Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools West Harrison NY

How to Choose a Vet Tech School near West Harrison New York

West Harrison NY vet tech diagnosing puppy Fulfilling your long term aspiration of working with and helping animals by enrolling in a veterinary technician school near West Harrison NY might at first feel like an overwhelming undertaking. After all, you must locate and enroll in a college that will furnish the appropriate training so that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you go about evaluating and comparing programs so that you can make the best selection? Many future students start their due diligence process by searching for colleges that are close to their homes. When they have located some local schools, they ascertain which ones have the lowest tuition and focus on those. Although location and cost are important factors when evaluating veterinary technician schools, they are by no means the only significant 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 ought to be asking the vet technician programs you are evaluating before you make a final choice. We have furnished several in this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll go over the various duties of veterinary technicians and the training options offered.

The Responsibilities of a Veterinary Technician in West Harrison NY

cat with cone after surgery in West Harrison NY One of the initial decisions that you will need to make is whether you want to train as a vet assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your determination might be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your education, but the primary determiner will undoubtedly be which specialization appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they each work under the immediate supervision of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are a number of jobs that they can perform within the West Harrison NY veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose ailments, or conduct surgical procedures. In those areas they can only furnish assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work outside of the typical veterinarian practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let’s take a look at the duties and training requirements for each position.

Vet Assistants in almost all cases will have gone through a structured 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 technicians in the performance of their duties. Generally they are not involved with more involved activities, such as assisting with surgeries. A few of their typical duties may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during exams.
Vet Technicians undergo more extensive training compared with assistants and normally earn a two year Associate Degree, ideally 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 differ from vet assistants is that they are involved in more complicated duties, for example assisting with surgeries or providing medicine. All states presently require vet technicians pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.
Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary techs and essentially carry out the same job functions. They are mandated to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which typically takes 4 years. So 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 options, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.

Veterinary technicians and technologists may specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or emergency care. Many may obtain certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in West Harrison NY laboratories or research facilities also.

Online Veterinary Technician Schools Offered in West Harrison

student attending online vet tech school in West Harrison NY An approach that might make sense for those with a hectic lifestyle or who are working full-time while going to veterinary college is to enroll in an online training program. Since the classes are provided by means of the internet, students can attend on their own timetable wherever a computer is available. The curriculum is taught using various methods, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since most vet tech and technologist degrees require clinical training, that part can typically be completed as an internship or work study program at a local West Harrison NY veterinarian clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in many instances decrease the cost of your education. Tuition and ancillary expenditures, such as for commuting and study supplies, may be lower compared to more conventional 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 practical training, everything is furnished for a complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more self-reliant fashion, an online vet tech school may be the ideal choice for you.

Things to Ask West Harrison NY Veterinary Technician Schools

Questions to ask West Harrison NY vet tech schools At this point you should have determined which veterinary degree that you would like to earn, and if you prefer to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinary community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the West Harrison NY area and across the Country, you need to ask some relevant questions in order to fine tune your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our opening, many prospective students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have already mentioned other essential qualifiers, for instance accreditation and internship programs. And naturally you need to select a school that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other qualifications are covered in the list of questions that you need to ask the vet tech programs that you are considering.

Is the Vet Program Accredited? It’s important that you verify that the veterinary technician program you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier stated, one of the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through an extensive review process that ensures you will obtain a quality education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are requesting a student loan or financial assistance, since a large number of programs are not obtainable for non-accredited programs. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited school is frequently a prerequisite for employment for many West Harrison NY area veterinary practices and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation? The veterinary vocational school or college and program you enroll in should have an outstanding reputation within the vet community. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the schools you are interested in for endorsements from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include looking on online school ranking websites and speaking with the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the New York school licensing authority if there have been any grievances or infractions regarding your targeted schools. As a final suggestion, call some West Harrison NY veterinarians that you may wish to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think of your school choices. They might even recommend some schools not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The most effective way to obtain clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have internship programs set up with West Harrison NY veterinarians, vet hospitals or practices. Most veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and many provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable relative to the clinical training, but an internship may also help establish associations in the local vet community and aid in the search for a position after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program? Searching for a job after graduating from a vet tech program may be challenging without the help of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are evaluating. A low rate might signify that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the curriculum or that some students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. Next, verify that the colleges have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate may indicate that the college has an excellent reputation within the West Harrison NY vet 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 assistance program is ineffective at placing students.

How Large are the Classes? If the classes are larger sized, you most likely will get little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Request from the West Harrison NY schools you are considering what their class student to teacher ratios are. You might also want to participate in a couple of classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between students and teachers. Ask for feedback from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the teachers and determine what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the College Located? Okay, we previously discussed location, but there are several more points to consider on the subject. If you are going to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your West Harrison NY home, you have to make certain that the driving time fits into your schedule. For example, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won’t be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, particularly if the school is located in or near a large city. In addition, if you do decide to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition charges particularly for community and state colleges. Of course taking classes online could be an option that will give you more flexibility and reduce the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And last, it’s imperative that you find out if the vet colleges you are evaluating offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to fit your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near West Harrison NY. Some may only be able to go to classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you require are available before enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make up classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family issues. You might find that an online program is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary education into your busy life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near West Harrison NY?

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

Harrison, New York

Harrison is a coterminous town-village located in Westchester County, New York, approximately 22 miles (35 km) northeast of Manhattan. The population was 27,472 at the 2010 census.[4] Harrison was ranked sixth in the list of the top 10 places to live in New York State for 2014 according to the national online real estate brokerage Movoto.[5]

Harrison was established in 1696 by a patent granted by the British government to John Harrison and three others, who had a year earlier bargained with local Native Americans to purchase an area of land above Westchester Path (an old trail that led from Manhattan to Port Chester) and below Rye Lake.[7] Local custom holds that Harrison was given 24 hours to ride his horse around the area he could claim, and the horse couldn't swim or didn't want to get its feet wet, but this is folklore.[8] In fact, the land below Westchester Path and along Long Island Sound had already been purchased and partly developed by the settlers of Rye, NY.

The area that became Harrison had also been sold in 1661 or 1662, and again in 1666, to Peter Disbrow, John Budd, and other investors or early residents of Rye.[9] Disbrow and Budd evidently lost their paperwork and the land was ultimately granted to Harrison and his co-investors in 1696. So upset were the people of Rye that they seceded to the Colony of Connecticut until 1700, when the King of England ordered Rye to rejoin the Colony of New York.[10]

Select the Ideal Veterinary Technician Program near West Harrison NY

West Harrison NY vet tech holding dog Enrolling in the right vet tech program is an important first step to beginning a fulfilling career delivering treatment and care for pets and livestock. Students thinking about vet tech schools must make their determination based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly handle administrative responsibilities and support the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have discussed, it’s imperative that you enroll in a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This applies to online vet tech programs as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to narrow down your choices so that you can make your final decision. And by choosing the right program, you can achieve your goal of becoming a vet tech in West Harrison NY.