Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Port Sulphur LA

How to Pick a Vet Tech Program near Port Sulphur Louisiana

Port Sulphur LA vet tech diagnosing puppy Achieving your long term dream of working with and caring for animals by enrolling in a vet tech college near Port Sulphur LA may at first feel like an overwhelming endeavor. After all, you must locate and enroll in a college that will furnish the proper training so that you can be successful as a veterinary technician. But just how do you tackle analyzing and comparing schools so that you can make the proper choice? Many potential students start their due diligence process by searching for colleges that are near their homes. After they have located some area colleges, they find out which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although expense and location are significant concerns when comparing vet technician programs, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your evaluations. Factors such as accreditation and internship programs need to be looked into as well. The main idea is that there are questions you should be asking the veterinary technician programs you are evaluating before you make an ultimate selection. We have furnished several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll discuss the varied responsibilities of vet techs and the training alternatives offered.

The Role of a Veterinary Technician in Port Sulphur LA

cat with cone after surgery in Port Sulphur LA Among the first decisions that you will need to make is if you plan to train as a vet assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your preference may be based on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your training, but the principal determiner will most likely be which specialization appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they all work under the immediate direction of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And while there are numerous jobs that they can perform within the Port Sulphur LA veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe medications, diagnose conditions, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work outside of the typical vet practice, such as for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let’s take a look at the responsibilities and training requirements for each position.

Vet Assistants in the majority of instances will have gone through a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a vet clinic or hospital, or by finishing 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 performance of their duties. Normally they are not involved with more complex undertakings, such as assisting with surgeries. Some of their regular responsibilities may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during examinations.
Vet Technicians undergo more advanced training compared to assistants and normally obtain a 2 year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the veterinarian 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 duties, such as assisting with surgeries or providing medicine. All states currently require veterinary techs pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.
Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary techs and for the most part carry out the same work functions. They are required to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which typically takes 4 years. Therefore the main distinction between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist’s higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job options, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are also required to pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.

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

Online Vet Tech Schools Offered in Port Sulphur

student attending online vet tech school in Port Sulphur LA An alternative that may be a solution for those with a hectic schedule or who are working full-time while attending veterinarian college is to enroll in an online training program. Because the classes are made available via the internet, students can study on their own timetable wherever a computer is accessible. The educational program is taught using multiple venues, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since the majority of veterinary tech and technologist degrees require clinical training, that segment can normally be fulfilled as an internship or work study program at a local Port Sulphur LA veterinary clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in some instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and secondary expenditures, for example for travel and study supplies, can be lower compared to more standard classroom courses. Just make sure that the online school that you select is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting agency. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything is included for a complete education. So if you are dedicated enough to learn in this more self-reliant fashion, an online veterinary technician program may be the ideal choice for you.

What to Ask Port Sulphur LA Veterinary Technician Colleges

Questions to ask Port Sulphur LA vet tech schools At this point you probably have determined which veterinarian credential that you want to earn, and if you want to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinary community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Port Sulphur LA area and across the United States, you need to ask some qualifying questions in order to narrow down your list of options. As we discussed in our introduction, many future students start by concentrating on location and the cost of tuition. But we have already touched on other essential qualifiers, which include internship programs and accreditation. And obviously you want to enroll in a program that offers the specialty and degree that you want to earn. These and other qualifications are addressed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the vet tech programs that you are reviewing.

Is the Vet College Accredited? It’s essential that you verify that the veterinary technician program you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier stated, among the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone an extensive screening process that verifies you will obtain a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not obtainable for non-accredited colleges. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is frequently a prerequisite for employment for a number of Port Sulphur LA area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.

What is the School’s Reputation? The veterinary vocational school or college and program you choose must have an excellent reputation within the veterinarian community. You can start your due diligence by asking the schools you are interested in for endorsements from the employers in their job assistance network. Other tips include checking with internet school ranking websites and contacting the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Louisiana school licensing department if there have been any complaints or infractions involving your targeted schools. As a final recommendation, contact some Port Sulphur LA vet clinics that you may want to work for after you receive your training. Find out what they think of your school selections. They may even suggest some colleges not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs? The best approach to get practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Find out if the programs you are reviewing have internship programs arranged with Port Sulphur LA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require practical training and many provide it through internships. Not only will the experience be valuable regarding the practical training, but an internship may also help develop connections in the local vet community and help in the search for a position after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program? Searching for a job after graduating from a veterinary technician school may 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 low rate might suggest that the instructors were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that a number of students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. Next, check that the colleges have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate could signify that the school has an outstanding reputation within the Port Sulphur LA vet community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may indicate that the training is not highly thought of by employers or that the job assistance program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes? If the classes are bigger, you probably will get little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Port Sulphur LA programs you are considering what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You might also want to attend a couple of classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between instructors and students. 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 methods of teaching.

