Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Edwardsville KS

How to Select a Veterinary Technician School near Edwardsville Kansas

Edwardsville KS vet tech diagnosing puppy Achieving your lifelong dream of working with and helping animals by enrolling in a vet tech college near Edwardsville KS might initially feel like a challenging endeavor. After all, you have to find and enroll in a school that will provide the proper training to ensure that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. But just how do you tackle reviewing and comparing colleges so that you can make the proper choice? Many future students start their due diligence process by looking for colleges that are close to their homes. When they have found some local schools, they find out which ones have the lowest tuition and hone in on those. Although location and expense are important factors when evaluating vet technician programs, they are not the only significant ones when making your comparisons. Qualifications such as accreditation and internship programs need to be looked into as well. The point is that there are questions you ought to be asking the vet technician programs you are evaluating before you make an ultimate selection. We have presented several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we’ll talk about the various roles of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives offered.

The Function of a Vet Tech in Edwardsville KS

cat with cone after surgery in Edwardsville KS Among the initial decisions that you will have to make is if you wish to train as a veterinary technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your determination might be predicated 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 interests you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they both work under the immediate guidance of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And even though there are many duties that they can carry out within the Edwardsville KS veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe medications, diagnose ailments, 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 typical vet practice, for instance for animal shelters, zoos or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the job functions and training requirements for each specialty.

Vet Assistants in almost all instances will have gone through a structured training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a vet clinic or hospital, or by completing a certificate program at a community college or vocational school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet technicians in the execution of their duties. Normally they are not associated with more complicated tasks, for example assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their typical functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during examinations.
Vet Technicians get more extensive training compared with assistants and normally obtain a two year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinary counterparts of medical nurses, since their fundamental job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from vet assistants is that they are engaged in more complex tasks, for example assisting with surgical procedures or administering medicine. All states currently mandate that veterinary technicians pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.
Vet Technologists are comparable to vet techs and for the most part carry out the same work functions. They are required to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which usually requires 4 years. So the main difference 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 also required to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

Vet technicians and technologists may specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or emergency care. Many may obtain certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Edwardsville KS labs or research facilities as well.

Online Vet Tech Programs Offered in Edwardsville

student attending online vet tech school in Edwardsville KS An approach that might make sense for those with a busy 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 through the internet, students can attend on their own timetable wherever a computer is accessible. The course of study is taught using various methods, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since many veterinary tech and technologist degrees require clinical training, that segment can usually be completed as an internship or work study program at a local Edwardsville KS veterinarian clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in some instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and ancillary expenses, such as for travel and study supplies, can be more affordable compared to more traditional classroom courses. Just confirm that the online school that you select is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting organization. With the online classes and the practical training, everything is provided for a complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more self-reliant fashion, an online vet tech school may be the right option for you.

What to Ask Edwardsville KS Vet Tech Programs

Questions to ask Edwardsville KS vet tech schools At this point you should have determined which veterinarian degree that you would like to attain, and if you want to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinary community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Edwardsville KS area and across the United States, you need to ask some relevant questions to help narrow down your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our opening, many potential students start by concentrating on location and the cost of tuition. But we have already touched on other important qualifiers, which include internship programs and accreditation. And of course you need to select a program that offers the degree and specialty that you would like to earn. These and other qualifications are addressed in the list of questions that you should ask the vet tech programs that you are looking at.

Is the Veterinary College Accredited? It’s essential that you make sure that the vet tech college you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier discussed, one of the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through a thorough review process that verifies you will get a quality education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not obtainable for non-accredited programs. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited program is often a prerequisite for employment for a number of Edwardsville KS area veterinary practices and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation? The veterinarian trade school or college and program you choose must have an outstanding reputation within the veterinary community. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the colleges you are looking at for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include looking on internet school ranking websites and speaking with the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the Kansas school licensing department if there have been any grievances or violations concerning your targeted schools. As a final pointer, contact some Edwardsville KS veterinarians that you might wish to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think about your school choices. They may even suggest one or more schools not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The most effective means to get practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a clinical setting. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have internship programs set up with Edwardsville KS veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require practical training and a large number provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial relative to the clinical training, but an internship can also help build associations in the local vet community and assist in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Offered? Getting a job after graduating from a veterinary technician program can be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are considering. A low rate could suggest that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the syllabus or that a number of students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. Next, check that the colleges have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate could mean that the program has an outstanding reputation within the Edwardsville KS vet community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate might signify that the training is not highly 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 larger, you most likely will get little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Request from the Edwardsville KS colleges you are considering what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You may also decide to sit in on a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and teachers. Ask for feedback from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and find out what their qualifications are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the College Located? Yes, we already covered location, but there are several more points to consider on the subject. If you are planning to commute to your vet tech classes from your Edwardsville KS home, you have 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 drive during rush hour traffic, particularly if the college is located in or close by 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 fees especially for state and community colleges. Of course taking online classes could be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and reduce the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And last, it’s important that you determine if the vet schools you are looking at 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 attend classes on the weekends or at night near Edwardsville KS. Others might only be able to attend class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you need are available before enrolling. Also, find out if you can make-up classes that you may miss due to sickness, work or family issues. You might find that an online school is the ideal solution to fit your vet training into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Edwardsville KS?

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

Edwardsville, Kansas

Edwardsville is a city in Wyandotte County, Kansas, United States and is part of the "Unified Government" which also contains Kansas City, Kansas, most of Bonner Springs, and roughly one quarter of Lake Quivira. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 4,340.[5]

Edwardsville was surveyed in 1869 on land formerly belonging to Half Moon, an Indian chief of the Delawares.[6] It was named for John H. Edwards, a general passenger agent for the Union Pacific Railroad, who later served as a justice of the peace and state senator from Ellis County, Kansas.[7][8]

Edwardsville is located at 39°03′48″N 94°48′52″W / 39.063428°N 94.814347°W / 39.063428; -94.814347 (39.063428, -94.814347).[9] According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 9.36 square miles (24.24 km2), of which, 9.04 square miles (23.41 km2) is land and 0.32 square miles (0.83 km2) is water.[1]

Enroll in the Ideal Vet Tech School near Edwardsville KS

Edwardsville KS vet tech holding dog Enrolling in the right vet tech school is a crucial first step to starting a gratifying career providing care and treatment for animals. Students looking into veterinary technician schools must make their determination based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They typically take on administrative responsibilities and support the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have covered, it’s imperative that you decide on a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This applies to online vet tech colleges as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make your final decision. And by selecting the right school, you can achieve your goal of becoming a vet tech in Edwardsville KS.