initial decisions that you will need to make is if you wish to train as a vet technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your preference may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your education, but the primary factor will most likely be which specialty interests you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they both work under the direct supervision of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And while there are a number of tasks that they can carry out within the Tarentum PA veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe medicines, diagnose conditions, or carry out surgeries. In those areas they can only furnish support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work exclusive of the typical vet practice, such as for animal shelters, zoos or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the responsibilities and education prerequisites for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in most cases will have gone through a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a vet clinic or hospital, 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 performance of their duties. Normally they are not involved with more complex undertakings, for example assisting with surgeries. A few of their normal functions may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during examinations.
• Vet Technicians get more extensive training in contrast to assistants and normally obtain 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 fundamental job function is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from vet assistants is that they are engaged in more complex duties, such as assisting with surgical procedures or providing medication. All states presently require veterinary technicians pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to vet techs and essentially carry out the same work functions. They are mandated to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which normally requires 4 years. So the only real difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist’s higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more work opportunities, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are also required to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

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

Online Veterinary Technician Programs Offered in Tarentum

An option that may be a solution for those with a hectic lifestyle or who are working full time while going to vet college is to enroll in an online training program. Since the classes are offered through the internet, students can study on their own timetable wherever a computer is available. The educational program is taught using multiple methods, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since many veterinary technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that portion can typically be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Tarentum PA veterinarian practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in many instances decrease the cost of your education. Tuition and ancillary expenditures, for example for commuting and study supplies, can be cheaper compared to more traditional classroom programs. Just make sure that the online school that you select 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 complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more independent fashion, an online veterinary technician school may be the right choice for you.

Questions to Ask Tarentum PA Veterinary Technician Colleges

At this point you should have decided on which veterinary credential that you want to attain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinary community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Tarentum PA area as well as across the Country, you need to ask some relevant questions in order to fine tune your list of options. As we pointed out in our introduction, many future students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have already touched on other important qualifiers, which include internship programs and accreditation. And naturally you need to choose a college that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. These and other qualifications are addressed in the list of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician colleges that you are reviewing.

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 organization. As earlier mentioned, one of 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 review process that ensures you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not obtainable for non-accredited colleges. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is frequently a precondition for employment for many Tarentum PA area vet practices and hospitals.

What is the School’s Reputation?  The vet vocational school or college and program you choose must have an outstanding reputation within the veterinary community. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the schools you are looking at for endorsements from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include checking with internet school ranking websites and speaking with the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Pennsylvania school licensing department if there have been any grievances or infractions concerning your specific schools. As a final pointer, get in touch with some Tarentum PA veterinarians that you may wish to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think of your school choices. They may even recommend one or more schools not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The most effective approach to obtain clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have internship programs arranged with Tarentum PA veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and many furnish it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial regarding the practical training, but an internship can also help develop relationships in the local veterinarian community and help in the search for a position after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program?  Finding a job after graduating from a vet tech college may be difficult without the help of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the schools you are considering. A lower rate might suggest that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the course of study or that some students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. Next, confirm that the schools 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 Tarentum PA veterinarian community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may mean 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 probably will get little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Request from the Tarentum PA programs you are considering what their class teacher to student ratios are. You may also decide to participate in a few classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between teachers and students. Ask for feedback from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the teachers and find out what their qualifications are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Of course, we already talked about location, but there are several more points to consider on the subject. If you are going to commute to your vet tech classes from your Tarentum PA home, you must make certain 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 commute during rush hour traffic, especially if the school is located close by or within a larger city. In addition, if you do opt to attend 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 may be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And last, it’s imperative that you find out if the veterinary programs you are evaluating offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to fit your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near Tarentum PA. Others might only be able to attend classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you require are offered prior to enrolling. Also, determine if you can make-up classes that you may miss as a result of sickness, work or family issues. You might find that an online school is the best way to fit your vet training into your active life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Tarentum PA?

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

Pick the Ideal Vet Tech College near Tarentum PA

Picking the ideal vet tech college is a critical first step to starting a gratifying career providing treatment and care for animals. Students looking into veterinary technician schools need to make their selection based on several key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They typically handle administrative duties and assist the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have discussed, it’s essential that you select a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This applies to vet tech online programs as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to reduce your options so that you can make your final choice. And by selecting the ideal college, you can achieve your goal of becoming a vet tech in Tarentum PA.

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