Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Baton Rouge LA

How to Choose a Veterinary Technician School near Baton Rouge Louisiana

Baton Rouge LA vet tech diagnosing puppy Fulfilling your long term aspiration of working with and caring for animals by enrolling in a vet tech program near Baton Rouge LA may at first feel like a challenging endeavor. After all, you must locate and enroll in a college that will provide the proper training so that you can be successful as a veterinary technician. But just how do you approach reviewing and contrasting colleges so that you can make the correct selection? Many potential students begin their due diligence process by searching for schools that are near their homes. Once they have found some area colleges, they ascertain which ones have the most affordable tuition and focus on those. Although location and expense are important concerns when assessing vet technician programs, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your evaluations. Qualifiers such as accreditation and internship programs need to be looked into also. The point is that there are questions you should be asking the vet technician programs you are considering before you make a final decision. We have furnished several within this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll discuss the varied roles of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives available.

The Job of a Veterinary Technician in Baton Rouge LA

cat with cone after surgery in Baton Rouge LA Among the first decisions that you will have to make is whether you want to train as a vet technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your decision might be based on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the principal factor will probably be which specialty interests you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they each work under the direct direction of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And while there are many jobs that they can carry out within the Baton Rouge LA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe medications, diagnose conditions, or carry out surgeries. In those areas they may only provide assistance to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work exclusive of the conventional veterinarian practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the job functions and education prerequisites for each position.

Vet Assistants in the majority of cases will have undergone a structured training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a practice, or by graduating from a certificate program at a trade school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet techs in the completion of their duties. Generally they are not associated with more involved tasks, for example assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their typical responsibilities may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or handling animals during exams.
Vet Technicians undergo more extensive training in contrast to assistants and typically obtain 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 fundamental job function is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from veterinary assistants is that they are engaged in more complicated duties, such as assisting with surgical procedures or administering medication. All states presently require vet techs pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.
Vet Technologists are similar to vet technicians and basically carry out the same work functions. They are required to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which usually requires 4 years. 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 additionally required to pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.

Vet technicians and technologists can specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or emergency care. Many may acquire certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Baton Rouge LA laboratories or research facilities as well.

Online Veterinary Technician Programs Offered in Baton Rouge

student attending online vet tech school in Baton Rouge LA An approach that may make sense for those with a hectic schedule or who are working full time while going to veterinary school 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 available. The curriculum is taught using various venues, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since most veterinary tech and technologist degrees require clinical training, that segment can typically be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Baton Rouge LA veterinary clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in some instances reduce the cost of your education. Tuition and supplementary expenses, such as for commuting and study supplies, may be lower compared to more standard classroom programs. Just be sure that the online school that you choose is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting agency. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything is furnished for a comprehensive education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more self-reliant manner, an online veterinary technician program may be the ideal option for you.

Things to Ask Baton Rouge LA Vet Tech Colleges

Questions to ask Baton Rouge LA vet tech schools At this point you probably have determined which veterinary credential that you wish to obtain, and if you want to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Baton Rouge LA area as well as across the Country, you must ask some important questions to help narrow down your list of alternatives. As we mentioned in our opening, many potential students start by focusing on location and the cost of tuition. But we have already mentioned other essential qualifiers, for example accreditation and internship programs. And naturally you want to select a program that offers the specialty and degree that you want to earn. These and other factors are reviewed in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician colleges that you are considering.

Is the Vet Program Accredited? It’s imperative that you make sure that the veterinary technician school you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously stated, among the most highly respected 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 superior education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since many programs are not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited program is frequently a precondition for employment for a number of Baton Rouge LA area veterinarian practices and hospitals.

What is the School’s Reputation? The vet vocational school or college and program you enroll in must have an exceptional reputation within the veterinarian community. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the colleges you are interested in for references from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include looking on internet school ranking websites and checking with the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Louisiana school licensing authority if there have been any grievances or violations relating to your specific schools. As a final pointer, contact some Baton Rouge LA veterinarians that you might want to work for after you receive your training. Find out what they think of your school selections. They may even suggest one or more programs not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs? The best approach to obtain clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a medical setting. Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have internship programs established with Baton Rouge LA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Most veterinary medicine programs require practical training and many provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable as far as the clinical training, but an internship can also help develop connections in the local vet community and help in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Offered? Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician school may be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are considering. A lower rate might signify that the teachers were unqualified to teach the curriculum or that some students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. Next, check that the schools have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might mean that the program has an exceptional reputation within the Baton Rouge LA veterinarian community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate might mean that the training is not highly 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 may receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Baton Rouge LA programs you are considering what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You might also decide to sit in on a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between instructors and students. Ask for feedback from students relating to 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 School Located? Of course, we already covered location, but there are a few more points to consider on the topic. If you are going to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Baton Rouge LA home, you have to 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, particularly if the school is located in or close by a larger city. Also, if you do choose to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition costs particularly 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 necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And last, it’s imperative that you ascertain if the vet programs you are evaluating offer class times that are sufficiently flexible 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 Baton Rouge LA. Others may only be able to attend classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are offered before enrolling. Also, find out if you can make-up classes that you might miss because of work, sickness or family emergencies. You might discover that an online college is the ideal solution to fit your vet training into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Baton Rouge LA?

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

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Baton Rouge (/ˌbætən ˈruːʒ/ BAT-ən ROOZH; from French bâton rouge [bɑtɔ̃ ʁuʒ] ( listen), meaning 'red stick') is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana and its second-largest city. Located on the eastern bank of the Mississippi River, it is the parish seat of East Baton Rouge Parish.

As its capital city, Baton Rouge is the political hub of Louisiana.[6] It is the second-largest city in the state, with an estimated population of 227,715 in 2016.[7] The metropolitan area surrounding the city, known as Greater Baton Rouge, is also the second-largest in Louisiana, with a population of 830,480 people as of 2015.[8] The urban area has around 594,309 inhabitants.

Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, research, motion picture,[9] and growing technology[10] center of the American South. It is the location of Louisiana State University, the LSU System's flagship university and the largest institution of higher education in the state.[11] It is also the location of Southern University, the flagship institution of the Southern University System, the only historically black college system in the nation. The Port of Greater Baton Rouge is the 10th-largest in the United States in terms of tonnage shipped, and is the farthest upstream Mississippi River port capable of handling Panamax ships.[12][13]

Select the Ideal Vet Tech College near Baton Rouge LA

Baton Rouge LA vet tech holding dog Enrolling in the right vet tech school is a critical first step to starting a fulfilling career providing treatment and care for animals. Students considering veterinary technician schools need to make their determination based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They commonly handle administrative duties and support the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have discussed, it’s imperative that you pick a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the field. This applies to online vet tech programs as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to reduce your choices so that you can make your final choice. And by selecting the ideal school, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a vet tech in Baton Rouge LA.