Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Waltersburg PA

How to Select a Veterinary Technician School near Waltersburg Pennsylvania

Waltersburg PA vet tech diagnosing puppy Fulfilling your lifelong dream of working with and caring for animals by enrolling in a vet tech college near Waltersburg PA might at first seem like an overwhelming undertaking. After all, you must locate and enroll in a program that will provide the necessary training so that you can be successful as a veterinary technician. But just how do you tackle evaluating and comparing colleges so that you can make the ideal choice? Many aspiring students launch their due diligence process by looking for schools that are close to their homes. Once they have identified some local colleges, they find out which ones have the lowest tuition and hone in on those. Although cost and location are important factors when assessing vet tech programs, they are by no means the only important ones when making your evaluations. Qualifiers 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 looking at before you make an ultimate decision. We have provided several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we’ll go over the various responsibilities of vet techs and the training alternatives offered.

The Function of a Veterinary Technician in Waltersburg PA

cat with cone after surgery in Waltersburg PA One of the first decisions that you will have to make is if you want to train as a vet technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your determination might be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your training, but the principal factor will undoubtedly be which specialty appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they all work under the direct direction of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And although there are a number of tasks that they can carry out within the Waltersburg PA veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe medicines, diagnose ailments, or perform surgical procedures. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work outside of the typical vet practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let’s take a look at the duties and education prerequisites for each position.

Vet Assistants in almost all cases will have gone through a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a vet clinic or hospital, or by finishing a certificate program at a community college or trade school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet techs in the completion of their duties. Normally they are not associated with more complicated tasks, such as assisting with surgeries. Some of their regular duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or handling animals during examinations.
Vet Technicians receive more extensive training compared to assistants and generally earn a two year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the vet equivalent of medical nurses, since their general job function is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from veterinary assistants is that they are engaged in more involved duties, for instance assisting with surgical procedures or providing medicine. All states presently require vet techs pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.
Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary techs and basically perform the same work functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which normally requires 4 years to complete. Therefore the main difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist’s more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job options, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are also required to pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.

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

Online Veterinary Technician Schools Offered in Waltersburg

student attending online vet tech school in Waltersburg PA An approach that might make sense for those with a busy schedule or who are working full-time while attending veterinary college is to enroll in an online training program. Because the classes are offered over the internet, students can attend on their own schedule wherever a computer is accessible. The curriculum is taught using multiple methods, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since most vet technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that segment can typically be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Waltersburg PA veterinary practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in some instances decrease the cost of your education. Tuition and secondary expenses, for instance for commuting and study supplies, can be lower compared to more conventional classroom programs. Just make sure that the program that you enroll in is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting agency. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything is furnished for a complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more independent mode, an online vet tech school may be the right option for you.

What to Ask Waltersburg PA Vet Tech Schools

Questions to ask Waltersburg PA vet tech schools By now you should have decided on which veterinary degree that you want to attain, and if you intend to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinary community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Waltersburg PA area as well as across the USA, you must ask some important questions in order to narrow down your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our opening, many prospective students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have previously mentioned other essential qualifiers, for instance internship programs and accreditation. And of course you need to enroll in a school that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other factors are covered in the checklist of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician schools that you are considering.

Is the Vet School Accredited? It’s important that you verify that the vet tech school you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As previously mentioned, among the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through a demanding screening process that confirms you will receive a quality education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since a large number of programs are not obtainable for non-accredited programs. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited program is often a requirement for employment for a number of Waltersburg PA area veterinary clinics and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation? The vet college or vocational school and program you choose should have an exceptional reputation within the vet community. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the schools you are interested in for references from the employers in their job placement network. Other tips include checking with internet school ranking websites and contacting the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the Pennsylvania school licensing authority if there have been any grievances or infractions involving your targeted schools. As a final suggestion, get in touch with some Waltersburg PA vet clinics that you might want to work for after you receive your training. Ask what they think about your school choices. They may even recommend one or more schools not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The best means to get clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Find out if the programs you are considering have internship programs arranged with Waltersburg PA veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and many provide it through internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable relative to the clinical training, but an internship may also help establish relationships in the local vet community and aid in the search for a job after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided? Getting a job after graduating from a veterinary technician program can be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are evaluating. A low rate may indicate that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the syllabus or that a number of students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. Next, check that the colleges have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate could mean that the program has an exceptional reputation within the Waltersburg PA veterinary community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may indicate that the training is not well regarded by employers or that the job placement program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes? If the classes are bigger, you may receive little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Waltersburg PA colleges you are looking at what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You may also want to participate in some classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between teachers and students. Get feedback from students relating to 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? Of course, we previously talked about location, but there are a couple of more points to consider on the subject. If you are planning to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Waltersburg PA home, you have to confirm 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 drive during rush hour traffic, especially if the school is located in or close by a larger city. In addition, if you do opt to enroll in a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition fees especially for community and state colleges. Of course attending online classes could be an option that will give you more flexibility and decrease the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And finally, it’s imperative that you find out if the veterinary colleges you are considering offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to fit your schedule. For example, a number of students continue to work full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Waltersburg PA. Some might only be able to go to class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you need are offered prior to enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make-up classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family emergencies. You may discover that an online college is the ideal way to fit your vet training into your active life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Waltersburg PA?

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

Pittsburgh, Virginia and Charleston Railway

The Pittsburgh, Virginia and Charleston Railway was a predecessor of the Pennsylvania Railroad in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. By 1905, when it was merged into the Pennsylvania, it owned a main line along the left (west) side of the Monongahela River, to Pittsburgh's South Side from West Brownsville. Branches connected to the South-West Pennsylvania Railway in Uniontown via Redstone Creek and to numerous coal mines.

The company was chartered by the Pennsylvania General Assembly as the Monongahela Valley Railroad in April 1867, with the right to construct a railroad connecting Pittsburgh to Waynesburg; it was renamed Pittsburgh, Virginia and Charleston Railway in February 1870. By November 1872, when the first segment opened from 4th Street in South Pittsburgh (now South Side Pittsburgh) to Homestead, the Pennsylvania Railroad had gained control. The primary purpose of this acquisition was to allow the Pennsylvania to construct a southern bypass around the congestion of Pittsburgh, via a short connection to the Main Line near Turtle Creek.[1] The line was extended to Monongahela City in 1873,[2] and in 1874 the company began operating a steamboat beyond to Brownsville. Trains began running into downtown Pittsburgh's Union Station in 1875, crossing the Monongahela on the Panhandle Bridge. The connection near Turtle Creek was completed in August 1878, with the opening of the Port Perry Branch and Port Perry Bridge. In 1879 the Pennsylvania began operating the PV&C under lease as its Monongahela Division.[3]

The Brownsville Railway Company began constructing a line from near Brownsville to Uniontown, PA. The PV&C took over the Brownsville Railway and merged it on May 11, 1880[3] and finished the construction of its line by 1882. The Brownsville branch was built in 1883 and connected the PV&C's acquired Brownsville Railway to its namesake town of Brownsville, PA.[5]

Choose the Ideal Veterinary Technician School near Waltersburg PA

Waltersburg PA vet tech holding dog Choosing the right vet tech school is a critical first step to beginning a fulfilling career providing care and treatment for animals. Future students looking into vet tech schools need to make their decision based on several key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They typically handle administrative tasks and assist the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have covered, it’s essential that you decide on a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This goes for online vet tech programs as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to narrow down your options so that you can make your final selection. And by selecting the best program, you can reach your goal of becoming a vet tech in Waltersburg PA.