Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Silver Lake NH

How to Choose a Vet Tech School near Silver Lake New Hampshire

Silver Lake NH vet tech diagnosing puppy Fulfilling your lifelong dream of working with and caring for pets by enrolling in a vet tech college near Silver Lake NH may initially seem like an overwhelming undertaking. After all, you need to search for and enroll in a college that will provide the proper training to ensure that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. But just how do you approach analyzing and contrasting colleges so that you can make the best selection? Many potential students begin their due diligence process by looking for schools that are near their residences. After they have identified some nearby schools, they find out which ones have the cheapest tuition and hone in on those. Although expense and location are important factors when assessing vet technician schools, they are not the only important ones when making your assessments. Qualifications such as accreditation and internship programs should be considered also. The main idea is that there are questions you should be asking the vet technician schools you are evaluating before you make a final choice. We have presented several in this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll discuss the different duties of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives available.

The Job of a Vet Tech in Silver Lake NH

cat with cone after surgery in Silver Lake NH Among the first decisions that you will need to make is whether you plan 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 commit to your education, but the principal determiner will probably be which specialty appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they both work under the immediate guidance of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And while there are many tasks that they can perform within the Silver Lake NH veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose ailments, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they may only provide assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work outside of the conventional vet practice, such as for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let’s take a look at the duties and training requirements for each specialization.

Vet Assistants in the majority of cases will have undergone a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a practice, or by finishing 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 execution of their duties. Usually they are not associated with more complex tasks, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their usual functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during examinations.
Vet Technicians go through more extensive training compared to assistants and usually obtain a 2 year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinary equivalent of medical nurses, since their general job function is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from veterinary assistants is that they are engaged in more involved activities, for example assisting with surgeries or administering medicine. All states currently 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 job functions. They are required to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which generally takes four years. Therefore the main distinction between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist’s higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job opportunities, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are also required to pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.

Veterinary technicians and technologists can 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 Silver Lake NH labs or research facilities also.

Veterinary Technician Online Programs Offered in Silver Lake

student attending online vet tech school in Silver Lake NH An approach that may make sense for those with a hectic schedule or who are working full-time while going to vet school is to enroll in an online training program. Since the classes are offered by means of the internet, students can attend 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 most veterinary tech and technologist degrees require practical training, that portion can usually be completed as an internship or work study program at a local Silver Lake NH veterinarian practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in many instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and ancillary expenses, for instance for travel and study materials, can be cheaper compared to more traditional classroom courses. Just make certain that the online school that you choose is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting agency. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything is included for a complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more self-reliant fashion, an online veterinary technician school may be the perfect choice for you.

Questions to Ask Silver Lake NH Veterinary Technician Schools

Questions to ask Silver Lake NH vet tech schools At this point you probably have selected which veterinarian degree that you want to earn, and if you want to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinarian community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the Silver Lake NH area and across the USA, you should ask some important questions to help fine tune your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our introduction, many potential students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have already touched on other important qualifiers, which include internship programs and accreditation. And of course you need to enroll in a college that offers the degree and specialty that you are interested in. These and other qualifications are covered in the list of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician colleges that you are looking at.

Is the Vet College Accredited? It’s essential that you confirm that the veterinary technician college you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously 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 an extensive screening process that verifies you will receive a superior education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since many programs are not offered for non-accredited schools. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is in many cases a requirement for employment for a number of Silver Lake NH area veterinary clinics and hospitals.

What is the School’s Reputation? The veterinary college or vocational school and program you choose must have an exceptional reputation within the vet community. 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 checking with online school rating websites and contacting the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the New Hampshire school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or infractions regarding your targeted schools. As a final suggestion, contact some Silver Lake NH veterinarians that you may want to work for after you go through your training. Find out what they think of your school selections. They might even recommend some programs 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 looking at have internship programs established with Silver Lake NH veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require practical training and many furnish it through internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable relative to the practical training, but an internship can also help establish relationships in the local veterinarian community and aid in the search for a job after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided? Searching for a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college may be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. First, ask what the graduation rates are for the schools you are considering. A low rate may suggest that the teachers were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that a number of students were dissatisfied with the program and dropped out. Next, verify that the schools have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might mean that the school has an exceptional reputation within the Silver Lake NH vet community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate might indicate that the training is not well thought of by employers or that the job assistance program is ineffective at placing students.

How Large are the Classes? If the classes are larger, you probably will get little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Request from the Silver Lake NH programs you are considering what their class student to teacher ratios are. You might also decide to sit in on some classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between teachers and students. Get feedback from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the College Located? Of course, we previously covered location, but there are a couple of more points to consider on the topic. If you are planning to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Silver Lake NH home, you need 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 school is located in or near 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 increased tuition charges particularly for state and community colleges. On the other hand, taking classes online could be an option that will give you more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And finally, it’s important that you find out if the vet colleges you are looking at offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to fit your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue to work full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near Silver Lake NH. Some might only be able to go to class in the morning or in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you require are available prior to enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make up classes that you might miss because of work, illness or family emergencies. You might discover that an online school is the ideal solution to fit your vet education into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Silver Lake NH?

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

Silver Lake (Hollis, New Hampshire)

Silver Lake, formerly known as Long Pond, is a small lake in the town of Hollis, New Hampshire, United States. The lake was formerly surrounded by summer vacation cottages and camps, but most of these buildings have now been converted for use as year-round homes. Silver Lake State Park occupies the northern end of the lakeshore.

The lake is located on NH Route 122, north of the Hollis traffic light. The lake at its deepest is 24 feet (7.3 m) deep,[1] and there is a deep channel running down the middle of the lake that ranges from 16 to 28 feet (4.9 to 8.5 m) at the deepest. Fish species include largemouth bass, yellow perch, sunfish, pickerel, hornpout/catfish, and a few very large common carp. The lake's depth and continual supply of cold, clean water from below can support both rainbow and brown trout.

The lake has many natural springs that provide fresh, clean water, and the small dam at the north end of the lake near the state park controls the level and output. The output flows under NH 122 and goes into Dunklee Pond which then outflows to Pennichuck Brook, a tributary of the Merrimack River.

Pick the Ideal Veterinary Technician School near Silver Lake NH

Silver Lake NH vet tech holding dog Selecting the right vet tech school is a crucial first step to starting a fulfilling career providing care and treatment for animals. Potential students thinking about vet tech colleges need to make their selection based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly handle administrative responsibilities and support the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have covered, it’s imperative that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This applies to vet tech online programs as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to narrow down your options so that you can make your final choice. And by choosing the right college, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Silver Lake NH.