Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools West Lafayette IN

How to Select a Vet Tech School near West Lafayette Indiana

West Lafayette IN vet tech diagnosing puppy Fulfilling your lifelong dream of working with and caring for pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician program near West Lafayette IN could at first seem like a challenging endeavor. After all, you need to find and enroll in a program that will provide the necessary training to ensure that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you go about reviewing and contrasting colleges so that you can make the best choice? Many potential students launch their due diligence process by searching for campuses that are near their residences. When they have found some area schools, they find out which ones have the most affordable tuition and focus on those. Although location and cost are important considerations when comparing vet tech programs, they are not the only significant ones when making your assessments. Qualifiers such as accreditation and internship programs should be evaluated also. The point is that there are questions you need to be asking the vet tech programs you are evaluating before you make a final decision. We have provided several in this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll talk about the various duties of vet techs and the training alternatives available.

The Role of a Veterinary Technician in West Lafayette IN

cat with cone after surgery in West Lafayette IN Among the first decisions that you will need to make is whether you want to train as a veterinary assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your determination may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the principal determiner will most likely be which specialty interests you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they each work under the immediate guidance of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are many tasks that they can carry out within the West Lafayette IN veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose ailments, or conduct surgeries. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work exclusive of the conventional vet practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the duties and education prerequisites for each specialty.

Vet Assistants in almost all instances will have undergone a structured training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a vet clinic or hospital, 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 performance of their duties. Normally they are not associated with more complicated tasks, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their normal responsibilities may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during examinations.
Vet Technicians undergo more extensive training in contrast to assistants and usually obtain a two year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the veterinarian counterparts of medical nurses, since their fundamental 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 activities, for example assisting with surgeries or providing medicine. All states presently require vet techs pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.
Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary techs and essentially carry out the same work functions. They are mandated to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which generally requires four years to complete. 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 opportunities, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.

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

Vet Tech Online Schools Offered in West Lafayette

student attending online vet tech school in West Lafayette IN An option that may make sense for those with a hectic lifestyle or who are working full time while attending vet school 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 timetable wherever a computer is accessible. The curriculum is taught using various methods, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since most vet technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that part can usually be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local West Lafayette IN veterinarian clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in many instances decrease the cost of your education. Tuition and supplementary costs, for instance for commuting and study materials, may be more affordable compared to more standard classroom courses. Just make sure that the program that you enroll in is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting agency. With the online classes and the practical training, everything is included for a comprehensive 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.

Questions to Ask West Lafayette IN Vet Tech Schools

Questions to ask West Lafayette IN vet tech schools By now you probably have decided on which veterinarian degree that you want to attain, and if you want to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinarian community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the West Lafayette IN area and across the Country, you must ask some qualifying questions to help fine tune your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our introduction, many potential students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have already mentioned other significant qualifiers, for instance accreditation and internship programs. And obviously you need to select a college that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other factors are addressed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the vet tech programs that you are considering.

Is the Veterinary College Accredited? It’s essential that you make sure that the veterinary technician college you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As earlier mentioned, one of the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a demanding review process that ensures you will get a quality education. Also, accreditation is important if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since a large number of programs are not obtainable for non-accredited programs. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited school is frequently a prerequisite for employment for many West Lafayette IN area veterinarian practices and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation? The veterinary college or vocational school and program you enroll in should have an outstanding reputation within the vet field. You can begin your due diligence by asking the schools you are reviewing for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other tips include looking on internet school ranking websites and speaking with the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the Indiana school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or violations concerning your targeted schools. As a final tip, contact some West Lafayette IN veterinarians that you may want to work for after you go through your training. Find out what they think about your school choices. They may even suggest one or more colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The best means to get clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a professional setting. Find out if the programs you are looking at have internship programs set up with West Lafayette IN veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and many provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable relative to the clinical training, but an internship can also help build relationships in the local vet community and help in the search for employment after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program? Searching for a job after graduating from a vet tech program may be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, ask what the graduation rates are for the schools you are considering. A low rate may mean that the instructors were unqualified to teach the course of study or that some students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. Next, verify that the schools have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate might indicate that the program has an outstanding reputation within the West Lafayette IN vet community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may mean that the training is not well thought of by employers or that the job assistance program is a failure at placing students.

How Large are the Classes? If the classes are bigger, you most likely will receive little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the West Lafayette IN colleges you are researching what their class student to teacher ratios are. You may also want to sit in on some classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between instructors and students. Ask for evaluations from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and determine what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the School Located? Okay, we previously talked about location, but there are several more points to consider on the subject. If you are planning to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your West Lafayette IN home, you must make sure that the commuting 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, particularly if the school is located close by or within a large city. In addition, if you do decide to attend a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition charges particularly for state and community colleges. On the other hand, attending online classes might be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and reduce the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And finally, it’s important that you find out if the veterinarian programs you are considering offer class times flexible enough to accommodate your schedule. For example, many students continue to work full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near West Lafayette IN. Others might only be able to attend classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you require are offered prior to enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make up classes that you may miss because of work, sickness or family responsibilities. You might find that an online college is the best solution to fit your veterinary education into your active life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near West Lafayette IN?

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

West Lafayette, Indiana

West Lafayette /ˌlɑːfiˈɛt/ is a city in Wabash Township, Tippecanoe County, Indiana, United States,[6] about 65 miles (105 km) northwest of the state capital of Indianapolis and 103 miles (166 km) southeast of Chicago. West Lafayette is directly across the Wabash River from its sister city, Lafayette. As of the 2016 census estimate, its population was 45,872.[7] It is the most densely populated city in Indiana and is home to Purdue University.

Augustus Wylie laid out a town in 1836 in the Wabash River floodplain south of the present Levee. Due to regular flooding of the site, Wylie's town was never built. The present city was formed in 1888 by the merger of the adjacent suburban towns of Chauncey, Oakwood, and Kingston, located on a bluff across the Wabash River from Lafayette, Indiana.[8] The three towns had been small suburban villages which were directly adjacent to one another. Kingston was laid out in 1855 by Jesse B. Lutz. Chauncey was platted in 1860 by the Chauncey family of Philadelphia, wealthy land speculators. Chauncey and Kingston formed a municipal government in 1866 which selected the name "Chauncey".[8]

The new town of Chauncey remained a small suburban village until Purdue University opened in 1869. In 1871 Chauncey voted to be annexed by Lafayette because it was unable to provide the infrastructure (such as improved streets, waterworks, police and fire protection). Lafayette voted against annexing Chauncey because of the high cost of the many improvements that the village lacked.[9] In May 1888, the town of Chauncey voted to change its name to West Lafayette after a petition signed by 152 electors.[10] By that time, the growth of the university was fueling the growth of the little town. The address of Purdue University was given as "Lafayette, Indiana" until well into the twentieth century. West Lafayette never gained a railroad depot and lagged several years behind Lafayette in the establishment of municipal infrastructure and services. Today, West Lafayette has established itself as a separate city, with independent services and unique neighborhoods distinct from those of its sister city, Lafayette.

Pick the Ideal Veterinary Technician Program near West Lafayette IN

West Lafayette IN vet tech holding dog Picking the appropriate veterinary technician college is a critical first step to beginning a gratifying career providing treatment and care for pets and livestock. Future students looking into veterinary technician programs need to make their selection based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They typically take on administrative duties and support the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have discussed, it’s imperative 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 schools as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to narrow down your alternatives so that you can make your final choice. And by selecting the best school, you can reach your goal of becoming a vet tech in West Lafayette IN.