Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Warfordsburg PA

How to Choose a Veterinary Technician Program near Warfordsburg Pennsylvania

Warfordsburg PA vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your long term goal of working with and caring for pets by enrolling in a vet tech school near Warfordsburg PA could at first feel like a daunting endeavor. After all, you need to locate and enroll in a program that will furnish the appropriate training so that you can be successful as a veterinary technician. But just how do you approach reviewing and comparing colleges so that you can make the best selection? Many potential students launch their due diligence process by searching for campuses that are close to their residences. Once they have found some local colleges, they determine which ones have the lowest tuition and hone in on those. Although location and cost are significant considerations when evaluating vet technician schools, they are not the only important ones when making your comparisons. Factors such as accreditation and internship programs should be evaluated as well. The main idea is that there are questions you ought to be asking the veterinary technician programs you are considering before you make an ultimate selection. We have provided several in this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll go over the different roles of vet techs and the training options offered.

The Role of a Vet Tech in Warfordsburg PA

cat with cone after surgery in Warfordsburg PA One of the first decisions that you will have to make is whether you wish to train as a vet assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your preference may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your education, but the principal determiner will probably be which specialty appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they both work under the direct direction of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And even though there are numerous functions that they can perform within the Warfordsburg PA veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose health issues, or perform surgeries. In those areas they can only furnish assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work exclusive of the conventional veterinarian practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the duties and training requirements for each position.

Vet Assistants in most instances will have completed a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice 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 performance of their duties. Usually they are not associated with more complex tasks, for instance assisting with surgeries. Some of their typical functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during examinations.
Vet Technicians get more extensive training compared to assistants and usually obtain a 2 year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the veterinary equivalent of medical nurses, since their fundamental job duty is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from veterinary assistants is that they are included in more involved tasks, for example assisting with surgeries or administering medicine. All states presently mandate that veterinary techs pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
Vet Technologists are similar to vet techs and for the most part carry out the same job functions. They are required to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which generally requires 4 years to complete. So the only real distinction between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist’s more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job options, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally required to pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.

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

Vet Tech Online Programs Offered in Warfordsburg

student attending online vet tech school in Warfordsburg PA An option that may make sense for those with a busy schedule or who are working full-time while attending veterinarian college is to enroll in an online training program. Since the classes are made available through the internet, students can study on their own timetable wherever a computer is available. The educational program is taught using multiple methods, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since most vet technician and technologist degrees require clinical training, that portion can typically be fulfilled as an internship or work study program at a local Warfordsburg PA veterinary clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in many instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and secondary expenses, for instance for travel and study materials, can be cheaper compared to more standard classroom programs. Just make certain that the program that you choose is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting organization. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything is included for a complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more independent manner, an online veterinary technician school may be the right choice for you.

What to Ask Warfordsburg PA Vet Tech Schools

Questions to ask Warfordsburg PA vet tech schools By now you probably have selected which veterinary credential that you wish to obtain, and if you intend to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Warfordsburg PA area and across the USA, you should ask some qualifying questions in order to narrow down your list of options. As we pointed out in our opening, many future students start by concentrating on 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 need to ask the veterinary technician programs that you are considering.

Is the Veterinary School Accredited? It’s important that you confirm that the veterinary technician school you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously discussed, one of the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through a rigorous review process that ensures you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are requesting a student loan or financial assistance, since numerous programs are not available for non-accredited colleges. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is frequently a requirement for employment for many Warfordsburg PA area veterinary clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program’s Reputation? The vet trade school or college and program you choose should have an excellent reputation within the veterinary field. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the schools you are reviewing for references from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include checking with online school rating websites and speaking with the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Pennsylvania school licensing department if there have been any complaints or infractions involving your specific schools. As a final pointer, contact some Warfordsburg PA veterinarians that you might wish to work for after you receive your training. Find out what they think of your school selections. They may even suggest one or more schools not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs? The most effective approach to obtain clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have internship programs established with Warfordsburg PA veterinarians, vet hospitals or practices. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and many furnish it through internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable as far as the clinical training, but an internship may also help develop associations in the local veterinarian community and aid in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Provided? Getting a job after graduating from a veterinary technician program can be difficult without the help of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are reviewing. A low rate might indicate that the teachers were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that some students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. Next, check that the colleges have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate could indicate that the school has an excellent reputation within the Warfordsburg PA veterinary community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A low rate could mean that the training is not well 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 most likely will get little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Warfordsburg PA programs you are considering what their class teacher to student ratios are. You might also decide to participate in some classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and teachers. Get evaluations from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the instructors and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the School Located? Okay, we previously talked about location, but there are a couple of more points to consider on the topic. If you are planning to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Warfordsburg PA home, you need to make sure that the commuting time fits into your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won’t be the same as the commute during rush hour traffic, particularly if the school is located near or in a larger city. Also, if you do decide to enroll in a college 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, taking online classes could be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And finally, it’s essential that you determine if the veterinary programs you are evaluating offer class times flexible enough to accommodate your schedule. For example, many students continue to work full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Warfordsburg PA. Some might only be able to attend class in the morning or in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you need are offered prior to enrolling. Also, find out if you can make-up classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family responsibilities. You might find that an online college is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary education into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Warfordsburg PA?

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

Interstate 70 in Pennsylvania

In the U.S. state of Pennsylvania, Interstate 70 (I-70) runs east–west across the southwest part of the state serving the southern fringe of the Pittsburgh metropolitan area. About half of the route is concurrent with Interstate 76 on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. This is the oldest segment of I-70 in Pennsylvania, having been completed in 1940, and is only one of two segments of I-70 that are tolled, with the other being the Kansas Turnpike. I-70 is one of only a few Interstate Highways to have a traffic signal—in this case, with U.S. Route 30 (US 30) in Breezewood, where it leaves the Turnpike and heads toward Maryland.[2]

Two segments of I-70 in Pennsylvania are not designed to modern Interstate standards: a 37-mile segment from Washington to New Stanton, and the aforementioned half-mile signalized segment in Breezewood.

For 37 miles between the eastern end of its concurrency with I-79 in Washington and the western end of its concurrency with the Pennsylvania Turnpike in New Stanton, I-70 has several dated design features. The median narrows to the point that there are no shoulders between the median barrier and the passing lanes on both sides. On- and off-ramps at many of the interchanges are substandard in both length and geometry, which requires vehicles to decelerate in the travel lanes before entering the off-ramps, and also necessitates the use of stop signs on the on-ramps instead of yield signs. Several overpasses do not meet minimum clearance requirements, which has resulted in damage to, and from, overheight trucks. Total reconstruction efforts are ongoing that will upgrade most of this segment of I-70 and its interchanges to modern Interstate standards, and various projects are scheduled through the early 2020s.

Enroll in the Right Vet Tech Program near Warfordsburg PA

Warfordsburg PA vet tech holding dog Choosing the right veterinary technician college is a critical first step to beginning a gratifying career providing care and treatment for pets and livestock. Potential students thinking about vet tech programs need to make their selection based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They usually take on administrative responsibilities 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 outstanding reputation within the profession. This applies to vet tech online colleges as well. By asking the questions included 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 selecting the best college, you can achieve your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Warfordsburg PA.