How to Find the Right Veterinary Technician School near Marlborough New Hampshire

Fulfilling your lifelong aspiration of working with and helping animals by enrolling in a veterinary technician school near Marlborough NH could initially feel like a challenging undertaking. After all, you need to search for and enroll in a program that will deliver the necessary training to ensure that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you approach analyzing and comparing schools so that you can make the proper choice? Many future students launch their due diligence process by looking for campuses that are close to their homes. Once they have located some area colleges, they ascertain which ones have the lowest tuition and focus on those. Although location and expense are important factors when assessing vet tech schools, they are by no means the only important ones when making your comparisons. Qualifications such as internship programs and accreditation should be looked into also. The main idea is that there are questions you ought to be asking the vet technician programs you are evaluating before you make an ultimate choice. We have furnished several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll talk about the different roles of veterinary technicians and the training options available.

The Job of a Veterinary Technician in Marlborough NH 

One of the first decisions that you will need to make is whether you wish to train as a vet assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your preference may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your training, but the primary factor will most likely be which specialty interests you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they all work under the direct guidance of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And even though there are numerous duties that they can carry out within the Marlborough NH veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe medications, diagnose health issues, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they may only furnish assistance to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the standard veterinarian practice, for example for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the responsibilities and training prerequisites for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in most cases will have completed a structured 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 vets and vet technicians in the performance of their duties. Normally they are not associated with more complicated undertakings, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their usual duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during examinations.
• Vet Technicians go through more advanced training in contrast 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 vet counterparts of medical nurses, since their basic job duty is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from vet assistants is that they are involved in more complicated duties, such as assisting with surgeries or providing medicine. All states presently mandate that veterinary techs pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.
• Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary technicians and for the most part carry out the same work functions. They are required to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which usually requires 4 years. Therefore the only real distinction between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist’s more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job options, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are additionally required to pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.

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

Online Veterinary Technician Programs Offered in Marlborough

An approach that might be a solution for those with a busy schedule or who are working full-time while attending veterinarian school is to enroll in an online 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 several venues, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since many vet technician and technologist degrees require clinical training, that part can normally be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Marlborough NH veterinary clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in some instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and ancillary expenditures, for example for travel and study supplies, may be lower compared to more traditional classroom programs. Just confirm that the program that you select is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting organization. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything is provided 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 ideal option for you.

Things to Ask Marlborough NH Vet Tech Schools

At this point you probably have decided on which veterinary degree that you would like to obtain, and if you intend to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinary community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Marlborough NH area as well as across the Country, you should ask some important questions in order to fine tune your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our opening, many prospective students start by prioritizing location and the cost of tuition. But we have previously pointed out other important qualifiers, such as accreditation and internship programs. And obviously you need to enroll in a school that offers the degree and specialty that you are interested in. These and other qualifications are reviewed in the list of questions that you need to ask the vet tech programs that you are looking at.

Is the Veterinary Program Accredited?  It’s imperative that you verify that the vet tech college you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As earlier discussed, among the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a rigorous screening process that ensures you will obtain 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 programs. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is often a requirement for employment for many Marlborough NH area veterinary clinics and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation?  The vet college or trade school and program you enroll in must have an excellent reputation within the veterinary field. You can begin your due diligence by asking the colleges you are reviewing for endorsements from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include looking on internet school ranking websites and contacting the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the New Hampshire school licensing department if there have been any complaints or violations involving your targeted schools. As a final pointer, call some Marlborough NH veterinary clinics that you might want to work for after you get your training. Ask what they think about your school selections. They might even recommend one or more colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The most effective means to obtain clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a medical setting. Find out if the programs you are looking at have internship programs arranged with Marlborough NH veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and many furnish it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable relative to the practical training, but an internship may also help build connections in the local veterinarian community and aid in the search for employment after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Offered?  Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician school can be challenging without the help of a job placement program. To start with, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are considering. A low rate might indicate that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the syllabus or that some students were unhappy with the program and quit. Next, check that the schools have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate might signify that the school has an outstanding reputation within the Marlborough NH vet community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate could mean that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job assistance program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are larger in size, you may receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Marlborough NH colleges you are considering what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You may also decide to sit in on a couple of classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between students and teachers. Ask for evaluations from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and determine what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located?  Yes, we already discussed location, but there are several more points to consider on the subject. If you are going to commute to your vet tech classes from your Marlborough NH home, you have to confirm that the commuting time fits into your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to check out the route won’t be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, especially if the campus is located in or close by a larger city. In addition, if you do choose to attend a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition fees especially for community and state colleges. Of course taking classes online could be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and minimize the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And finally, it’s important that you ascertain if the vet colleges you are evaluating offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For instance, many students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near Marlborough NH. Some might only be able to attend classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you need are available prior to enrolling. Also, determine if you can make-up classes that you may miss as a result of work, sickness or family responsibilities. You may discover that an online college is the ideal way to fit your veterinary training into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Marlborough NH?

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

Pick the Right Veterinary Technician College near Marlborough NH

Selecting the right veterinary technician college is a critical first step to starting a gratifying career delivering treatment and care for animals. Students thinking about veterinary technician colleges need to make their determination based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They usually take on administrative responsibilities and support the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have discussed, it’s very important that you pick a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This applies to vet tech online programs as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to reduce your alternatives so that you can make your final choice. And by choosing the right college, you can reach your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Marlborough NH.

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