Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Mercer Island WA

How to Choose a Vet Tech School near Mercer Island Washington

Mercer Island WA vet tech diagnosing puppy Achieving your lifelong dream of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician college near Mercer Island WA might at first feel like a daunting endeavor. After all, you have to search for and enroll in a program that will furnish the proper training to ensure that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. But just how do you tackle analyzing and comparing schools so that you can make the ideal selection? Many aspiring students launch their due diligence process by searching for colleges that are near their residences. When they have found some nearby colleges, they determine which ones have the cheapest tuition and hone in on those. Although location and cost are important considerations when evaluating vet technician programs, they are by no means the only important ones when making your comparisons. Qualifications such as accreditation and internship programs need to be evaluated as well. The main idea is that there are questions you ought to be asking the vet technician programs you are considering before you make an ultimate choice. We have presented several within this article to help get you started, but before we review them we’ll explore the various roles of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives available.

The Function of a Veterinary Technician in Mercer Island WA

cat with cone after surgery in Mercer Island WA Among the first decisions that you will have to make is if you want to train as a vet assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your determination might be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your training, but the primary factor will undoubtedly be which specialization appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they both work under the immediate guidance of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And although there are numerous tasks that they can perform within the Mercer Island WA veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose ailments, or conduct surgeries. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the typical vet practice, for example for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let’s take a look at the duties and education prerequisites for each position.

Vet Assistants in the majority of cases will have gone through a structured training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a vet clinic or hospital, or by finishing a certificate program at a community college or vocational 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 involved with more complicated tasks, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their normal responsibilities may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during examinations.
Vet Technicians undergo more extensive training compared with assistants and generally 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 basic job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from veterinary assistants is that they are included in more involved duties, such as assisting with surgeries or administering medication. All states presently require veterinary technicians pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.
Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary techs and essentially perform the same work functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which normally takes four years to complete. Therefore the main difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist’s higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more career opportunities, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

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

Online Veterinary Technician Programs Offered in Mercer Island

student attending online vet tech school in Mercer Island WA An approach that may be a solution for those with a busy lifestyle or who are working full time while attending veterinarian college is to enroll in an online program. Because the classes are provided through the internet, students can study on their own timetable wherever a computer is accessible. The educational program is taught using various methods, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since many vet technician and technologist degrees require clinical training, that portion can normally be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Mercer Island WA veterinarian practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in many instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and secondary expenditures, for example for traveling and study supplies, may be cheaper compared to more standard classroom programs. Just confirm that the program that you enroll in is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting agency. With the online classes and the practical training, everything is provided for a comprehensive education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more independent fashion, an online veterinary technician program may be the perfect option for you.

Things to Ask Mercer Island WA Vet Tech Schools

Questions to ask Mercer Island WA vet tech schools At this point you should have determined which veterinarian credential that you would like to obtain, and if you intend to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of vet community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the Mercer Island WA area as well as across the USA, you need to ask some qualifying questions to help fine tune your list of options. As we mentioned in our opening, many prospective students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have already mentioned other significant qualifiers, for example accreditation and internship programs. And obviously you need to enroll in a program that offers the degree and specialty that you are interested in. These and other factors are reviewed in the list of questions that you need to ask the vet tech schools that you are reviewing.

Is the Veterinary College Accredited? It’s important that you confirm that the vet tech school you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier stated, one of the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a thorough screening process that ensures you will obtain a superior education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are applying for a student loan or financial assistance, since a large number of programs are not available for non-accredited schools. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is frequently a prerequisite for employment for a number of Mercer Island WA area veterinary practices and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation? The veterinarian vocational school or college and program you select must have an exceptional reputation within the veterinarian field. You can begin your due diligence by asking the colleges you are looking at for references from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include checking with online school rating websites and speaking with the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the Washington school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or violations regarding your specific schools. As a final pointer, get in touch with some Mercer Island WA veterinary clinics that you might want to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think of your school choices. They may even suggest one or more programs not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The best means to obtain practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Find out if the programs you are looking at have internship programs established with Mercer Island WA veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. Most veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and a large number furnish it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial relative to the practical training, but an internship may also help establish associations in the local veterinary community and aid in the search for a position after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program? Getting a job after graduating from a vet tech program can be challenging without the help of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are considering. A lower rate might mean that the teachers were unqualified to teach the course of study or that a number of students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. Next, confirm that the schools have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might signify that the college has an outstanding reputation within the Mercer Island WA veterinarian community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A low rate might mean that the training is not well thought of by employers or that the job placement program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes? If the classes are larger sized, you most likely will get little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Mercer Island WA colleges you are researching what their class teacher to student ratios are. You may also decide to participate in a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between instructors and students. Get 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 College Located? Of course, we already covered location, but there are several more points to make on the subject. If you are going to drive to your vet tech classes from your Mercer Island WA home, you have to make sure that the driving time is compatible with 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 college is located close by or within a larger city. In addition, 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 particularly for community and state colleges. Of course taking classes online might be an option that will give you more flexibility and reduce the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And finally, it’s imperative that you ascertain if the veterinary schools you are considering 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 in the evenings near Mercer Island WA. Some might only be able to go to class in the morning or in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are offered before enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make-up classes that you might miss due to work, sickness or family responsibilities. You may discover that an online program is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary training into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Mercer Island WA?

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

Mercer Island, Washington

Mercer Island is a city in King County, Washington, United States, located on an island of the same name in the southern portion of Lake Washington. Mercer Island is in the Seattle Metropolitan Area,[5] with Seattle located to its west and Bellevue located to its east.

Mercer Island is connected to the mainland on both sides by bridges carrying Interstate 90. The Lacey V. Murrow Memorial Bridge and the parallel Homer M. Hadley Memorial Bridge are floating bridges that span Lake Washington and carry, respectively, eastbound and westbound lanes of Interstate 90 and connect Mercer Island to the northern portion of Seattle's South End (more specifically, I-90 has Leschi to the north and Mount Baker to the south). I-90 traverses the northern portion of Mercer Island and is then carried from the island to Bellevue over the East Channel of Lake Washington by the East Channel Bridge. Mercer Island is located closer to Bellevue than it is to Seattle, and is therefore often considered to be part of the King County's Eastside.

The population was 25,261 in a 2017 census estimate. Mercer Island is the most populated island in a lake within the United States.[6][better source needed] The ZIP code 98040 is unique to Mercer Island.[7] Mercer Island has the fifth highest per-capita income in the state of Washington and is one of the 100 richest ZIP codes in the USA according to the IRS figures for Adjusted Gross Income.[8]

Pick the Best Veterinary Technician Program near Mercer Island WA

Mercer Island WA vet tech holding dog Choosing the right veterinary technician school is an important first step to starting a gratifying career providing care and treatment for pets and livestock. Students thinking about veterinary technician schools need to make their selection based on several key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They commonly take on administrative tasks and assist the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have covered, it’s essential that you decide on 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 provided in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to narrow down your alternatives so that you can make your final decision. And by selecting the best college, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Mercer Island WA.