Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools College Park MD

How to Select a Vet Tech School near College Park Maryland

College Park MD vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your long term goal of working with and caring for pets by enrolling in a vet tech program near College Park MD could at first seem like a daunting undertaking. After all, you have to search for and enroll in a college that will deliver the appropriate training to ensure that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you go about evaluating and contrasting schools so that you can make the right choice? Many aspiring students start their due diligence process by looking for campuses that are close to their residences. When they have identified some local schools, they determine which ones have the most affordable tuition and focus on those. Although location and expense are significant factors when comparing vet technician programs, they are not the only significant ones when making your assessments. Factors such as internship programs and accreditation need to be evaluated also. The main idea is that there are questions you ought to be asking the veterinary technician schools you are evaluating before you make an ultimate decision. We have presented several in this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll explore the different roles of vet techs and the training alternatives available.

The Function of a Veterinary Technician in College Park MD

cat with cone after surgery in College Park MD Among the initial decisions that you will need to make is if you want to train as a veterinary technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your preference may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the principal determiner will undoubtedly be which specialization appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they all work under the direct supervision of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And even though there are a number of functions that they can perform within the College Park MD veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose ailments, or perform surgeries. In those areas they may only provide support to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work exclusive of the conventional vet practice, for example for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let’s take a look at the duties and education requirements for each specialty.

Vet Assistants in the majority of cases 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 vocational school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet techs in the completion of their duties. Usually they are not associated with more complicated tasks, for instance assisting with surgeries. Some of their typical functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during exams.
Vet Technicians undergo more advanced training compared to assistants and normally acquire a two year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the vet counterparts of medical nurses, since their basic job duty is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from veterinary assistants is that they are engaged in more complicated functions, for instance assisting with surgical procedures or providing medicine. All states currently require veterinary techs pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.
Vet Technologists are similar to vet technicians and basically carry out the same job functions. They are required to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which usually takes four years. Therefore the only real difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist’s more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more career options, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are also required to pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.

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

Veterinary Technician Online Schools Offered in College Park

student attending online vet tech school in College Park MD An alternative that might make sense for those with a hectic lifestyle or who are working full-time while attending veterinary college is to enroll in an online program. Since the classes are provided via the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is available. The syllabus is taught using several methods, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since many veterinary tech and technologist degrees require practical training, that portion can normally be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local College Park MD veterinarian practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in many instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and secondary costs, for instance for commuting and study materials, may be lower compared to more traditional classroom courses. Just confirm that the online school 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 complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more independent mode, an online veterinary technician school may be the right choice for you.

What to Ask College Park MD Vet Tech Programs

Questions to ask College Park MD vet tech schools At this point you should have determined which veterinary credential that you want to attain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the College Park MD area and across the Country, you need to ask some relevant questions in order to fine tune your list of alternatives. As we mentioned in our introduction, many future students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have previously touched on other essential qualifiers, for instance accreditation and internship programs. And of course you need to choose a program that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other factors are addressed in the list of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician colleges that you are considering.

Is the Vet School Accredited? It’s important that you verify that the veterinary technician college you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier stated, among 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 screening process that ensures you will receive a superior education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not available for non-accredited schools. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is in many cases a prerequisite for employment for a number of College Park MD area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation? The veterinary trade school or college and program you enroll in must have an outstanding reputation within the vet field. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the colleges you are interested in for references from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include looking on internet school rating websites and checking with the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Maryland school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or infractions involving your specific schools. As a final pointer, contact some College Park MD veterinarians that you may wish to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think about your school choices. They may even recommend one or more colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The best way to get practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a clinical setting. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have internship programs arranged with College Park MD veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require practical training and a large number furnish it through internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable regarding the practical training, but an internship can also help develop connections in the local veterinarian community and help in the search for employment after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program? Finding a job after graduating from a vet tech program can be difficult without the help of a job placement program. First, find out what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are evaluating. A low rate may suggest that the teachers were unqualified to teach the curriculum or that some students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. Next, confirm that the schools have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might signify that the college has an outstanding reputation within the College Park MD veterinary community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate might indicate that the training is not well regarded by employers or that the job assistance program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes? If the classes are bigger, you most likely will get little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Find out from the College Park MD colleges you are looking at what their class teacher to student ratios are. You may also want to participate in some classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between teachers and students. Ask for feedback from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the teachers and find out what their qualifications are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the Campus Located? Yes, we previously discussed location, but there are several more points to consider on the subject. If you are planning to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your College Park MD home, you have to 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 commute during rush hour traffic, particularly if the school is located close by or within a large city. Also, if you do opt to enroll in a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition fees especially for community and state colleges. Of course attending classes online might be an option that will give you more flexibility and minimize the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And finally, it’s imperative that you determine if the vet programs you are exploring offer class times flexible enough to accommodate your schedule. For example, a number of students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near College Park MD. Some might only be able to attend classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are offered before enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make-up classes that you may miss due to sickness, work or family responsibilities. You might discover that an online program is the ideal way to fit your vet training into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near College Park MD?

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

College Park, Maryland

The City of College Park is in Prince George's County, Maryland, United States,[5] and is about 4 miles (6.4 km) from the northeast border of Washington, D.C. The population was 30,413 at the 2010 United States Census. It is best known as the home of the University of Maryland, College Park, and since 1994 the city has also been home to the National Archives at College Park, a facility of the U.S. National Archives, as well as to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Center for Weather and Climate Prediction (NCWCP).[6]

College Park was developed beginning in 1889 near the Maryland Agricultural College (later the University of Maryland) and the College Station stop of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad. The suburb was incorporated in 1945 and included the subdivisions of College Park, Lakeland, Berwyn, Oak Spring, Branchville, Daniel's Park, and Hollywood.

The original College Park subdivision was first plotted in 1872 by Eugene Campbell. The area remained undeveloped and was re-platted in 1889 by John O. Johnson and Samuel Curriden, Washington real estate developers. The original 125-acre (0.51 km2) tract was divided into a grid-street pattern with long, narrow building lots, with a standard lot size of 50 feet (15 m) by 200 feet (61 m). College Park developed rapidly, catering to those who were seeking to escape the crowded Washington, D.C., as well as to a rapidly expanding staff of college faculty and employees.

Choose the Best Veterinary Technician Program near College Park MD

College Park MD vet tech holding dog Picking the right vet tech school is an important first step to starting a fulfilling career providing treatment and care for pets and livestock. Future students looking into vet tech schools must make their decision based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They typically take on administrative responsibilities and support the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have discussed, it’s very important that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This goes for 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 decision. And by selecting the ideal program, you can reach your goal of becoming a vet tech in College Park MD.