Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Chelmsford MA

How to Pick a Veterinary Technician Program near Chelmsford Massachusetts

Chelmsford MA vet tech diagnosing puppy Achieving your lifelong aspiration of working with and caring for animals by enrolling in a veterinary technician school near Chelmsford MA may initially feel like an overwhelming undertaking. After all, you must locate and enroll in a program that will provide the appropriate training to ensure that you can be successful as a veterinary technician. But just how do you approach reviewing and contrasting programs so that you can make the ideal selection? Many future students start their due diligence process by looking for schools that are close to their residences. Once they have located some area schools, they find out which ones have the cheapest tuition and focus on those. Although expense and location are important concerns when comparing vet technician schools, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your comparisons. Qualifications such as accreditation and internship programs need to be considered also. The main idea is that there are questions you should be asking the vet tech schools you are evaluating before you make an ultimate choice. We have presented several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we’ll talk about the different roles of vet techs and the training alternatives offered.

The Job of a Vet Tech in Chelmsford MA

cat with cone after surgery in Chelmsford MA One of the initial decisions that you will need to make is whether you want to train as a vet assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your preference may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your training, but the primary factor will undoubtedly be which specialization appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they all work under the direct guidance of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are numerous tasks that they can carry out within the Chelmsford MA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe medications, diagnose health issues, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they can only provide assistance to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work away from the standard veterinarian 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 almost all cases will have undergone a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a vet clinic or hospital, or by graduating from a certificate program at a trade school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet techs in the completion of their duties. Usually they are not associated with more complex activities, such as assisting with surgeries. Some of their normal duties may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during exams.
Vet Technicians go through more advanced training compared to assistants and generally acquire a 2 year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the veterinary equivalent of medical nurses, since their general job function is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from vet assistants is that they are involved in more involved activities, such as assisting with surgical procedures or administering medication. All states presently mandate that vet techs pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.
Vet Technologists are comparable to vet technicians and basically perform the same work functions. They are required to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which usually takes 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 opportunities, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

Vet techs and technologists can specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or emergency care. A number may obtain certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Chelmsford MA labs or research facilities as well.

Vet Tech Online Programs Offered in Chelmsford

student attending online vet tech school in Chelmsford MA An option that may be a solution for those with a hectic schedule or who are working full-time while going to vet college is to enroll in an online training program. Because the classes are made available by means of the internet, students can attend on their own timetable wherever a computer is available. The educational program is taught using several venues, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since many veterinary tech and technologist degrees require clinical training, that segment can normally be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Chelmsford MA veterinarian practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in some instances reduce the cost of your education. Tuition and ancillary expenses, for example for travel and study supplies, may be cheaper compared to more conventional classroom courses. Just be sure that the online school that you enroll in is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting agency. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything is furnished for a complete education. So if you are dedicated enough to learn in this more independent mode, an online vet tech program may be the ideal choice for you.

Things to Ask Chelmsford MA Vet Tech Schools

Questions to ask Chelmsford MA vet tech schools By now you should have determined which veterinary credential that you wish to attain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinary community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the Chelmsford MA area and across the Country, you should ask some important questions to help fine tune your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our opening, many potential students start by concentrating on location and the cost of tuition. But we have already pointed out other essential qualifiers, such as internship programs and accreditation. And of course you need to enroll in a college that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other qualifications are reviewed in the list of questions that you should ask the vet tech programs that you are reviewing.

Is the Vet College Accredited? It’s imperative that you verify that the veterinary technician college you select 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 a thorough review process that ensures you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are requesting a student loan or financial assistance, since numerous programs are not offered for non-accredited colleges. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is frequently a precondition for employment for many Chelmsford MA area veterinarian practices and hospitals.

What is the School’s Reputation? The vet college or vocational school and program you select should have an excellent reputation within the vet community. You can start your due diligence by asking the schools you are looking at for endorsements from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include looking on internet school rating websites and speaking with the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the Massachusetts school licensing department if there have been any complaints or infractions involving your targeted schools. As a final recommendation, phone some Chelmsford MA veterinary clinics that you may wish to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think of your school selections. They may even recommend one or more colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The best approach to obtain practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have internship programs established with Chelmsford MA veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. Most veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and many furnish it through internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable relative to the clinical training, but an internship may also help build associations in the local vet community and assist in the search for employment after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program? Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college can be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the schools you are considering. A low rate might mean that the teachers were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that a number of students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. Next, check that the colleges have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might indicate that the program has an exceptional reputation within the Chelmsford MA veterinarian community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may signify that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job placement program is ineffective at placing students.

How Big are the Classes? If the classes are larger, you may receive little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Chelmsford MA colleges you are researching what their class teacher to student ratios are. You may also want to attend a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and instructors. Ask for evaluations from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located? Yes, we previously talked about location, but there are a couple of more points to consider on the subject. If you are planning to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Chelmsford MA home, you need to make sure that the driving 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 campus is located near or in a large city. In addition, 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 costs especially for state and community colleges. On the other hand, attending classes online could be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and minimize the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And last, it’s important that you find out if the veterinary schools you are considering offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For example, many students continue to work full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near Chelmsford MA. Others might only be able to go to class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you need are offered prior to enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make up classes that you might miss because of sickness, work or family emergencies. You may discover that an online program is the best solution to fit your vet training into your busy life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Chelmsford MA?

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

Chelmsford, Massachusetts

Chelmsford /ˈtʃɛlmsfərd/ is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts in the United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the town's population was 33,802. Only 48.4% are male and the median age of residents in Chelmsford is 39.2 years old. It is located 24 miles (39 km) northwest of Boston and, bordering on the city of Lowell, is part of the Greater Lowell metropolitan area. Besides Lowell on its northeast, Chelmsford is surrounded by four towns: Tyngsborough to the north, Billerica to the southeast, Carlisle to the south, and Westford to the west. Chelmsford is bordered by two sizable rivers: the Merrimack River to the north, and the Concord River to the east.

Named after Chelmsford in Essex,England, the town was incorporated in May 1655 by an act of the Massachusetts General Court. When Chelmsford was incorporated, its local economy was fueled by lumber mills, limestone quarries and kilns. The farming community of East Chelmsford was incorporated as Lowell in the 1820s; over the next decades it would go on to become one of the first large-scale factory towns in the United States because of its early role in the country's Industrial Revolution. Chelmsford experienced a drastic increase in population between 1950 and 1970, coinciding with the connection of U.S. Route 3 in Lowell to Massachusetts Route 128 in the 1950s and the extension of U.S. Route 3 from Chelmsford to New Hampshire in the 1960s.

Chelmsford has a representative town meeting form of government. The current town manager is Paul Cohen. The town has one public high school – Chelmsford High School, which is ranked[1] among the top 500 schools in the nation – as well as two middle schools, and four elementary schools. The charter middle school started in Chelmsford became a regional charter school (Innovation Academy Charter School) covering grades 5 through 12, now located in Tyngsborough. Chelmsford high school age students also have the option of attending the Nashoba Valley Technical High School, located in Westford. In 2011, Chelmsford was declared the 28th best place to live in the United States by Money magazine.[2]

Choose the Best Vet Tech Program near Chelmsford MA

Chelmsford MA vet tech holding dog Enrolling in the appropriate veterinary technician school is an important first step to beginning a gratifying career providing treatment and care for animals. Potential students thinking about vet tech programs need to make their determination based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They usually take on administrative tasks and assist the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have covered, it’s essential 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 colleges as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make your final selection. And by selecting the right school, you can achieve your goal of becoming a vet tech in Chelmsford MA.