Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Bowling Green KY

How to Enroll In a Veterinary Technician School near Bowling Green Kentucky

Bowling Green KY vet tech diagnosing puppy Achieving your lifelong aspiration of working with and caring for pets by enrolling in a vet tech college near Bowling Green KY might at first seem like a daunting undertaking. After all, you must locate and enroll in a program that will furnish the appropriate training to ensure that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. But just how do you approach evaluating and contrasting colleges so that you can make the proper choice? Many potential students begin their due diligence process by looking for colleges that are close to their homes. After they have located some area schools, they determine which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although cost and location are significant factors when evaluating vet technician programs, they are by no means the only important ones when making your comparisons. Qualifiers such as accreditation and internship programs should be looked into also. The point is that there are questions you should be asking the vet technician schools you are reviewing 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 talk about the different roles of vet techs and the training options offered.

The Job of a Vet Tech in Bowling Green KY

cat with cone after surgery in Bowling Green KY One of the initial decisions that you will have to make is if you plan to train as a veterinary technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your preference may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the main determiner will undoubtedly be which specialization interests you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they all work under the direct guidance of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And although there are numerous tasks that they can carry out within the Bowling Green KY veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose conditions, or carry out surgeries. In those areas they may only furnish assistance to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work away from the conventional veterinarian practice, such as for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let’s take a look at the job functions and education requirements for each specialty.

Vet Assistants in almost all instances will have gone through a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a practice, or by completing a certificate program at a trade school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet technicians in the execution of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more complicated tasks, for instance assisting with surgeries. A few of their normal functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during examinations.
Vet Technicians undergo more extensive training compared to 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 equivalent of medical nurses, since their basic job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from veterinary assistants is that they are engaged in more involved activities, for example assisting with surgeries or administering medicine. All states currently require vet techs pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.
Vet Technologists are comparable to vet technicians and essentially carry out the same work functions. They are required to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which normally takes four years. So 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 work opportunities, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally required to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

Veterinary techs and technologists can specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or emergency care. A number may earn certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Bowling Green KY labs or research facilities also.

Online Veterinary Technician Schools Offered in Bowling Green

student attending online vet tech school in Bowling Green KY An option that might be a solution for those with a busy lifestyle or who are working full time while going to veterinary school is to enroll in an online training program. Since the classes are offered over the internet, students can attend on their own schedule wherever a computer is accessible. The educational program is taught using several methods, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since many vet tech and technologist degrees require practical training, that part can typically be completed as an internship or work study program at a local Bowling Green KY veterinarian clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in some instances reduce the cost of your education. Tuition and ancillary costs, for example for commuting and study supplies, may be lower compared to more conventional classroom courses. Just be sure that the online school that you enroll in is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting organization. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything is included for a comprehensive education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more independent mode, an online veterinary technician school may be the right option for you.

Questions to Ask Bowling Green KY Vet Tech Programs

Questions to ask Bowling Green KY vet tech schools By now you should have selected which veterinary credential that you wish to obtain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinary community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Bowling Green KY area and across the USA, you should ask some relevant questions in order to narrow down your list of options. As we pointed out in our opening, many potential students start by prioritizing location and the cost of tuition. But we have previously mentioned other important qualifiers, for instance accreditation and internship programs. And obviously you need to select a college that offers the specialty and degree that you want to earn. These and other factors are reviewed in the list of questions that you need to ask the vet tech programs that you are looking at.

Is the Veterinary School Accredited? It’s essential that you make sure that the vet tech college you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously stated, one of the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a demanding screening process that ensures you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are requesting a student loan or financial assistance, since numerous programs are not offered for non-accredited colleges. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited college is frequently a precondition for employment for a number of Bowling Green KY area veterinary clinics and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation? The vet trade school or college and program you select should have an excellent reputation within the vet community. You can begin your due diligence by asking the colleges you are interested in for endorsements from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include looking on online school rating websites and checking with the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Kentucky school licensing department if there have been any grievances or infractions concerning your specific schools. As a final suggestion, contact some Bowling Green KY veterinarians that you might want to work for after you go through your training. Find out what they think of your school selections. They may even recommend one or more colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The most effective approach to get practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a professional setting. Find out if the schools you are reviewing have internship programs set up with Bowling Green KY veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. Most veterinary medicine programs require practical training and a large number provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable regarding the clinical training, but an internship may also help build associations in the local veterinary community and help in the search for a job after graduation.

Is Job Placement Offered? Searching for a job after graduating from a veterinary technician program may be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, ask what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are evaluating. A lower rate may mean that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the syllabus or that some students were unhappy with the program and quit. Next, verify that the colleges have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate might mean that the school has an outstanding reputation within the Bowling Green KY veterinary community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may signify that the training is not well regarded by employers or that the job placement program is ineffective at placing students.

How Big are the Classes? If the classes are larger, you probably will get little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Request from the Bowling Green KY programs you are looking at what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You might also decide to sit in on a couple of classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between teachers and students. Ask for evaluations from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the instructors and find out what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the School Located? Yes, we already covered location, but there are a couple of more points to consider on the topic. If you are planning to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Bowling Green KY home, you have to confirm that the commuting time is compatible with your schedule. For example, driving during the weekend to check out the route won’t be the same as the commute during rush hour traffic, particularly if the college is located in or close by a large city. In addition, if you do choose to enroll in a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition fees particularly for community and state colleges. Of course taking classes online might be an option that will give you more flexibility and reduce the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And finally, it’s imperative that you find out if the veterinary 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 attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Bowling Green KY. Some might only be able to go to classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Make certain that the class times you require are available before enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make up classes that you might miss as a result of work, sickness or family issues. You might find that an online program is the best solution to fit your veterinary education into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Bowling Green KY?

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

Bowling Green, Kentucky

Bowling Green is a home rule-class city and the county seat of Warren County, Kentucky, United States.[2] As of 2017, its population of 67,067 made it the third most-populous city in the state after Louisville and Lexington; its metropolitan area had an estimated population of 165,732; and the combined statistical area it shares with Glasgow has an estimated population of 218,870.[3][4][5]

Founded by pioneers in 1798, Bowling Green was the provisional capital of Confederate Kentucky during the American Civil War. The city was the subject of the 1967 Everly Brothers song "Bowling Green".

In the 21st century, it is the location of numerous manufacturers, including General Motors and Fruit of the Loom. The Bowling Green Assembly Plant has been the source of all Chevrolet Corvettes built since 1981. Bowling Green is also home to the state's second-largest public university, Western Kentucky University. In 2014, Forbes magazine listed Bowling Green as one of the Top 25 Best Places to Retire in the United States.[6]

Enroll in the Best Vet Tech Program near Bowling Green KY

Bowling Green KY vet tech holding dog Enrolling in the ideal vet tech school is a critical first step to starting a gratifying career delivering treatment and care for animals. Future students looking into veterinary technician schools need to make their selection based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They typically take on administrative tasks and assist the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have discussed, it’s very important that you enroll in a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This applies to vet tech online colleges as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make your final choice. And by selecting the ideal program, you can achieve your goal of becoming a vet tech in Bowling Green KY.