Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Wilmore KY - Find Vet Tech Schools Near You

How to Choose a Vet Tech School near Wilmore Kentucky

Wilmore KY vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your lifelong goal of working with and caring for pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician program near Wilmore KY may at first seem like an overwhelming undertaking. After all, you need to find and enroll in a college that will furnish the proper training to ensure that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you tackle analyzing and contrasting schools so that you can make the best choice? Many future students launch their due diligence process by looking for colleges that are near their residences. After they have located some local schools, they find out which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although cost and location are important concerns when evaluating veterinary technician schools, they are not the only significant ones when making your assessments. Factors such as accreditation and internship programs need to be looked into as well. The point is that there are questions you should be asking the vet tech programs you are evaluating before you make an ultimate choice. We have provided several in this article to help get you started, but before we review them we’ll go over the various duties of vet techs and the training alternatives available.

The Role of a Vet Tech in Wilmore KY

cat with cone after surgery in Wilmore KY One of the initial decisions that you will have to make is if you desire to train as a vet assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your decision might be based on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your training, but the main factor will most likely be which specialty interests you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they all work under the immediate direction of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And while there are a number of duties that they can perform within the Wilmore KY veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe medicines, diagnose ailments, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they can only furnish assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work outside of the conventional veterinarian practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let’s take a look at the responsibilities and education prerequisites for each specialization.

Vet Assistants in most instances will have undergone 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 techs in the performance of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more involved tasks, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their normal duties may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or handling animals during examinations.
Vet Technicians undergo more advanced training in contrast to assistants and usually acquire a two year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinarian equivalent of medical nurses, since their fundamental job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from veterinary assistants is that they are included in more involved duties, for example assisting with surgical procedures or administering medication. All states currently mandate that vet techs pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.
Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary technicians and for the most part carry out the same work functions. They are required to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which typically requires 4 years. Therefore 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 options, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

Vet techs and technologists may specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or emergency care. A number may acquire certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Wilmore KY laboratories or research facilities also.

Online Veterinary Technician Programs Offered in Wilmore

student attending online vet tech school in Wilmore KY An alternative that might make sense for those with a hectic lifestyle or who are working full-time while going to veterinarian school is to enroll in an online program. Since the classes are offered by means of the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is available. The curriculum is taught using multiple venues, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since many veterinary tech and technologist degrees require clinical training, that part can usually be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Wilmore KY veterinary practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in some instances reduce the cost of your education. Tuition and ancillary costs, for instance for traveling and study materials, can be cheaper compared to more traditional 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 courses and the practical training, everything is included for a comprehensive education. So if you are dedicated enough to learn in this more independent fashion, an online vet tech program may be the right option for you.

Things to Ask Wilmore KY Vet Tech Schools

Questions to ask Wilmore KY vet tech schools At this point you should have decided on which veterinary credential that you want to obtain, and if you want to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Wilmore KY area as well as across the USA, you should ask some qualifying questions in order to fine tune your list of options. As we pointed out in our introduction, many future students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have already mentioned other important qualifiers, for instance accreditation and internship programs. And of course you want to select a program that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. These and other factors are reviewed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician schools that you are reviewing.

Is the Veterinary College Accredited? It’s essential that you confirm that the vet tech school you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously discussed, 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 an extensive screening process that ensures you will obtain a quality education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since a large number of programs are not available for non-accredited schools. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited school is frequently a precondition for employment for a number of Wilmore KY area veterinarian practices and hospitals.

What is the Program’s Reputation? The veterinary vocational school or college and program you enroll in must have an excellent reputation within the veterinarian community. You can begin your due diligence by asking the schools you are interested in for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include checking with internet school rating websites and contacting the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Kentucky school licensing authority if there have been any grievances or infractions involving your specific schools. As a final recommendation, call some Wilmore KY veterinary clinics that you may wish to work for after you go through your training. Find out what they think of your school choices. They may even suggest one or more colleges not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs? The most effective way to get clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Find out if the programs you are considering have internship programs arranged with Wilmore KY veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and a large number furnish it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable relative to the practical training, but an internship can also help establish relationships in the local veterinary community and assist in the search for employment after graduation.

Is Job Placement 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, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are considering. A lower rate could indicate that the teachers were unqualified to teach the course of study or that some students were disappointed with the program and quit. Next, check that the schools have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate might mean that the college has an exceptional reputation within the Wilmore KY veterinary community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A low rate could indicate that the training is not highly thought of by employers or that the job assistance program is ineffective 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 Wilmore KY colleges you are considering what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You might also decide to sit in on a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between instructors and students. Get evaluations from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the instructors and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located? Of course, we already covered location, but there are several more points to make on the topic. If you are going to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Wilmore KY home, you need to make sure that the commuting 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 campus is located in or close by a large city. Also, if you do decide to attend a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition charges particularly for community and state colleges. Of course taking classes online might be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and minimize the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And last, it’s important that you find out if the veterinarian colleges you are evaluating offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For example, a number of students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near Wilmore KY. Others may only be able to go to class in the morning or in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you need are available before enrolling. Also, determine if you can make-up classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family emergencies. You might discover that an online school is the ideal way to fit your vet training into your busy life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Wilmore KY?

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

Wilmore, Kentucky

Wilmore is a home rule-class city in Jessamine County, Kentucky, United States.[3] The population was 5,920 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Lexington–Fayette Metropolitan Statistical Area. According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.7 km2), all of it land.

In 1882, the Southern Railway established a line through the county and located a flag stop at Wilmore which was briefly called "Scott's Station". It was named for John D. Scott, the owner of the site. The station's name was soon changed to Wilmore.[4]

By the 1890s, Wilmore was a prosperous settlement with a population of about 600. Wilmore was an important shipping point for cattle, hogs, grain and other produce, and the settlement had a blacksmith, carriage repair shops, two drug stores, three doctors, three large stores, a hardware store, two butcher shops, a livery stable, a school, several churches, a glass mill, and a grist mill. Asbury University (formerly Asbury College) was founded in 1890.[5]

Choose the Right Veterinary Technician Program near Wilmore KY

Wilmore KY vet tech holding dog Selecting the appropriate veterinary technician school is an important first step to starting a gratifying career providing treatment and care for animals. Students thinking about 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 usually handle administrative responsibilities and support the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have discussed, it’s imperative that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This applies to online vet tech schools as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to reduce your alternatives so that you can make your final selection. And by choosing the best school, you can reach your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Wilmore KY.