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How to Enroll In a Veterinary Technician Program near Lamy New Mexico

Lamy NM vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your long term goal of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a vet tech college near Lamy NM might initially seem like a challenging undertaking. After all, you need to search for and enroll in a school that will deliver the appropriate training so that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you go about reviewing and comparing schools so that you can make the proper selection? Many aspiring students begin their due diligence process by searching for schools that are close to their homes. After they have identified some local colleges, they ascertain which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although location and cost are important considerations when evaluating veterinary technician programs, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your evaluations. Qualifiers such as internship programs and accreditation should be evaluated also. The main idea is that there are questions you need to be asking the vet technician schools you are reviewing before you make an ultimate choice. We have provided several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll talk about the different duties of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives offered.

The Responsibilities of a Vet Tech in Lamy NM

cat with cone after surgery in Lamy NM One of the first decisions that you will need to make is whether you wish to train as a veterinary assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your determination might be based on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your training, but the main determiner will probably be which specialty interests you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they all work under the immediate direction of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And although there are many functions that they can perform within the Lamy NM veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe medications, diagnose health issues, or conduct surgical procedures. In those areas they may only provide assistance to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work outside of the conventional veterinarian practice, such as for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let’s take a look at the job functions and education prerequisites for each position.

Vet Assistants in most instances will have undergone 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 completion of their duties. Usually they are not associated with more involved activities, for example assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their typical functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during examinations.
Vet Technicians receive more advanced training in contrast to assistants and generally obtain a 2 year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinary counterparts 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 complex functions, for example assisting with surgeries or providing medicine. All states currently require vet techs pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.
Vet Technologists are similar to vet technicians and for the most part carry out the same job functions. They are required to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which usually requires four years. So the only real difference between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist’s more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more work opportunities, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are additionally required to pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.

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

Online Veterinary Technician Schools Offered in Lamy

student attending online vet tech school in Lamy NM An option that may be a solution for those with a busy schedule or who are working full-time while attending veterinary college is to enroll in an online training program. Because the classes are made available over the internet, students can attend on their own schedule wherever a computer is accessible. The syllabus is taught using various venues, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since the majority of vet technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that portion can typically be completed as an internship or work study program at a local Lamy NM veterinarian clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in some instances reduce the cost of your education. Tuition and supplementary expenditures, for example for travel and study materials, may be cheaper compared to more traditional 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 classes and the clinical training, everything is provided for a comprehensive education. So if you are dedicated enough to learn in this more self-reliant manner, an online veterinary technician school may be the perfect option for you.

Questions to Ask Lamy NM Veterinary Technician Schools

Questions to ask Lamy NM vet tech schools At this point you should have decided on which veterinary credential that you want to obtain, and if you want to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinarian community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Lamy NM area as well as across the Country, you must ask some qualifying questions to help narrow down your list of options. As we mentioned in our introduction, many potential students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have previously mentioned other significant qualifiers, which include accreditation and internship programs. And naturally you want to enroll in a program that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. These and other factors are covered in the checklist of questions that you should ask the vet tech colleges that you are considering.

Is the Vet Program Accredited? It’s imperative that you verify that the vet tech college you enroll in 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 gone through an extensive review process that verifies you will get a quality education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since many programs are not available for non-accredited programs. Last, having a degree or certificate from an accredited school is often a precondition for employment for a number of Lamy NM area veterinary clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program’s Reputation? The veterinary college or trade school and program you select should have an outstanding reputation within the veterinarian field. You can start your due diligence by asking the schools you are looking at for endorsements from the employers in their job placement network. Other pointers include looking on online school rating websites and contacting the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the New Mexico school licensing authority if there have been any grievances or infractions relating to your specific schools. As a final pointer, call some Lamy NM vet clinics that you might want to work for after you get your training. Ask what they think of your school choices. They may even suggest some programs not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The most effective way to obtain practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have internship programs set up with Lamy NM veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Most veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and many furnish it through internships. Not only will the experience be valuable regarding the clinical training, but an internship may also help establish relationships in the local vet community and assist in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Offered? Searching for a job after graduating from a veterinary technician school may be challenging without the help of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are evaluating. A low rate may mean that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the syllabus or that some students were unhappy with the program and quit. Next, check that the colleges have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate could indicate that the program has an excellent reputation within the Lamy NM veterinary community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate could indicate that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job placement program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes? If the classes are bigger, you may get little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Request from the Lamy NM programs you are looking at what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You may also want to sit in on some classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between teachers and students. Ask for evaluations from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and find out what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the College Located? Of course, we already covered location, but there are a few more points to consider on the subject. If you are going to drive to your vet tech classes from your Lamy NM home, you must make sure that the driving 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 larger city. Also, if you do choose to enroll in a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition costs especially for state and community colleges. On the other hand, attending classes online might be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and reduce the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And finally, it’s essential that you ascertain if the veterinarian schools you are exploring offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to fit your schedule. For instance, many students continue to work full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near Lamy NM. Some may only be able to go to class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you require are offered before enrolling. Also, determine if you can make up classes that you might miss due to sickness, work or family emergencies. You might discover that an online school is the ideal way to fit your vet training into your busy life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Lamy NM?

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

Lamy, New Mexico

Lamy is a census-designated place (CDP) in Santa Fe County, New Mexico, United States, 18 miles (29 km) south of the city of Santa Fe. The community was named for Archbishop Jean-Baptiste Lamy, and lies within the Bishop John Lamy Spanish Land Grant, which dates back to the eighteenth century.[1]

Lamy is part of the Santa Fe, New Mexico, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 218 at the 2010 census. The former Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad (ATSF), now the Burlington Northern Santa Fe (BNSF), passes through Lamy. This railroad, usually called just the "Santa Fe," was originally planned to run from Atchison, Kansas, on the Missouri River, to Santa Fe, the capital city of New Mexico, and then points west. However, as the tracks progressed west into New Mexico, the civil engineers in charge realized that the hills surrounding Santa Fe made this impractical. Hence, they built the railway line though Lamy, instead. Later on, a spur line was built from Lamy to Santa Fe, bringing the railroad to Santa Fe at last. In 1896 the Fred Harvey Company built the luxurious El Ortiz Hotel here. Thus Lamy became an important railroad junction. In 1992 the spur line was taken over by the Santa Fe Southern Railway, which operated a popular excursion train, using vintage passenger railcars and modern freight cars, between Santa Fe and Lamy. This service concluded in 2014.

The significance of Lamy as a railroad junction is related in the Oscar-nominated documentary, The Day After Trinity (1980), about the building of the first atomic bomb, and is referred to by instrumental group the California Guitar Trio in a five-part suite Train to Lamy on their second album Invitation (1995).

Select the Right Vet Tech Program near Lamy NM

Lamy NM vet tech holding dog Enrolling in the appropriate vet tech school is a crucial first step to beginning a fulfilling career providing care and treatment for pets and livestock. Students looking into vet tech schools need to make their determination based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They usually handle administrative tasks and assist the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have discussed, it’s essential that you decide on a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This goes for vet tech online programs as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to reduce your choices so that you can make your final selection. And by picking the best school, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a vet tech in Lamy NM.