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How to Find the Right Veterinary Technician School near Tampa Florida

Tampa FL vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your lifelong dream of working with and caring for animals by enrolling in a vet tech program near Tampa FL may initially seem like a daunting task. After all, you need to locate and enroll in a program that will provide the proper training so that you can succeed as a vet tech. But just how do you tackle assessing and comparing schools so that you can make the proper choice? Many aspiring students begin their due diligence process by searching for colleges that are near their residences. After they have found some area colleges, they find out which ones have the cheapest tuition and focus on those. Although cost and location are significant factors when evaluating vet technician schools, they are by no means the only important ones when making your comparisons. Factors such as internship programs and accreditation need to be looked into also. The main idea is that there are questions you ought to be asking the vet tech programs you are evaluating before you make an ultimate choice. We have furnished several in this article to help get you started, but before we review them we’ll explore the varied duties of veterinary technicians and the training options offered.

The Role of a Veterinary Technician in Tampa FL

cat with cone after surgery in Tampa FL One of the initial decisions that you will have to make is if you wish to train as a vet assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your preference might be based on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your training, but the principal factor will undoubtedly be which specialty interests 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 even though there are many duties that they can carry out within the Tampa FL veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose conditions, or perform surgeries. In those areas they may only provide assistance to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work outside of the standard vet practice, such as for animal shelters, zoos or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the duties and training prerequisites for each specialty.

Vet Assistants in almost all cases will have undergone a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by completing a certificate program at a vocational school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet technicians in the completion of their duties. Generally they are not involved with more involved undertakings, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their regular duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or handling animals during exams.
Vet Technicians receive more extensive training compared to assistants and generally acquire a two year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinary equivalent of medical nurses, since their general job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from vet assistants is that they are engaged in more involved tasks, for instance assisting with surgeries or administering medicine. All states presently mandate that veterinary technicians pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary techs and essentially perform the same job functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which usually requires 4 years. Therefore the only real difference between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist’s more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more work options, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally required to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

Vet technicians and technologists may 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 Tampa FL labs or research facilities also.

Online Vet Tech Schools Offered in Tampa

student attending online vet tech school in Tampa FL An approach that may be a solution for those with a hectic schedule or who are working full-time while attending vet school is to enroll in an online program. Because the classes are provided via the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is available. The syllabus is taught using multiple methods, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since most vet technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that part can typically be fulfilled as an internship or work study program at a local Tampa FL veterinary 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 commuting and study supplies, may be lower compared to more traditional classroom programs. Just confirm that the program that you enroll in is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting organization. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything is provided for a comprehensive education. So if you are dedicated enough to learn in this more independent manner, an online veterinary technician program may be the ideal option for you.

What to Ask Tampa FL Veterinary Technician Programs

Questions to ask Tampa FL vet tech schools By now you should have selected which veterinary degree that you wish to obtain, and if you intend to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinarian community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Tampa FL area as well as across the USA, you must ask some important questions to help fine tune your list of alternatives. As we mentioned in our opening, many prospective students start by prioritizing location and the cost of tuition. But we have already mentioned other important qualifiers, which include accreditation and internship programs. And naturally you need to enroll in a school that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. These and other factors are covered in the list of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician colleges that you are reviewing.

Is the Veterinary School Accredited? It’s important that you verify that the veterinary technician program you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As earlier discussed, among the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a rigorous review process that verifies you will receive a superior education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since a large number of programs are not available for non-accredited colleges. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is frequently a requirement for employment for many Tampa FL area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program’s Reputation? The veterinarian vocational school or college and program you enroll in must have an outstanding reputation within the vet community. You can start your due diligence by asking the colleges you are interested in for endorsements from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include checking with online school ranking websites and checking with the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the Florida school licensing department if there have been any complaints or infractions involving your targeted schools. As a final recommendation, call some Tampa FL veterinarians that you may wish to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think about your school choices. They might even recommend some schools not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs? The best way to get practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a professional environment. Ask if the programs you are looking at have internship programs arranged with Tampa FL veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and many provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial regarding the practical training, but an internship may also help develop relationships in the local veterinary community and assist in the search for a position after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program? Searching for a job after graduating from a veterinary technician program can be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are evaluating. A low rate may suggest that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the course of study or that a number of students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. Next, confirm that the colleges have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate might indicate that the school has an excellent reputation within the Tampa FL vet community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate might signify 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 bigger, you probably will receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Request from the Tampa FL colleges you are looking at what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You may also want to attend a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and instructors. Ask for feedback from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and determine what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the School Located? Of course, we previously discussed location, but there are a few more points to consider on the subject. If you are planning to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Tampa FL home, you have to make sure that the driving time fits into your schedule. For example, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won’t be the same as the commute during rush hour traffic, particularly if the college is located near or in a larger city. In addition, if you do decide to enroll in a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition charges particularly for community and state colleges. Of course attending classes online could be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and decrease the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And finally, it’s essential that you determine if the veterinary colleges you are evaluating offer class times flexible enough to fit your schedule. For example, a number of students continue to work full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near Tampa FL. Others might only be able to go to class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are offered prior to enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make up classes that you might miss as a result of work, sickness or family emergencies. You may find that an online school is the ideal way to fit your vet education into your busy life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Tampa FL?

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

Tampa, Florida

Tampa is a major city in, and the county seat of, Hillsborough County, Florida, United States.[11] It is on the west coast of Florida on Tampa Bay, near the Gulf of Mexico, and is the largest city in the Tampa Bay Area. The city had a population of 335,709 at the 2010 census,[5] and an estimated population of 377,165 in 2016.[12]

Archaeological evidence indicates the shores of Tampa Bay were inhabited by indigenous peoples for thousands of years. The Safety Harbor culture developed in the area around the year 1000 AD, and the descendant Tocobaga and Pohoy chiefdoms were living in or near the current city limits of Tampa when the area was first visited by Spanish explorers in the 16th century. Interactions between native peoples and the Spanish were brief and often violent, and although the newcomers did not stay for long, they introduced European diseases which brought the collapse of native societies across the Florida peninsula over the ensuing decades. Although Spain claimed all of Florida and beyond as part of New Spain, it did not found a colony on the west coast. After the disappearance of the indigenous populations, there were no permanent settlements in the Tampa Bay area until after the United States acquired Florida from Spain in 1821.

In 1824, the United States Army established a frontier outpost called Fort Brooke at the mouth of the Hillsborough River, near the site of today's Tampa Convention Center downtown. The first civilian residents were pioneer ranchers and farmers who settled near the fort for protection from the nearby Seminole population. The town grew slowly, and had become a minor shipping port for cattle and citrus by the time of the United States Civil War. Tampa Bay was blockaded by the United States Navy during the war, and Tampa fell into a long period of economic stagnation that continued long after the war ended. The situation finally improved in the 1880s, when the first railroad links, the discovery of phosphate, and the arrival of the cigar industry jump-started its development, helping Tampa to grow from an isolated village with less than 800 residents in 1880 to a bustling city of over 30,000 by the early 1900s.

Select the Right Veterinary Technician School near Tampa FL

Tampa FL vet tech holding dog Selecting the ideal veterinary technician school is a critical first step to starting a rewarding career providing treatment and care for pets and livestock. Future students looking into vet tech schools need to make their decision based on multiple 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 animal patients when needed. As we have covered, it’s imperative that you pick a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This goes for online vet tech schools as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to reduce your alternatives so that you can make your final choice. And by choosing the ideal school, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Tampa FL.