Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Elizabethville PA

How to Find the Right Veterinary Technician School near Elizabethville Pennsylvania

Elizabethville PA vet tech diagnosing puppy Achieving your long term dream of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician school near Elizabethville PA could initially seem like a challenging task. After all, you have to find and enroll in a college that will provide the necessary training so that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. But just how do you tackle reviewing and comparing schools so that you can make the ideal choice? Many future students begin their due diligence process by looking for schools that are near their homes. After they have found some local colleges, they ascertain which ones have the most affordable tuition and focus on those. Although location and expense are important factors when evaluating vet tech programs, they are not the only significant ones when making your comparisons. Qualifications such as internship programs and accreditation need to be evaluated also. The main idea is that there are questions you should be asking the veterinary technician programs you are reviewing before you make a final selection. We have presented several in this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll explore the varied duties of vet techs and the training alternatives offered.

The Responsibilities of a Vet Tech in Elizabethville PA

cat with cone after surgery in Elizabethville PA Among the first decisions that you will need to make is if you desire 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 invest in your education, but the primary determiner will undoubtedly be which specialty appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they each work under the direct direction of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And while there are many duties that they can carry out within the Elizabethville PA veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose health issues, or perform surgical procedures. In those areas they may only provide assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the typical veterinarian practice, for instance for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let’s take a look at the duties and education prerequisites for each specialization.

Vet Assistants in the majority of instances will have gone through a formal training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a practice, or by graduating from a certificate program at a community college or vocational school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet techs in the execution of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more complicated undertakings, for example assisting with surgeries. A few of their usual duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or handling animals during exams.
Vet Technicians receive more advanced training compared to assistants and typically obtain a 2 year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinary 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 engaged in more involved tasks, for example assisting with surgeries or providing medication. All states presently mandate that vet techs pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.
Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary techs and for the most part perform the same job functions. They are mandated to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which generally requires 4 years to complete. So 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, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.

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

Online Vet Tech Programs Offered in Elizabethville

student attending online vet tech school in Elizabethville PA An alternative that might be a solution for those with a busy schedule or who are working full-time while going to veterinarian school is to enroll in an online program. Since the classes are made available through the internet, students can attend on their own timetable wherever a computer is accessible. The course of study is taught using various methods, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since many veterinary tech and technologist degrees require practical training, that portion can normally be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Elizabethville PA veterinary 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 example for commuting and study materials, can be cheaper compared to more conventional classroom courses. Just make certain 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 furnished for a complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more independent mode, an online veterinary technician school may be the right option for you.

What to Ask Elizabethville PA Vet Tech Schools

Questions to ask Elizabethville PA vet tech schools By now you probably have determined which veterinarian degree that you would like to obtain, and if you want to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinary community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Elizabethville PA area as well as across the USA, you should ask some qualifying questions to help narrow down your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our opening, many prospective students start by focusing on location and the cost of tuition. But we have already touched on other important qualifiers, for instance internship programs and accreditation. And obviously you want to select a school that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. These and other factors are addressed in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician schools that you are considering.

Is the Vet Program Accredited? It’s important that you make sure that the vet tech program you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously discussed, among the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through a rigorous review process that confirms you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not obtainable for non-accredited schools. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited school is frequently a prerequisite for employment for a number of Elizabethville PA area veterinary clinics and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation? The vet vocational school or college and program you choose must have an outstanding reputation within the vet field. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the schools you are looking at for endorsements from the employers in their job assistance network. Other pointers include looking on online school ranking websites and contacting the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the Pennsylvania school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or infractions involving your targeted schools. As a final tip, phone some Elizabethville PA veterinarians that you might want to work for after you receive your training. Ask what they think about your school selections. They may even recommend some schools not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs? The best approach to get practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a professional setting. Ask if the programs you are looking at have internship programs set up with Elizabethville PA veterinarians, vet hospitals or practices. Most veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and many furnish it through internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable regarding the clinical training, but an internship can also help establish relationships in the local veterinarian community and aid in the search for a position after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program? Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college can be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To begin with, find out what the graduation rates are for the programs you are reviewing. A lower rate may indicate that the instructors were unqualified to teach the curriculum or that some students were unhappy with the program and dropped out. Next, confirm that the schools have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A high placement rate may indicate that the college has an exceptional reputation within the Elizabethville PA veterinarian community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A low rate could indicate that the training is not well regarded by employers or that the job placement program is ineffective at placing students.

How Large are the Classes? If the classes are larger in size, you most likely will get little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Elizabethville PA schools you are researching what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You might also want to sit in on a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and instructors. Get evaluations from students relating to 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 covered location, but there are a couple of more points to consider on the subject. If you are going to commute to your vet tech classes from your Elizabethville PA home, you have to make sure that the driving 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 school is located close by or within a large city. In addition, if you do decide to enroll in 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. On the other hand, taking classes online might be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and minimize the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And finally, it’s essential that you find out if the veterinarian schools you are looking at offer class times flexible enough to fit your schedule. For example, a number of students continue to work full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near Elizabethville PA. Others might only be able to go to classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Confirm 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 because of work, illness or family emergencies. You might find that an online school is the ideal solution to fit your veterinary education into your busy life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Elizabethville PA?

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

Elizabethville, Pennsylvania

Elizabethville is a borough in Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2010 census, the borough's population was 1,510.[3] It is part of the Harrisburg–Carlisle Metropolitan Statistical Area.

Elizabethville was founded in 1817.[4] It was named for the wife of the original owner of the site.[5] A post office has been in operation at Elizabethville since 1826.[6] The borough was incorporated in 1893.[4]

Elizabethville is located in northern Dauphin County at 40°32′56″N 76°48′54″W / 40.54889°N 76.81500°W / 40.54889; -76.81500 (40.548801, -76.814994),[7] along the northern base of Berry Mountain. U.S. Route 209 passes through the borough, leading east 14 miles (23 km) to Tower City and west 8 miles (13 km) to Millersburg on the Susquehanna River. Pennsylvania Route 225 crosses US 209 in the center of town, leading north 4 miles (6 km) to Berrysburg and southwest 9 miles (14 km) to Halifax on the Susquehanna. Harrisburg, the state capital, is 26 miles (42 km) south via PA 225.

Enroll in the Ideal Veterinary Technician College near Elizabethville PA

Elizabethville PA vet tech holding dog Picking the right vet tech program is a crucial first step to starting a gratifying career providing treatment and care for animals. Potential students looking into vet tech colleges must make their selection based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They usually handle administrative responsibilities and assist the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have covered, it’s imperative that you enroll in a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the field. This goes for 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 selection. And by choosing the ideal school, you can achieve your goal of becoming a vet tech in Elizabethville PA.