Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Longstreet LA

How to Choose a Veterinary Technician School near Longstreet Louisiana

Longstreet LA vet tech diagnosing puppy Achieving your lifelong dream of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician program near Longstreet LA might initially seem like an overwhelming task. After all, you have to find and enroll in a program that will deliver the appropriate training to ensure that you can succeed as a vet tech. But just how do you tackle analyzing and contrasting colleges so that you can make the proper choice? Many potential students begin their due diligence process by searching for campuses that are close to their residences. After they have identified some area colleges, they determine which ones have the cheapest tuition and focus on those. Although expense and location are significant considerations when comparing veterinary technician programs, they are not the only critical ones when making your comparisons. Qualifications such as accreditation and internship programs should be evaluated also. The point is that there are questions you should be asking the vet technician schools you are looking at before you make an ultimate decision. We have furnished several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we’ll explore the various duties of vet techs and the training options offered.

The Role of a Vet Tech in Longstreet LA

cat with cone after surgery in Longstreet LA One of the first decisions that you will need to make is if you want to train as a vet technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your determination may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your training, but the primary factor will most likely be which specialty appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they each work under the immediate supervision of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And even though there are many jobs that they can perform within the Longstreet LA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe medicines, diagnose health issues, or conduct surgeries. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the typical vet practice, such as for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let’s take a look at the duties and training requirements for each specialization.

Vet Assistants in the majority of cases will have undergone a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by finishing a certificate program at a vocational school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet technicians in the execution of their duties. Generally they are not involved with more complicated tasks, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their usual responsibilities may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam 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, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinarian counterparts of medical nurses, since their basic job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from vet assistants is that they are included in more involved functions, such as assisting with surgeries or providing medicine. All states currently mandate that veterinary technicians pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.
Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary technicians and basically carry out the same job functions. They are required to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which normally requires 4 years to complete. So the main distinction between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist’s higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more career options, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally required to pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.

Vet technicians and technologists may specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or urgent care. A number may acquire certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Longstreet LA laboratories or research facilities as well.

Vet Tech Online Programs Offered in Longstreet

student attending online vet tech school in Longstreet LA An option that may be a solution for those with a hectic schedule or who are working full time while attending veterinary school is to enroll in an online training program. Since the classes are provided over the internet, students can attend on their own schedule wherever a computer is available. The curriculum is taught using multiple methods, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since many vet technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that segment can typically be fulfilled as an internship or work study program at a local Longstreet LA veterinarian clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in many instances reduce the cost of your education. Tuition and secondary costs, for instance for commuting and study supplies, can be cheaper compared to more conventional classroom programs. Just make sure that the program that you choose is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting organization. With the online classes and the practical training, everything is furnished for a complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more independent manner, an online vet tech school may be the ideal choice for you.

What to Ask Longstreet LA Vet Tech Schools

Questions to ask Longstreet LA vet tech schools By now you should have determined which veterinary degree that you want to obtain, and if you want to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are a large number of vet community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the Longstreet LA area as well as across the Country, you must ask some important questions to help fine tune your list of alternatives. As we mentioned in our opening, many prospective students start by prioritizing location and the cost of tuition. But we have already mentioned other essential qualifiers, such as internship programs and accreditation. And naturally you want to choose a school that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. These and other qualifications are reviewed in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the vet tech schools that you are considering.

Is the Veterinary College Accredited? It’s important that you make sure that the veterinary technician program you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. 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 undergone a demanding review process that confirms you will receive a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are applying for a student loan or financial assistance, since many programs are not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is often a precondition for employment for many Longstreet LA area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation? The vet college or trade school and program you choose should have an excellent reputation within the veterinary community. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the colleges you are reviewing for testimonials from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include looking on online school ranking websites and speaking with the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the Louisiana school licensing authority if there have been any grievances or infractions regarding your specific schools. As a final pointer, contact some Longstreet LA veterinary clinics that you might wish to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think about your school selections. They might even suggest some programs not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs? The best means to get clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a clinical setting. Ask if the colleges you are considering have internship programs arranged with Longstreet LA veterinarians, vet hospitals or practices. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and many furnish it through internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial as far as the practical training, but an internship can also help develop relationships in the local vet community and help in the search for a position after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program? Searching for a job after graduating from a veterinary technician school may be challenging without the help of a job placement program. To start with, ask what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are reviewing. A low rate could signify that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the syllabus or that a number of students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. Next, check that the schools have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate could indicate that the school has an excellent reputation within the Longstreet LA vet community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may mean that the training is not highly thought of by employers or that the job assistance program is ineffective at placing students.

