Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Dothan AL - Find Vet Tech Schools Near You

How to Select a Vet Tech School near Dothan Alabama

Dothan AL vet tech diagnosing puppy Fulfilling your long term dream of working with and caring for animals by enrolling in a vet tech school near Dothan AL could initially seem like a challenging task. After all, you need to find and enroll in a program that will furnish the appropriate training so that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. But just how do you go about assessing and contrasting colleges so that you can make the correct selection? Many potential students begin their due diligence process by looking for colleges that are close to their homes. When they have located some area schools, they find out which ones have the cheapest tuition and hone in on those. Although location and cost are significant considerations when evaluating vet tech schools, they are not the only significant ones when making your evaluations. Qualifiers such as internship programs and accreditation 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 looking at before you make an ultimate decision. We have presented several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll talk about the varied duties of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives offered.

The Job of a Veterinary Technician in Dothan AL

cat with cone after surgery in Dothan AL Among the initial decisions that you will need to make is whether you desire to train as a vet technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your determination might be based on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your education, but the principal factor will most likely be which specialization appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they both work under the immediate guidance of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And even though there are a number of jobs that they can perform within the Dothan AL veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe medications, diagnose conditions, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they may only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work exclusive of the standard vet practice, for example for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the job functions and training prerequisites for each position.

Vet Assistants in the majority of cases will have gone through a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by completing a certificate program at a community college or vocational school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet technicians in the execution of their duties. Generally they are not associated with more involved activities, for instance assisting with surgeries. Some of their normal functions may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or handling animals during examinations.
Vet Technicians get more advanced training in contrast to assistants and generally obtain a 2 year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the veterinary equivalent of medical nurses, since their general job duty is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from vet assistants is that they are involved in more complex functions, for example assisting with surgical procedures or providing medication. All states presently mandate that veterinary technicians pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.
Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary technicians and essentially carry out the same work functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which usually requires four years to complete. 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 opportunities, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.

Veterinary techs and technologists may specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or urgent care. Some may obtain certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Dothan AL laboratories or research facilities also.

Vet Tech Online Schools Offered in Dothan

student attending online vet tech school in Dothan AL An approach that may make sense for those with a busy schedule or who are working full-time while going to veterinary school is to enroll in an online training program. Since the classes are offered via the internet, students can attend on their own timetable wherever a computer is available. The educational program is taught using several venues, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since most veterinary technician and technologist degrees require clinical training, that portion can usually be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Dothan AL veterinarian practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in many instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and ancillary expenses, for instance for travel and study materials, can be cheaper compared to more conventional classroom courses. Just be sure that the program that you select is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting agency. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything is included for a comprehensive education. So if you are dedicated enough to learn in this more self-reliant manner, an online vet tech school may be the right choice for you.

What to Ask Dothan AL Vet Tech Programs

Questions to ask Dothan AL vet tech schools At this point you should have selected which veterinary credential that you would like to obtain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinary community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Dothan AL area as well as across the United States, you need to ask some qualifying questions in order to fine tune your list of options. As we mentioned in our opening, many prospective students start by concentrating on location and the cost of tuition. But we have previously touched on other important qualifiers, which include accreditation and internship programs. And of course you want to choose a school that offers the degree and specialty that you would like to earn. These and other factors are addressed in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the vet tech schools that you are reviewing.

Is the Veterinary School Accredited? It’s imperative that you verify that the vet tech program you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously discussed, one of the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone an extensive review process that confirms you will get a quality education. Also, accreditation is important if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since many programs are not available for non-accredited schools. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is frequently a requirement for employment for many Dothan AL area veterinary clinics and hospitals.

What is the School’s Reputation? The veterinarian college or vocational school and program you choose should have an exceptional reputation within the vet field. You can start your due diligence by asking the colleges you are reviewing for endorsements from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include looking on online school rating websites and contacting the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the Alabama school licensing department if there have been any grievances or infractions relating to your specific schools. As a final pointer, contact some Dothan AL vet clinics that you might want to work for after you receive your training. Find out what they think about your school choices. They might even recommend one or more schools not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs? The most effective means to get clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have internship programs set up with Dothan AL veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require practical training and a large number provide it through internships. Not only will the experience be valuable regarding the clinical training, but an internship can also help establish associations in the local veterinary community and assist in the search for a job after graduation.

Is Job Placement Offered? Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college can be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are evaluating. A lower rate may suggest that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the course of study or that some students were unhappy with the program and quit. Next, verify that the colleges have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate could signify that the college has an exceptional reputation within the Dothan AL veterinary community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate might mean that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job placement program is ineffective at placing students.

How Large are the Classes? If the classes are bigger, you probably will receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Dothan AL programs you are researching what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You may also decide to attend a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between teachers and students. Ask for feedback from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the instructors and determine what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located? Okay, we previously talked about 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 Dothan AL home, you need to make sure that the commuting time fits into your schedule. For example, driving during the weekend to check out the route won’t be the same as the commute during rush hour traffic, especially if the college is located close by or within a larger city. Also, if you do opt to attend 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 taking online classes could be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and minimize the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And finally, it’s imperative that you find out if the vet colleges you are evaluating offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to fit your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue to work full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Dothan AL. Others may only be able to go to classes in the morning or later 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 issues. You may find that an online school is the best solution to fit your vet education into your busy life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Dothan AL?

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

Dothan, Alabama

Dothan /ˈdoʊθən/ is a city in Dale, Henry, and Houston counties in the U.S. state of Alabama. It is the largest city and county seat of Houston County, with a population of 65,496 at the 2010 census.[2] It is located in the state's southeastern corner, approximately 20 miles (32 km) west of the Georgia state line and 16 miles (26 km) north of Florida. Its name derives from Genesis 37:17: "let us go to Dothan."

Dothan is the principal city of the Dothan, Alabama metropolitan area, which encompasses all of Geneva, Henry, and Houston counties; the small portion that lies in Dale County is part of the Ozark Micropolitan Statistical Area. The combined population for the entire Dothan metropolitan area in 2010 was 145,639.[4] The city serves as the main transportation and commercial hub for a significant part of southeastern Alabama, southwest Georgia, and nearby portions of the Florida Panhandle. Since approximately one-fourth of the U.S. peanut crop is produced nearby, with much of it being processed in the city, Dothan is sometimes referred to as "The Peanut Capital of the World". Dothan also hosts the annual National Peanut Festival at the dedicated "Peanut Festival Fairgrounds".[5]

The area that is now Dothan was inhabited for thousands of years by successive cultures of indigenous peoples. In historic times it was occupied by the Alabama and Creek Native American tribes who were hunters and gatherers in the vast forests of pine that covered this region. These tribes had developed complex cultures, and often used to meet and camp for trading near a large spring at the crossroads of two trails.

Select the Right Veterinary Technician Program near Dothan AL

Dothan AL vet tech holding dog Choosing the ideal veterinary technician college is an important first step to beginning a gratifying career delivering care and treatment for animals. Future students looking into veterinary technician schools need to make their decision based on several key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They typically handle administrative responsibilities and assist the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have discussed, it’s essential that you enroll in a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This goes for vet tech online schools as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to reduce your choices so that you can make your final selection. And by choosing the right program, you can reach your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Dothan AL.