Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Dawsonville GA

How to Find the Right Veterinary Technician Program near Dawsonville Georgia

Dawsonville GA vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your lifelong dream of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician school near Dawsonville GA may at first seem like a challenging endeavor. After all, you need to find and enroll in a school that will furnish the proper training to ensure that you can be successful as a veterinary technician. But just how do you tackle reviewing and contrasting programs so that you can make the ideal selection? Many potential students begin their due diligence process by searching for campuses that are close to their residences. When they have identified some local schools, they find out which ones have the cheapest tuition and focus on those. Although cost and location are significant factors when assessing veterinary technician schools, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your evaluations. 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 schools you are evaluating before you make an ultimate choice. We have provided several within this article to help get you started, but before we review them we’ll explore the various responsibilities of vet techs and the training alternatives available.

The Role of a Vet Tech in Dawsonville GA

cat with cone after surgery in Dawsonville GA Among the first decisions that you will need to make is if you desire to train as a vet assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your decision may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your education, but the principal factor will most likely be which specialization appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they both work under the direct supervision of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And while there are a number of jobs that they can carry out within the Dawsonville GA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose health issues, or perform surgical procedures. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work outside of the typical vet practice, such as for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the job functions and training requirements for each specialty.

Vet Assistants in almost all cases will have undergone a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a vet clinic or hospital, or by graduating from 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 execution of their duties. Usually they are not associated with more complex tasks, such as assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their regular responsibilities may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or handling animals during exams.
Vet Technicians get more extensive training compared to assistants and normally earn a 2 year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the vet counterparts of medical nurses, since their general job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from vet assistants is that they are involved in more complicated functions, for example 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 comparable to veterinary techs and basically perform the same job functions. They are required to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which generally requires four years to complete. Therefore 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 career options, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.

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

Online Veterinary Technician Schools Offered in Dawsonville

student attending online vet tech school in Dawsonville GA An option that may make sense for those with a hectic lifestyle or who are working full time while going to veterinary school is to enroll in an online program. Because the classes are made available over the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is available. The curriculum is taught using various methods, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since many vet technician and technologist degrees require clinical training, that portion can typically be completed as an internship or work study program at a local Dawsonville GA veterinarian clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in some instances decrease the cost of your education. Tuition and supplementary expenditures, for example for commuting and study materials, can be more affordable compared to more traditional 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 practical training, everything is provided for a complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more self-reliant fashion, an online veterinary technician school may be the ideal choice for you.

Things to Ask Dawsonville GA Vet Tech Schools

Questions to ask Dawsonville GA vet tech schools At this point you should have decided on which veterinarian degree that you would like to earn, and if you intend to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the Dawsonville GA area and across the United States, you should ask some relevant questions in order to fine tune your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our opening, many prospective students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have previously mentioned other significant qualifiers, which include internship programs and accreditation. And of course you want to choose a program that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. These and other factors are reviewed in the list of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician colleges that you are looking at.

Is the Vet Program Accredited? It’s essential that you make sure that the vet tech program you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously mentioned, among the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through an extensive screening process that ensures you will obtain a quality education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since many programs are not obtainable for non-accredited programs. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is often a precondition for employment for a number of Dawsonville GA area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program’s Reputation? The vet vocational school or college and program you select must have an outstanding reputation within the veterinary field. You can begin your due diligence by asking the colleges you are looking at for references from the employers in their job assistance network. Other tips include checking with internet school rating websites and speaking with the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Georgia school licensing department if there have been any grievances or infractions involving your specific schools. As a final tip, call some Dawsonville GA veterinary clinics that you may want to work for after you receive your training. Ask what they think of your school selections. They might even suggest one or more programs not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs? The most effective way to obtain clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a medical setting. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have internship programs arranged with Dawsonville GA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and a large number provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial regarding the clinical training, but an internship may also help develop relationships in the local veterinary community and help in the search for a position after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program? Searching for a job after graduating from a vet tech program may be difficult without the help of a job placement program. To start with, ask what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are evaluating. A lower rate might suggest that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the course of study or that some students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. Next, verify that the colleges have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might mean that the college has an exceptional reputation within the Dawsonville GA veterinary community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may signify that the training is not highly regarded 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 probably will get little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Dawsonville GA schools you are considering what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You might also decide to attend a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and teachers. Ask for evaluations from students relating to 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 School Located? Yes, we already covered location, but there are a couple of more points to make on the subject. If you are going to drive to your vet tech classes from your Dawsonville GA home, you must make sure that the driving time is compatible with your schedule. For example, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won’t be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, especially if the college is located in or close by a large city. In addition, if you do choose to enroll in a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition costs especially for state and community colleges. Of course attending classes online may be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and minimize the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And finally, it’s imperative that you ascertain if the veterinary schools you are considering offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Dawsonville GA. Some may only be able to go to classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are available prior to enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make-up classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family emergencies. You might discover that an online college is the best way to fit your veterinary education into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Dawsonville GA?

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

Dawsonville, Georgia

Dawsonville was founded in 1857 as seat of the newly formed Dawson County. It was incorporated as a town in 1859 and as a city in 1952.[6] The community and the county are named for state senator William Crosby Dawson.[7]

The community is at the junction of State Routes 9, 53, and 136. SR 9 leads northeast 14 miles (23 km) to Dahlonega and south 17 miles (27 km) to Cumming, while SR 53 leads southeast 6 miles (10 km) to U.S. Route 19 and west 24 miles (39 km) to Jasper. SR 136 also leads to Jasper, on a 29-mile (47 km) route that runs further to the north through the southern end of the Blue Ridge Mountains.

As of the census[2] of 2000, there were 619 people, 234 households, and 153 families residing in the city. The population density was 320.9 people per square mile (123.8/km²). There were 257 housing units at an average density of 133.2 per square mile (51.4/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 97.58% White, 0.16% Native American, 0.97% from other races, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.00% of the population.

Enroll in the Ideal Vet Tech Program near Dawsonville GA

Dawsonville GA vet tech holding dog Picking the ideal veterinary technician program is a crucial first step to beginning a rewarding career delivering care and treatment for pets and livestock. Potential students considering veterinary technician colleges need to make their decision based on several key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They usually handle administrative tasks and support the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have covered, it’s very important that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This goes for 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 picking the best college, you can achieve your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Dawsonville GA.