How to Pick a Veterinary Technician Program near Westfield New Jersey

Achieving your long term aspiration of working with and helping animals by enrolling in a vet tech school near Westfield NJ might at first seem like an overwhelming task. After all, you must find and enroll in a college that will provide the proper training so that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you tackle reviewing and comparing colleges so that you can make the correct selection? Many future students begin their due diligence process by searching for campuses that are close to their homes. Once they have located some nearby colleges, they ascertain which ones have the lowest tuition and focus on those. Although cost and location are important considerations when assessing vet tech programs, they are not the only critical ones when making your assessments. Qualifiers such as internship programs and accreditation need to be looked into also. The main idea is that there are questions you should be asking the vet technician programs you are reviewing before you make an ultimate decision. We have provided several within this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll go over the different duties of veterinary technicians and the training options offered.

The Responsibilities of a Vet Tech in Westfield NJ 

One of the initial decisions that you will have to make is if you desire to train as a vet 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 main determiner will most likely be which specialization appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they both work under the immediate supervision of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And although there are numerous jobs that they can carry out within the Westfield NJ veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe medicines, diagnose health issues, or conduct surgical procedures. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the typical vet practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let’s take a look at the duties and education prerequisites for each position.

• Vet Assistants in the majority of cases will have gone through a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, 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 technicians in the performance of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more involved activities, such as assisting with surgical procedures. Some of their normal duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing exam rooms and equipment, or handling animals during exams.
• Vet Technicians get more extensive training compared to assistants and generally earn a two year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the vet equivalent of medical nurses, since their general job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from veterinary assistants is that they are included in more involved tasks, for instance assisting with surgeries or administering medicine. All states presently require vet techs pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.
• Vet Technologists are comparable to vet technicians and for the most part perform the same job functions. They are mandated to obtain 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 more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job opportunities, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

Veterinary technicians and technologists may 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  Westfield NJ laboratories or research facilities as well.

Veterinary Technician Online Schools Offered in Westfield

An option that might be a solution for those with a hectic schedule or who are working full-time while attending veterinary school is to enroll in an online program. Since the classes are provided through the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is available. The curriculum is taught using several venues, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since most vet technician and technologist degrees require clinical training, that portion can typically be fulfilled as an internship or work study program at a local Westfield NJ veterinary clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in some instances decrease the cost of your education. Tuition and ancillary costs, for example for commuting and study materials, may 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 comprehensive education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more self-reliant manner, an online vet tech program may be the ideal option for you.

Questions to Ask Westfield NJ Vet Tech Colleges

At this point you probably have decided on which veterinary degree that you would like to obtain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Westfield NJ area as well as across the United States, you must ask some relevant questions to help fine tune your list of options. As we discussed in our opening, many prospective students start by concentrating on location and the cost of tuition. But we have previously mentioned other essential qualifiers, which include internship programs and accreditation. And obviously you need to enroll in a college that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other qualifications are covered in the checklist of questions that you should ask the vet tech schools that you are reviewing.

Is the Veterinary Program Accredited?  It’s important that you make sure that the vet tech college you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier mentioned, 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 a demanding review process that ensures you will obtain a quality education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are applying for a student loan or financial assistance, since a large number of programs are not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is frequently a precondition for employment for many Westfield NJ area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation?  The veterinary vocational school or college and program you choose must have an excellent reputation within the vet field. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the colleges you are looking at for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include looking on online school ranking websites and checking with the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the New Jersey school licensing authority if there have been any grievances or violations relating to your specific schools. As a final tip, get in touch with some Westfield NJ veterinary clinics 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 suggest one or more programs not on your list.

Are Internships Offered?  The most effective way to get clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a professional setting. Find out if the schools you are considering have internship programs established with Westfield NJ veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Most veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and many provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial relative to the clinical training, but an internship may also help build connections in the local veterinarian community and help in the search for employment after graduation.

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

How Large are the Classes?  If the classes are larger in size, you may get little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Request from the Westfield NJ colleges you are considering what their class student to teacher ratios are. You may also decide to participate in a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between teachers and students. Get evaluations from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and determine what their qualifications are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the School Located?  Of course, we already covered location, but there are a few more points to consider on the topic. If you are going to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Westfield NJ home, you need to confirm that the driving time is compatible with your schedule. For example, driving during the weekend to check out the route won’t be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, especially if the college is located in or near a larger 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 charges especially for state and community colleges. On the other hand, attending classes online may be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible?  And finally, it’s imperative that you find out if the vet programs you are looking at offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to fit your schedule. For example, many students continue to work full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Westfield NJ. Some might only be able to attend class in the morning or in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are offered before enrolling. Also, find out if you can make up classes that you may miss because of illness, work or family emergencies. You might find that an online school is the best way to fit your veterinary education into your active life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Westfield NJ?

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

Choose the Best Vet Tech School near Westfield NJ

Selecting the ideal veterinary technician program is a critical first step to starting a gratifying career delivering care and treatment for pets and livestock. Potential students thinking about vet tech schools must make their determination based on several key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They typically handle administrative tasks and assist the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have covered, it’s imperative that you select a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This goes for online vet tech schools as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to reduce your alternatives so that you can make your final decision. And by selecting the ideal program, you can achieve your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Westfield NJ.

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