How to Select a Veterinary Technician School near Ardmore Pennsylvania

Fulfilling your long term aspiration of working with and caring for pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician school near Ardmore PA may initially feel like a challenging endeavor. After all, you have to locate and enroll in a school that will furnish the appropriate training to ensure that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you approach evaluating and comparing programs so that you can make the ideal selection? Many aspiring students start their due diligence process by looking for colleges that are near their homes. When they have identified some local schools, they ascertain which ones have the cheapest tuition and focus on those. Although location and expense are important factors when evaluating vet tech schools, they are not the only critical ones when making your evaluations. Qualifications such as internship programs and accreditation should be looked into as well. The point is that there are questions you should be asking the veterinary technician programs you are looking at before you make an ultimate decision. We have provided several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we’ll go over the varied duties of vet techs and the training alternatives available.

The Role of a Vet Tech in Ardmore PA 

Among the initial decisions that you will need to make is if you wish to train as a veterinary technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your preference may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your training, but the primary factor will probably be which specialty appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they all work under the immediate guidance of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And while there are many duties that they can perform within the Ardmore PA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe medications, diagnose conditions, or conduct surgical procedures. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work exclusive of the conventional veterinarian practice, such as for animal shelters, zoos or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the duties and training requirements for each specialty.

• Vet Assistants in the majority of instances will have completed a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by graduating from 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 execution of their duties. Normally they are not involved with more complex undertakings, for instance assisting with surgeries. Some of their usual functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during exams.
• Vet Technicians undergo more extensive training compared to assistants and usually acquire a two 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 duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from vet assistants is that they are engaged in more complicated activities, such as assisting with surgical procedures or administering medicine. All states currently mandate that vet technicians pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.
• Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary techs and for the most part carry out the same work functions. They are required to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which generally requires four years to complete. Therefore the main distinction between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist’s higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more career opportunities, higher salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

Vet technicians and technologists can specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or emergency care. Some may receive certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in  Ardmore PA laboratories or research facilities as well.

Veterinary Technician Online Schools Offered in Ardmore

An alternative that may make sense for those with a hectic lifestyle or who are working full-time while attending veterinary school is to enroll in an online program. Because the classes are made available by means of the internet, students can attend on their own schedule wherever a computer is available. The course of study is taught using several methods, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since many veterinary technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that part can normally be completed as an internship or work study program at a local Ardmore PA veterinary clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in many instances reduce the cost of your education. Tuition and ancillary expenditures, such as for traveling and study materials, can be cheaper compared to more traditional classroom courses. Just make certain that the program that you choose is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting agency. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything is provided for a complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more self-reliant manner, an online vet tech program may be the perfect option for you.

What to Ask Ardmore PA Veterinary Technician Colleges

At this point you should have determined which veterinary credential that you wish to attain, and if you intend to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of vet community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Ardmore PA area as well as across the United States, 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 pointed out other important qualifiers, which include internship programs and accreditation. And of course you want to choose a college that offers the degree and specialty 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 considering.

Is the Veterinary School Accredited?  It’s important that you verify that the vet tech college you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier mentioned, among 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 screening process that ensures you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since a large number of programs are not obtainable for non-accredited colleges. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited program is in many cases a requirement for employment for many Ardmore PA area veterinary practices and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation?  The veterinary college or trade school and program you enroll in must have an excellent reputation within the veterinary community. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the colleges you are reviewing for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other pointers include checking with internet school ranking websites and checking with the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Pennsylvania school licensing department if there have been any grievances or infractions relating to your targeted schools. As a final pointer, call some Ardmore PA veterinary clinics that you may wish to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think of your school choices. They may even suggest some schools not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs?  The most effective way to obtain clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a professional setting. Find out if the schools you are looking at have internship programs set up with Ardmore PA veterinarians, vet hospitals or practices. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require practical training and a large number furnish it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable relative to the practical training, but an internship may also help develop relationships in the local veterinary community and assist in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Provided?  Searching for a job after graduating from a vet tech program can be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. First, ask what the graduation rates are for the schools you are considering. A lower rate may suggest that the teachers were ineffective at teaching 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 high placement rate might signify that the college has an exceptional reputation within the Ardmore PA veterinarian community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may signify that the training is not well regarded by employers or that the job placement program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes?  If the classes are larger sized, you most likely will receive little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Ardmore PA programs you are researching what their class teacher to student ratios are. You might also decide to participate in a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and instructors. Ask for feedback from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and determine what their backgrounds are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the College Located?  Of course, we already talked about location, but there are a few more points to make on the topic. If you are planning to commute to your veterinary technician classes from your Ardmore PA home, you need to confirm that the commuting time is compatible with 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 school is located close by or within 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 increased tuition fees particularly for state and community colleges. On the other hand, taking online classes could be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule?  And last, it’s imperative that you find out if the veterinary colleges you are looking at offer class times flexible enough to accommodate 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 Ardmore PA. Others may only be able to attend class in the morning or in the afternoon. Make certain that the class times you require are offered prior to enrolling. Also, find out if you can make up classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family issues. You might find that an online program is the best solution to fit your vet training into your active life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Ardmore PA?

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

Choose the Right Veterinary Technician School near Ardmore PA

Selecting the ideal vet tech college is a crucial first step to beginning a fulfilling career providing treatment and care for pets and livestock. Potential students thinking about vet tech schools must make their determination based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They usually handle administrative duties and assist the veterinarian with the animal patients 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 field. This goes for online vet tech schools as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to reduce your alternatives so that you can make your final selection. And by choosing the ideal college, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Ardmore PA.

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