Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Hyattsville MD

How to Find the Right Vet Tech Program near Hyattsville Maryland

Hyattsville MD vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your long term goal of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician program near Hyattsville MD might at first feel like a challenging task. After all, you need to search for and enroll in a program that will furnish the proper training to ensure that you can be successful as a veterinary technician. But just how do you approach assessing and contrasting colleges so that you can make the right selection? Many potential students start their due diligence process by searching for schools that are near their homes. When they have found some local schools, they determine which ones have the most affordable tuition and focus on those. Although location and expense are significant factors when assessing vet tech schools, they are by no means the only significant ones when making your assessments. Qualifications such as accreditation and internship programs should be considered as well. The main idea is that there are questions you need to be asking the veterinary technician programs you are reviewing before you make a final selection. We have furnished several in this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll go over the various roles of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives available.

The Role of a Vet Tech in Hyattsville MD

cat with cone after surgery in Hyattsville MD Among the initial decisions that you will need to make is whether you wish to train as a vet technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your determination may be based on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the main determiner will probably be which specialty appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they all work under the direct direction of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And although there are numerous duties that they can carry out within the Hyattsville MD veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose conditions, or conduct surgeries. In those areas they may only furnish assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work outside of the standard vet practice, such as for animal shelters, zoos or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the job functions and training prerequisites for each specialty.

Vet Assistants in the majority of instances will have gone through a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a vet clinic or hospital, or by completing a certificate program at a community college or trade school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet techs in the completion of their duties. Generally they are not associated with more complex tasks, such as assisting with surgeries. Some of their usual duties may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during examinations.
Vet Technicians undergo more extensive training in contrast to assistants and usually earn a 2 year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinarian equivalent of medical nurses, since their fundamental job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from vet assistants is that they are involved in more involved duties, for instance assisting with surgeries or providing medication. All states presently mandate that vet techs pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary techs and for the most part carry out the same job functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which generally takes four years to complete. Therefore the main distinction between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist’s more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more work opportunities, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are also required to pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.

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

Online Veterinary Technician Programs Offered in Hyattsville

student attending online vet tech school in Hyattsville MD An alternative that may be a solution for those with a busy schedule or who are working full-time while going to veterinary school is to enroll in an online training program. Because the classes are provided through the internet, students can study on their own timetable wherever a computer is available. The curriculum is taught using multiple methods, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since many veterinary technician and technologist degrees require clinical training, that segment can usually be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Hyattsville MD veterinarian clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in some instances reduce the cost of your education. Tuition and ancillary expenditures, for instance for commuting and study supplies, can be lower compared to more traditional classroom programs. Just make certain that the online school that you select 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 dedicated enough to learn in this more self-reliant fashion, an online vet tech program may be the right choice for you.

What to Ask Hyattsville MD Vet Tech Schools

Questions to ask Hyattsville MD vet tech schools By now you probably have selected which veterinarian degree that you would like to attain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinarian community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Hyattsville MD area as well as across the Country, you should ask some important questions in order to narrow down your list of alternatives. As we mentioned in our opening, many potential students start by prioritizing location and tuition expense. But we have previously pointed out other important qualifiers, for instance accreditation and internship programs. And of course you want to select a college 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 colleges that you are looking at.

Is the Veterinary College Accredited? It’s essential that you verify that the veterinary technician school you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As previously stated, among the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone an extensive review process that ensures you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not offered for non-accredited colleges. Last, having a degree or certificate from an accredited school is often a precondition for employment for a number of Hyattsville MD area vet practices and hospitals.

What is the Program’s Reputation? The vet trade school or college and program you enroll in should have an excellent reputation within the veterinarian field. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the colleges you are looking at for testimonials from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include looking on online school rating websites and speaking with the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Maryland school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or violations relating to your specific schools. As a final pointer, contact some Hyattsville MD veterinary clinics that you might wish to work for after you receive your training. Ask what they think of your school choices. They may even recommend some colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The best way to obtain clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have internship programs arranged with Hyattsville MD veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs require practical training and a large number furnish it through internships. Not only will the experience be valuable regarding the clinical training, but an internship may also help develop associations in the local veterinarian community and aid in the search for employment after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program? Getting a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college can be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, find out what the graduation rates are for the programs you are considering. A low rate could signify that the instructors were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that a number of students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. Next, confirm that the colleges have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate could mean that the college has an outstanding reputation within the Hyattsville MD veterinarian community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A low rate could mean that the training is not well thought of by employers or that the job assistance program is ineffective at placing students.

How Big are the Classes? If the classes are larger in size, you probably will get little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Request from the Hyattsville MD colleges you are looking at what their class teacher to student ratios are. You may also want to participate in a few classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between teachers and students. Ask for feedback from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the teachers and find out what their backgrounds 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 make on the subject. If you are going to drive to your vet tech classes from your Hyattsville MD home, you need to make certain that the commuting time is compatible with your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won’t be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, especially if the college is located near or in a large city. In addition, if you do opt to attend 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. On the other hand, taking classes online might be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And last, it’s important that you determine if the veterinary schools you are exploring offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near Hyattsville MD. Others might only be able to go to classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you require are available before enrolling. Also, find out if you can make-up classes that you might miss as a result of work, illness or family issues. You might discover that an online college is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary training into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Hyattsville MD?

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

Hyattsville, Maryland

The city is named for its founder, Christopher Clark Hyatt (1799–1884), who purchased his first parcel of land in the area in 1845. Hyatt opened a store and began mail delivery, officially naming the nascent community "Hyattsville" in his 1859 application to become postmaster. The community's location at the intersection of the Washington and Baltimore Turnpike (modern day US 1) and the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad line made the land attractive for development. In the years following the Civil War, Hyatt and other local landowners subdivided their properties and sold lots, and the population of Hyattsville grew. Hyattsville was incorporated as a city on April 7, 1886.[7]

The historic district of the city is home to a number of Victorian houses built in the late 1880s and Sears bungalows and Arts & Crafts houses built between the wars (late 1910s and early 1940s). Historic Hyattsville is roughly bounded by East West Highway to the north; Route 1 to the east; the 38th Street Neighborhood Park to the south, and Queens Chapel Road to the west.[8]

The City of Hyattsville consists of six subdivisions; Hyattsville Hills, Downtown Hyattsville, Kirkwood, Queens Chapel Manor, Castle Manor, and University Hills. Historic Hyattsville reportedly consists of the Hyattsville Hills, Downtown Hyattsville, and Castle Manor subdivisions.

Choose the Right Veterinary Technician College near Hyattsville MD

Hyattsville MD vet tech holding dog Picking the ideal veterinary technician program is a critical first step to starting a rewarding career providing care and treatment for pets and livestock. Students looking into veterinary technician schools need to make their decision based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They usually handle administrative duties and assist the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have discussed, it’s essential that you decide on a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent 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 choices so that you can make your final selection. And by picking the ideal program, you can achieve your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Hyattsville MD.