Where is the Campus Located? Okay, we previously talked about location, but there are a couple of more points to consider on the subject. If you are going to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Port Sulphur LA home, you have to confirm 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, particularly if the college is located in or near a larger city. Also, if you do decide to attend a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition costs particularly for community and state colleges. Of course attending online classes could be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and reduce the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And last, it’s imperative that you ascertain if the vet colleges you are looking at 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 at night near Port Sulphur LA. Others might only be able to attend class in the morning or in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are offered before enrolling. Also, determine if you can make-up classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family issues. You might find that an online school is the ideal way to fit your vet education into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Port Sulphur LA?

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

Port Sulphur, Louisiana

The name Port Sulphur derives from the Freeport Sulphur Company in the early 1930s, when it set up logistics, refining, storage and shipping operations to support its Frasch Process sulphur mine at Lake Grande Ecaille, located 10 miles west of the town in the nearby marsh.[2] The Grande Ecaille mine was the largest sulphur deposit in the world when it began operation in 1933, and remained in production until 1978. Over time, as other discoveries were made, the Freeport Sulphur Company also used the Port Sulphur facility to support their other Frasch Process sulphur mines located at Garden Island Bay, Lake Pelto, and Caillou Island; a land-based mine at Chacahoula; the first offshore sulphur mines at Grand Isle and Caminada Pass; and a large operation 50 miles offshore from the Mississippi River Delta in 300 feet of water, at Main Pass Block 299 in the Gulf of Mexico. The facility was also used to process and ship recovered sulphur obtained by oil and gas refining. The terminal was able to filter and store liquid hot molten sulphur in large insulated heated tanks, and "vat" liquid sulphur into acres of long term dry storage by forming blocks of bright yellow sulphur by spraying molten sulphur into metal forms on the ground and allowing to cool. The site is valuable because of its proximity to sulphur producing areas near the Gulf of Mexico, its docking sites along the Mississippi River and back bay marsh.

Port Sulphur was originally a typical company town, with its residents and civic life closely tied to the Freeport Sulphur Company. As the company divested itself of much of the town property and governance, it became more of a regular town with private individual land ownership. As the number of employees at the site dwindled, the Freeport Company became less important in everyday life and economic activity. At some point, most of the company-owned land not necessary for the sulphur operation was transferred to Plaquemines Parish or sold to private owners. The economic fortunes of the Freeport Sulphur Company declined during the 1980s and 1990s, resulting from the competitive forces of recovered Sulphur processed from sour oil & gas. In the early 2000s Freeport Sulphur shut down operations, as the price of sulphur dropped too low because large amounts of sulphur recovered during petroleum refining and from Canadian natural gas exploration were dumped on the international sulphur market. With inexpensive recovered sulphur in large supply, the large scale and expensive Frasch Process sulphur mining and storage operations proved to be uneconomical and were discontinued. The Freeport-McMoRan Port Sulphur facility was closed and sold. Hurricane Katrina destroyed much of what was left of the sulphur facility in August 2005, with a few buildings remaining. With the closing of Freeport-McMoRan Sulphur, the town has been seeking another economic identity.

The large brick Plaquemines Parish Government building located on Louisiana Highway 23 (LA 23) in town next to the former Freeport property was originally the Freeport Sulphur Company administration building. The Port Sulphur school and other buildings located around the Civic Drive area were originally located on company property and are oriented towards the former Freeport Property. Much of the original town buildings were sold or removed, and much of the original town site sits mostly vacant empty land, with a large stand of oak trees on the former Freeport Property next to the Plaquemines Government building. An historical marker about Port Sulphur is located in front of the Government Building. The golf course land located on LA 23, just south of the former Freeport property, was originally a neighborhood of the company townsite. The land was later donated to the Plaquemines Parish Government.

Choose the Right Veterinary Technician College near Port Sulphur LA

Port Sulphur LA vet tech holding dog Enrolling in the appropriate vet tech program is a critical first step to beginning a fulfilling career providing treatment and care for pets and livestock. Future students looking into vet tech schools must make their decision based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They commonly handle administrative tasks and assist the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have discussed, it’s essential that you decide on a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This goes for online vet tech schools as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to narrow down your alternatives so that you can make your final choice. And by choosing the best college, you can achieve your goal of becoming a vet tech in Port Sulphur LA.