Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Schererville IN

How to Select a Vet Tech Program near Schererville Indiana

Schererville IN vet tech diagnosing puppy Fulfilling your lifelong goal of working with and caring for pets by enrolling in a vet tech program near Schererville IN could initially feel like an overwhelming task. After all, you must locate and enroll in a school that will furnish the appropriate training so that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. But just how do you approach analyzing and comparing schools so that you can make the ideal selection? Many future students begin their due diligence process by searching for campuses that are close to their homes. After they have found some nearby schools, they determine which ones have the lowest tuition and hone in on those. Although cost and location are significant concerns when evaluating vet tech programs, they are not the only critical ones when making your assessments. Qualifications such as accreditation and internship programs should be considered also. The point is that there are questions you should be asking the vet tech programs you are reviewing before you make an ultimate selection. We have presented several in this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll talk about the different roles of veterinary technicians and the training options available.

The Job of a Veterinary Technician in Schererville IN

cat with cone after surgery in Schererville IN One of the first decisions that you will have to make is if you want to train as a veterinary technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your determination may be based on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your education, but the main determiner will most likely be which specialty appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they all work under the immediate direction of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And while there are numerous duties that they can perform within the Schererville IN veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe medicines, diagnose ailments, or carry out surgeries. In those areas they can only furnish support to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work exclusive of the standard veterinarian practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let’s take a look at the duties and training requirements for each specialization.

Vet Assistants in most cases will have gone through a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a vet clinic or hospital, or by completing 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 execution of their duties. Normally they are not involved with more involved tasks, such as assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their regular responsibilities may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or handling pets during exams.
Vet Technicians get more extensive training compared to assistants and normally obtain a 2 year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinary equivalent of medical nurses, since their fundamental job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from vet assistants is that they are included in more involved tasks, for instance assisting with surgeries or providing medicine. All states presently mandate that veterinary technicians pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.
Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary techs and for the most part perform the same work functions. They are required to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which normally takes 4 years. Therefore the only real distinction between a vet technologist and a technician 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 additionally mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.

Vet techs and technologists can specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or emergency care. A number may receive certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Schererville IN labs or research facilities as well.

Online Veterinary Technician Schools Offered in Schererville

student attending online vet tech school in Schererville IN An approach that may be a solution for those with a hectic lifestyle or who are working full-time while attending veterinary college is to enroll in an online training program. Because the classes are made available by means of the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is available. The educational program is taught using various venues, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since most vet technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that segment can usually be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Schererville IN veterinary practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in many instances reduce the cost of your education. Tuition and secondary expenditures, for example for commuting and study materials, may be more affordable compared to more traditional classroom courses. Just make sure that the online school that you choose 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 comprehensive education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more independent fashion, an online veterinary technician program may be the right option for you.

Things to Ask Schererville IN Veterinary Technician Colleges

Questions to ask Schererville IN vet tech schools At this point you should have determined which veterinarian credential that you wish to obtain, and if you intend to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinarian community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the Schererville IN area and across the United States, you must ask some relevant questions in order to narrow down your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our introduction, many prospective students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have previously pointed out other important qualifiers, which include accreditation and internship programs. And naturally you want to select a program that offers the degree and specialty that you are interested in. These and other qualifications are addressed in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician schools that you are looking at.

Is the Veterinary College Accredited? It’s important that you verify that the veterinary technician school you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As earlier stated, among 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 screening process that ensures you will receive a quality education. Also, accreditation is important if you are applying for a student loan or financial assistance, since a large number of programs are not offered for non-accredited schools. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited college is often a prerequisite for employment for many Schererville IN area vet practices and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation? The veterinary vocational school or college and program you enroll in must have an exceptional reputation within the veterinary field. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the colleges you are reviewing for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include looking on online school rating websites and speaking with the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Indiana school licensing department if there have been any grievances or violations concerning your targeted schools. As a final tip, contact some Schererville IN veterinary clinics that you may wish to work for after you receive your training. Find out what they think of your school selections. They might even recommend some colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The best way to get clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a professional setting. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have internship programs arranged with Schererville IN veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and a large number provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable relative to the practical training, but an internship can also help establish associations in the local vet 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 veterinary technician school can be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are reviewing. A lower rate may indicate that the instructors were unqualified to teach the curriculum or that some students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. Next, verify that the schools have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might indicate that the college has an excellent reputation within the Schererville IN vet community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate could indicate 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 larger in size, you may get little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Schererville IN colleges you are looking at what their class student to teacher ratios are. You might also want to attend some classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between teachers and students. Get evaluations from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the Campus Located? Okay, we already covered location, but there are several more points to make on the subject. If you are going to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Schererville IN home, you need to make certain that the driving time fits into your schedule. For instance, 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 near or in 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 state and community colleges. On the other hand, attending online classes might be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and decrease the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And last, it’s essential that you ascertain if the veterinarian programs you are looking at offer class times flexible enough to accommodate your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Schererville IN. Others might only be able to go to classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you require are available prior to enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make-up classes that you might miss because of work, illness or family issues. You may discover that an online program is the best way to fit your vet training into your busy life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Schererville IN?

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

Schererville, Indiana

Long before Indiana became a state, long before the founding of Schererville, people called the area the "Crossroads," as several Native American trails intersected here, that later became routes for the wagons of settlers traveling west.

One of those settlers was Nicholas Scherer, born in 1830 at Dilsburg, today part of Heusweiler district, Saarland, southwest Germany, who arrived in the U.S. in 1846. When he came to this place at the southern tip of Lake Michigan in 1865, he founded the community that bears his name.[8]

Today, trails still cross at Schererville, the modern trails of a motorized society, U.S. Highways 41 and 30. Nearby are newer trails, I-80/94 and I-65. All these are primary transcontinental routes and gives Schererville its slogan: "Crossroads of the Nation."

Pick the Right Vet Tech School near Schererville IN

Schererville IN vet tech holding dog Picking the appropriate veterinary technician school is a crucial first step to starting a fulfilling career delivering treatment and care for animals. Future students considering veterinary technician colleges need to make their selection based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They typically handle administrative tasks 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 goes for online vet tech schools as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to reduce your options so that you can make your final decision. And by choosing the best school, you can achieve your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Schererville IN.