Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Calumet PA - Find Vet Tech Schools Near You

How to Find the Right Veterinary Technician Program near Calumet Pennsylvania

Calumet PA vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your long term goal of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician college near Calumet PA could at first seem like a challenging task. After all, you must find and enroll in a college that will provide the proper training to ensure that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. But just how do you go about assessing and contrasting schools so that you can make the best choice? Many aspiring students begin their due diligence process by looking for campuses that are near their homes. Once they have located some area schools, they determine which ones have the cheapest tuition and focus on those. Although location and expense are important factors when comparing vet technician programs, they are not the only critical ones when making your comparisons. Qualifications such as internship programs and accreditation need to be evaluated as well. The point is that there are questions you should be asking the vet tech programs you are evaluating before you make an ultimate choice. We have furnished several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we’ll explore the various roles of vet techs and the training options available.

The Responsibilities of a Veterinary Technician in Calumet PA

cat with cone after surgery in Calumet PA One of the initial decisions that you will need to make is if you wish to train as a vet 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 training, but the principal factor will undoubtedly be which specialization appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants have in common is that they both work under the direct direction of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And even though there are many duties that they can perform within the Calumet PA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose health issues, or conduct surgical procedures. In those areas they may only furnish support to a licensed vet. There are technologists and technicians that work away from the conventional veterinarian practice, for instance for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let’s take a look at the responsibilities and training prerequisites for each position.

Vet Assistants in most cases will have undergone 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 vocational school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet techs in the performance of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more complicated activities, for example assisting with surgeries. A few of their usual responsibilities may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning examination rooms and equipment, or handling pets during examinations.
Vet Technicians receive more advanced training in contrast to assistants and typically earn a two year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinarian equivalent of medical nurses, since their fundamental job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from veterinary assistants is that they are involved in more complicated activities, for example assisting with surgical procedures or administering medicine. All states presently require vet technicians pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.
Vet Technologists are similar to vet technicians and essentially perform the same job functions. They are required to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which typically takes 4 years to complete. Therefore the only real distinction between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist’s higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more work opportunities, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

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

Veterinary Technician Online Schools Offered in Calumet

student attending online vet tech school in Calumet PA An option that might be a solution for those with a busy schedule or who are working full time while attending veterinarian school is to enroll in an online training program. Since the classes are made available over the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is available. The course of study is taught using various venues, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since most vet tech and technologist degrees require clinical training, that part can typically be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Calumet PA veterinarian clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in many instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and supplementary expenses, for example for commuting and study supplies, can be more affordable compared to more standard 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 courses and the clinical training, everything is included for a comprehensive education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more independent fashion, an online vet tech program may be the ideal choice for you.

Things to Ask Calumet PA Veterinary Technician Programs

Questions to ask Calumet PA vet tech schools By now you should have determined which veterinarian degree that you wish 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, trade and vocational schools in the Calumet PA area and across the USA, you should ask some relevant questions to help narrow down your list of options. As we discussed in our opening, many prospective students start by prioritizing location and the cost of tuition. But we have already pointed out other significant qualifiers, for example internship programs and accreditation. And of course you need to choose a program that offers the specialty and degree that you want to earn. These and other qualifications are reviewed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the vet tech schools that you are reviewing.

Is the Veterinary School Accredited? It’s important that you verify that the vet tech college you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously discussed, one of the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a rigorous screening process that ensures you will receive a quality education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since a large number of programs are not obtainable for non-accredited colleges. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited school is in many cases a prerequisite for employment for a number of Calumet PA area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation? The veterinary college or vocational school and program you select should have an outstanding reputation within the vet field. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the schools you are reviewing for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other pointers include looking on online school ranking websites and contacting the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Pennsylvania school licensing department if there have been any grievances or violations relating to your targeted schools. As a final pointer, get in touch with some Calumet PA veterinary clinics that you might wish to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think of your school choices. They might even suggest one or more colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The best way to get clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Ask if the colleges you are considering have internship programs established with Calumet PA veterinarians, vet hospitals or practices. Most veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and a large number provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable as far as the practical training, but an internship can also help establish relationships in the local vet community and help in the search for employment after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided? Searching for a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college can be difficult without the help of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are reviewing. A low rate may indicate that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the course of study or that a number of students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. Next, verify that the schools have a job assistance program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate may signify that the college has an exceptional reputation within the Calumet PA veterinarian community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate could 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 probably will receive little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Calumet PA colleges you are looking at what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You might also decide to sit in on a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between teachers and students. Ask for feedback from students concerning 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 Campus Located? Okay, we previously talked about location, but there are several more points to consider on the topic. If you are going to drive to your vet tech classes from your Calumet PA home, you must make sure 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 college is located near or in a larger city. In addition, if you do opt to attend a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition fees especially for community and state colleges. Of course taking classes online could be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and minimize the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And finally, it’s essential that you determine if the veterinarian schools you are exploring offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For example, many students continue to work full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near Calumet PA. Some may only be able to attend class in the morning or in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you require are offered prior to enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make up classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family emergencies. You may find that an online program is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary training into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Calumet PA?

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

Calumet, Pennsylvania

Calumet is a census-designated place in Mount Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, United States. Although the United States Census Bureau included it as a census-designated place with the nearby community of Norvelt for the 2000 census, they are in reality two very different communities, each reflecting a different chapter in how the Great Depression affected rural Pennsylvanians. As of the 2010 census, Calumet-Norvelt was divided into two separate CDPs officially. Calumet was a typical "patch town," another name for a coal town, built by a single company to house coal miners as cheaply as possible. The closing of the Calumet mine during the Great Depression caused enormous hardship in an era when unemployment compensation and welfare payments were nonexistent. On the other hand, Norvelt was created during the depression by the US federal government as a model community, intended to increase the standard of living of laid-off coal miners.[1]

Calumet was founded by the Calumet Coke Company in 1888 as a housing site for its workers.[2] The community, as originally laid out, consisted of twenty double houses, twelve single-family houses, and a few commercial and industrial buildings. The workers were employed in a coal mine and also tended ovens that produced coke (fuel). During the Bituminous Coal Miners' Strike of 1894, Calumet was the site of a bitter confrontation between the strikers and the H. C. Frick Coke Company, which at that time was part-owner of Calumet Coke Company.[2]

In 1888, the Calumet Coke Company established the Calumet Mine & Coke Works along Sewickley Creek in Mount Pleasant Township, Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. The Company built twenty-three houses in 1888 and the Calumet Coke Works containing 105 beehive coke ovens. This operation was served by the Southwest Branch of the Pennsylvania Railroad. About 100 miners were employed in the mine (a shaft operation) that exploited Calumet's 80-inch-thick (2,000 mm) Pittsburgh coal seam, and 75 coke workers were employed in the coke works.

Select the Right Vet Tech School near Calumet PA

Calumet PA vet tech holding dog Enrolling in the appropriate vet tech college is a crucial first step to starting a rewarding career providing treatment and care for animals. Students thinking about veterinary technician schools need to make their determination based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They typically handle administrative tasks and support the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have discussed, it’s essential that you select a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This applies to online vet tech colleges as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to narrow down your options so that you can make your final choice. And by picking the best college, you can achieve your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Calumet PA.