Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Lexington Park MD

How to Select a Veterinary Technician School near Lexington Park Maryland

Lexington Park MD vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your long term dream of working with and helping animals by enrolling in a vet tech program near Lexington Park MD might initially seem like a challenging undertaking. After all, you have to search for and enroll in a college that will furnish the necessary training to ensure that you can succeed as a vet tech. But just how do you tackle reviewing and comparing schools so that you can make the proper choice? Many aspiring students launch their due diligence process by searching for campuses that are near their residences. Once they have located some area schools, they ascertain which ones have the cheapest tuition and focus on those. Although expense and location are significant concerns when evaluating veterinary technician schools, they are by no means the only significant ones when making your assessments. Qualifications such as accreditation and internship programs need to be looked into as well. The main idea is that there are questions you should be asking the vet tech programs you are evaluating before you make an ultimate choice. We have presented several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll go over the different roles of veterinary technicians and the training options offered.

The Responsibilities of a Veterinary Technician in Lexington Park MD

cat with cone after surgery in Lexington Park MD One of the first decisions that you will have to make is whether you wish to train as a veterinary assistant, technician or technologist. 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 determiner will most likely be which specialization interests you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they both work under the direct direction of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And even though there are numerous tasks that they can carry out within the Lexington Park MD veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose health issues, or carry out surgeries. In those areas they may only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work outside of the typical vet practice, such as for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let’s take a look at the duties and education prerequisites for each specialization.

Vet Assistants in most 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 community college or vocational school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet techs in the completion of their duties. Normally they are not involved with more involved tasks, for example assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their normal responsibilities may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or handling animals during examinations.
Vet Technicians get more advanced training in contrast to assistants and usually acquire a two 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 general job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from vet assistants is that they are engaged in more complicated duties, for example assisting with surgical procedures or administering medication. All states currently mandate that veterinary technicians pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary technicians and for the most part perform the same work functions. They are mandated to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which typically requires 4 years. Therefore the main difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist’s higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job options, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

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

Veterinary Technician Online Programs Offered in Lexington Park

student attending online vet tech school in Lexington Park MD An option that may 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 via the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is accessible. The curriculum is taught using several venues, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since the majority of vet tech and technologist degrees require practical training, that portion can normally be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Lexington Park MD veterinary clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in many instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and ancillary expenses, such as for travel and study supplies, can be more affordable compared to more standard classroom courses. Just make certain that the program that you select is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting organization. With the online courses and the practical training, everything is included for a complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more self-reliant manner, an online veterinary technician school may be the perfect choice for you.

Questions to Ask Lexington Park MD Veterinary Technician Schools

Questions to ask Lexington Park MD vet tech schools At this point you probably have determined which veterinary credential that you would like to obtain, and if you want to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of vet community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the Lexington Park MD area and across the United States, you must ask some important questions in order to fine tune your list of options. As we mentioned in our introduction, many prospective students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have previously touched on other important qualifiers, for instance accreditation and internship programs. And naturally you want to select a school that offers the degree and specialty that you are interested in. These and other qualifications are covered in the checklist of questions that you should ask the vet tech programs that you are considering.

Is the Vet School Accredited? It’s essential that you verify that the vet tech school you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As previously 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 an extensive review process that ensures you will receive a superior education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not available for non-accredited colleges. Last, having a degree or certificate from an accredited college is often a prerequisite for employment for many Lexington Park MD area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.

What is the School’s Reputation? The veterinarian college or vocational school and program you choose should have an exceptional reputation within the veterinary community. You can begin your due diligence by asking the colleges you are reviewing for references from the employers in their job placement 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 department if there have been any complaints or violations concerning your specific schools. As a final recommendation, get in touch with some Lexington Park MD veterinary clinics that you may want to work for after you receive your training. Ask what they think about your school selections. They might even suggest some colleges not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs? The most effective means to obtain practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a professional environment. Ask if the colleges you are considering have internship programs set up with Lexington Park MD veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require practical training and many provide it through internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial as far as the clinical training, but an internship may also help build relationships in the local vet community and help in the search for employment after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program? Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician school may be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. First, ask what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are considering. A low rate might signify that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the curriculum or that some students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. Next, confirm that the schools have a job assistance program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate could mean that the school has an exceptional reputation within the Lexington Park MD veterinarian community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A low rate might indicate that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job assistance program is ineffective at placing students.

How Big are the Classes? If the classes are larger sized, you probably will get little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Request from the Lexington Park MD colleges you are looking at what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You may also want to sit in on a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between instructors and students. Ask for evaluations from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the teachers and determine what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the School Located? Of course, we already discussed location, but there are several more points to consider on the topic. If you are planning to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Lexington Park MD home, you must make sure that the commuting time fits into 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, especially if the school is located near or in a large city. Also, 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 state and community colleges. Of course taking online classes might be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And last, it’s important that you find out if the vet schools you are considering offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For example, a number of students continue to work full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Lexington Park MD. Others might only be able to go to classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you require are offered prior to enrolling. Also, determine if you can make-up classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family issues. You may discover that an online college is the best solution to fit your vet education into your active life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Lexington Park MD?

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

Lexington Park, Maryland

Lexington Park is a census-designated place (CDP) in St. Mary's County, Maryland, United States, and the principal community of the Lexington Park, Maryland Micropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 11,626 at the 2010 census.

Archeological research in the county has shown that Native American peoples inhabited the area for at least 10,000 years. At the time of the arrival of the first colonists, the area was inhabited by the Yaocomico branch of the Piscataway Indian Nation. The Piscataway Nation, although fragmented, still exists today, and has small communities and cultural centers in other parts of the county.

The area was expanded into by "planters" (mostly tobacco farmers) who moved into the area as the original settlement in St. Mary's City grew. Early plantations were first farmed by indentured and free labor, but in the late 1600s slavery began to establish itself in Maryland and the character of farming changed due to this. Wealth was concentrated in very few hands and small free farmers and laborers were pushed out or "down" (into poverty) due to competition with slave labor.

Pick the Best Veterinary Technician College near Lexington Park MD

Lexington Park MD vet tech holding dog Picking the appropriate veterinary technician program is an important first step to starting a rewarding career providing care and treatment for pets and livestock. Students thinking about vet tech schools must make their determination based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They usually handle administrative tasks and support the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have discussed, it’s very important that you pick a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This goes for online vet tech colleges 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 choice. And by selecting the ideal college, you can reach your goal of becoming a vet tech in Lexington Park MD.