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How to Pick a Vet Tech School near Hickory North Carolina

Hickory NC vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your long term goal of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a vet tech college near Hickory NC may at first feel like an overwhelming task. After all, you have to locate and enroll in a college that will provide the appropriate training to ensure that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you approach reviewing and comparing colleges so that you can make the proper choice? Many aspiring students start their due diligence process by looking for schools that are near their homes. Once they have found some nearby colleges, they determine which ones have the cheapest tuition and hone in on those. Although location and cost are significant considerations when evaluating veterinary technician programs, they are not the only critical ones when making your assessments. Qualifications such as accreditation and internship programs should be looked into also. The point is that there are questions you need to be asking the veterinary technician schools you are reviewing before you make a final choice. We have provided several within this article to help get you started, but before we review them we’ll discuss the various duties of veterinary technicians and the training options offered.

The Responsibilities of a Veterinary Technician in Hickory NC

cat with cone after surgery in Hickory NC One of the initial decisions that you will need to make is whether you want to train as a veterinary technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your determination may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your education, but the primary factor will most likely be which specialty appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they all work under the immediate direction of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are a number of jobs that they can carry out within the Hickory NC veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe medicines, diagnose ailments, or carry out surgeries. In those areas they can only furnish assistance to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work away from the conventional veterinarian practice, such as for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the job functions and education prerequisites for each specialization.

Vet Assistants in the majority of cases will have completed a structured training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a vet clinic or hospital, 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. Generally they are not associated with more complicated tasks, for example assisting with surgeries. A few of their typical responsibilities may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during examinations.
Vet Technicians get more advanced training compared with assistants and typically acquire a two year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the veterinary equivalent of medical nurses, since their fundamental 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 involved duties, for instance assisting with surgeries or providing medicine. All states presently require veterinary technicians pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.
Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary techs and for the most part carry out the same job functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which typically takes four years to complete. Therefore the main distinction between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist’s more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more career opportunities, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.

Veterinary techs and technologists can specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or emergency care. A number may acquire certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Hickory NC laboratories or research facilities also.

Online Vet Tech Programs Offered in Hickory

student attending online vet tech school in Hickory NC 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 program. Since the classes are provided via the internet, students can attend on their own timetable wherever a computer is available. The curriculum is taught using multiple venues, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since the majority of veterinary technician and technologist degrees require clinical training, that segment can normally be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Hickory NC veterinarian practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in some instances reduce the cost of your education. Tuition and ancillary costs, for instance for travel and study materials, may be cheaper compared to more traditional classroom programs. Just make sure 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 comprehensive education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more independent manner, an online veterinary technician program may be the right choice for you.

Things to Ask Hickory NC Veterinary Technician Colleges

Questions to ask Hickory NC vet tech schools By now you should have determined which veterinary degree that you would like to obtain, and if you intend to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinary community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Hickory NC area as well as across the USA, you need to ask some relevant questions to help narrow down your list of options. As we discussed in our introduction, many potential students start by prioritizing location and the cost of tuition. But we have already touched on other important qualifiers, for example internship programs and accreditation. And naturally you want to enroll in a school that offers the degree and specialty that you would like to earn. These and other qualifications are addressed in the list of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician schools that you are looking at.

Is the Veterinary School Accredited? It’s imperative that you make sure that the vet tech program you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As previously mentioned, one of the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through a thorough screening process that confirms you will receive a quality education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not available for non-accredited colleges. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is often a requirement for employment for many Hickory NC area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program’s Reputation? The vet vocational school or college and program you choose must have an outstanding reputation within the veterinary community. You can begin your due diligence by asking the colleges you are reviewing for references 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 North Carolina school licensing department if there have been any complaints or infractions relating to your targeted schools. As a final tip, call some Hickory NC veterinary clinics that you might wish to work for after you receive your training. Find out what they think about your school choices. They might even suggest some colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The best means to get practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Find out if the programs you are looking at have internship programs arranged with Hickory NC veterinarians, vet hospitals or practices. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and a large number furnish it through internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable as far as the clinical training, but an internship may also help develop associations in the local vet community and aid in the search for employment after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program? Getting a job after graduating from a vet tech school may be challenging without the help of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are evaluating. A lower rate may indicate that the instructors were unqualified to teach the curriculum or that a number of students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. Next, check that the schools have a job assistance program and find out what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate could indicate that the college has an exceptional reputation within the Hickory NC vet community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may mean 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 sized, you may get little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Request from the Hickory NC programs you are considering what their class student to teacher ratios are. You may also want to attend a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and instructors. Get feedback from students concerning 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 College Located? Of course, we previously covered location, but there are several more points to make on the topic. If you are planning to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Hickory NC home, you need to make sure that the commuting time fits into your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won’t be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, particularly if the campus is located in or near a large city. Also, if you do decide to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition charges particularly for community and state colleges. Of course taking classes online may be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And finally, it’s important that you determine if the veterinary colleges you are evaluating offer class times flexible enough to fit your schedule. For example, a number of students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near Hickory NC. Others might only be able to go to classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you need are available before enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make up classes that you might miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies. You may discover that an online college is the ideal solution to fit your vet training into your busy life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Hickory NC?

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

Hickory, North Carolina

Hickory is a city located primarily in Catawba County, North Carolina, with parts in adjoining Burke and Caldwell counties. The city's population at the 2010 census was 40,010,[4] with an estimated population in 2015 of 40,374. Hickory is the principal city in the Hickory–Lenoir–Morganton MSA, in which the population at the 2010 census was 365,497 and is included as part of the Charlotte–Concord Combined Statistical Area.

In the 1850s, under a huge hickory tree, Henry Robinson built a tavern of logs.[citation needed] The city of "Hickory Tavern" co-founded by "Dolph" Shuford,[5] was established in 1863, and the name was eventually changed to the city of Hickory in 1873.[5]

The first train operated in the city of "Hickory Tavern" in 1859. The first lot was sold to Henry Link for $45.00 in 1858. His house is now known as "The 1859 Cafe", a restaurant (closed in 2011).[6] The community of Hickory was the first for many things in North Carolina, including the council-manager form of government it adopted in 1913. Hickory was also one of the first towns to install electric lights in 1888 and a complete sewage system in 1904.[7]

Choose the Right Vet Tech Program near Hickory NC

Hickory NC vet tech holding dog Enrolling in the right veterinary technician college is an important first step to beginning a gratifying career providing care and treatment for animals. Students considering vet tech programs must make their determination based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They usually handle administrative tasks and assist the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have discussed, it’s essential that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the field. This applies to online vet tech schools as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to reduce your options so that you can make your final selection. And by selecting the right program, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a vet tech in Hickory NC.