How Big are the Classes? If the classes are bigger, you may get little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Longstreet LA programs you are considering what their class student to teacher ratios are. You may also want to attend some classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between teachers 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 methods of teaching.

Where is the School Located? Of course, we already talked about location, but there are a few more points to consider on the topic. If you are going to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Longstreet LA home, you must confirm 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 campus is located near or in a larger city. Also, if you do opt to attend a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition fees particularly for state and community colleges. Of course taking classes online could be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and reduce the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And finally, it’s essential that you ascertain if the vet colleges you are looking at offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For example, many students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Longstreet LA. Some may only be able to attend classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are available before enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make-up classes that you might miss due to work, sickness or family issues. You might find that an online college is the ideal solution to fit your vet training into your busy life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Longstreet LA?

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

James Longstreet

James Longstreet (January 8, 1821 – January 2, 1904) was one of the foremost Confederate generals of the American Civil War and the principal subordinate to General Robert E. Lee, who called him his "Old War Horse." He served under Lee as a corps commander for many of the famous battles fought by the Army of Northern Virginia in the Eastern Theater, and briefly with Braxton Bragg in the Army of Tennessee in the Western Theater.

After graduating from the United States Military Academy at West Point, Longstreet served in the Mexican–American War. He was wounded in the thigh at the Battle of Chapultepec, and afterward married his first wife, Louise Garland. Throughout the 1850s, he served on frontier duty in the American Southwest. In June 1861, Longstreet resigned his U.S. Army commission and joined the Confederate Army. He commanded Confederate troops during an early victory at Blackburn's Ford in July and played a minor role at the First Battle of Bull Run.

Longstreet's talents as a general made significant contributions to several important Confederate victories, mostly in the Eastern Theater as one of Robert E. Lee's chief subordinates in the Army of Northern Virginia. He performed poorly at Seven Pines by accidentally marching his men down the wrong road, causing them to be late in arrival. He played an important role in the success of the Seven Days Battles in the summer of 1862. Longstreet led a devastating counterattack that routed the Union army at Second Bull Run in August. His men held their ground in defensive roles at Antietam and Fredericksburg. Longstreet's most controversial service was at the Battle of Gettysburg in July 1863, where he openly disagreed with General Lee on the tactics to be employed and reluctantly supervised several attacks on Union forces, including the disastrous Pickett's Charge. Afterwards, Longstreet was, at his own request, sent to the Western Theater to fight under Braxton Bragg, where his troops launched a ferocious assault on the Union lines at Chickamauga, which carried the day. Afterwards, his performance in semiautonomous command during the Knoxville Campaign resulted in a Confederate defeat. Longstreet's tenure in the Western Theater was marred by his central role in numerous conflicts amongst important Confederate generals. Unhappy serving under Bragg, Longstreet and his men were sent back to Lee. He ably commanded troops during the Battle of the Wilderness in 1864, where he was seriously wounded by friendly fire. He later returned to the field, serving under Lee in the Siege of Petersburg and the Appomattox Campaign.

Pick the Best Veterinary Technician Program near Longstreet LA

Longstreet LA vet tech holding dog Picking the right vet tech program is a critical first step to starting a rewarding career providing treatment and care for animals. Students looking into veterinary technician colleges need to make their decision based on several key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They usually take on administrative duties and support the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have covered, it’s very important 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 provided in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to narrow down your options so that you can make your final selection. And by choosing the ideal college, you can achieve your goal of becoming a vet tech in Longstreet LA.