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How to Choose a Vet Tech Program near Lehighton Pennsylvania

Lehighton PA vet tech diagnosing puppy Fulfilling your long term dream of working with and caring for pets by enrolling in a vet tech program near Lehighton PA may at first feel like a challenging task. After all, you have to find and enroll in a college that will deliver the appropriate training to ensure that you can succeed as a vet tech. But just how do you approach assessing and contrasting colleges so that you can make the right selection? Many aspiring students begin their due diligence process by looking for campuses that are close to their residences. After they have identified some nearby colleges, they determine which ones have the most affordable tuition and focus on those. Although location and cost are significant concerns when comparing vet technician schools, they are not the only important ones when making your assessments. Factors such as accreditation and internship programs should be evaluated as well. The point is that there are questions you should be asking the vet tech schools you are evaluating before you make an ultimate selection. We have furnished several within this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll explore the various roles of vet techs and the training alternatives offered.

The Job of a Veterinary Technician in Lehighton PA

cat with cone after surgery in Lehighton PA One of the first decisions that you will have to make is if you plan to train as a veterinary assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your preference might be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your training, but the main determiner will probably be which specialty interests you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they each work under the immediate direction of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And while there are many functions that they can carry out within the Lehighton PA veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose ailments, or conduct surgical procedures. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work outside of the standard vet practice, such as for animal shelters, zoos or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the responsibilities and training requirements for each specialty.

Vet Assistants in most instances will have completed a structured training program, either as an apprentice or intern 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 execution of their duties. Usually they are not associated with more complicated activities, for example assisting with surgeries. A few of their normal duties may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during examinations.
Vet Technicians receive more extensive training compared to assistants and typically obtain a 2 year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinarian 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 involved in more involved activities, for example assisting with surgical procedures or providing medicine. All states presently require veterinary technicians pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.
Vet Technologists are comparable to vet techs and essentially carry out the same job functions. They are mandated to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which typically takes 4 years. Therefore the main difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist’s more advanced level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more work options, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.

Vet techs and technologists can specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or urgent care. A number may obtain certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Lehighton PA labs or research facilities as well.

Veterinary Technician Online Schools Offered in Lehighton

student attending online vet tech school in Lehighton PA An approach that may be a solution for those with a busy schedule or who are working full time while going to vet college is to enroll in an online training program. Since the classes are provided by means of the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is available. The course of study is taught using multiple methods, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since many veterinary technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that portion can normally be completed as an internship or work study program at a local Lehighton PA veterinary clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in some instances reduce the cost of your education. Tuition and secondary costs, for example for traveling and study supplies, may be lower compared to more traditional classroom courses. Just make sure that the online school that you choose 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 fashion, an online vet tech school may be the right option for you.

Questions to Ask Lehighton PA Veterinary Technician Programs

Questions to ask Lehighton PA vet tech schools At this point you should have determined which veterinary credential that you would like to obtain, and if you intend to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Lehighton PA area as well as across the Country, you should ask some relevant questions to help fine tune your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our introduction, many prospective students start by prioritizing location and the cost of tuition. But we have previously mentioned other important qualifiers, which include internship programs and accreditation. And naturally you need to enroll in a program that offers the specialty and degree that you want to earn. These and other factors are reviewed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the vet tech programs that you are reviewing.

Is the Vet Program Accredited? It’s important that you verify that the vet tech school you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier discussed, among the most highly regarded 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 obtain a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are applying for a student loan or financial assistance, since numerous programs are not offered for non-accredited schools. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited school is frequently a precondition for employment for many Lehighton PA area veterinarian practices and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation? The vet trade school or college and program you choose should have an excellent reputation within the veterinarian 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 suggestions include looking on internet school ranking websites and checking with the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Pennsylvania school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or violations relating to your specific schools. As a final pointer, phone some Lehighton PA vet clinics that you might want to work for after you receive your training. Ask what they think of your school choices. They may even suggest some programs not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The best approach to obtain clinical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a clinical setting. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have internship programs established with Lehighton PA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Most veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and a large number provide it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be invaluable relative to the clinical training, but an internship may also help build relationships in the local veterinary community and aid in the search for employment after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided? Finding a job after graduating from a vet tech college may be difficult without the help of a job placement program. First, ask what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are considering. A lower rate might mean that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the curriculum or that some students were unhappy with the program and quit. Next, verify that the schools have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might indicate that the college has an exceptional reputation within the Lehighton PA veterinarian community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may mean that the training is not well thought of by employers or that the job placement program is a failure at placing students.

How Large are the Classes? If the classes are larger, you most likely will get little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Lehighton PA programs you are considering what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You may also want to attend a few classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and teachers. Get feedback from students regarding the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the teachers and determine what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the Campus Located? Of course, we previously covered location, but there are a couple of more points to consider on the topic. If you are planning to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Lehighton PA home, you must make certain 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, especially if the college is located in or close by a larger city. In addition, if you do choose to enroll in a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition fees particularly for community and state colleges. Of course taking online classes might be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and reduce the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And last, it’s essential that you ascertain if the veterinary programs you are looking at offer class times flexible enough to fit your schedule. For example, many students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near Lehighton PA. Some may only be able to go to classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Make certain that the class times you require are available prior to enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make up classes that you might miss due to work, illness or family emergencies. You might find that an online college is the best way to fit your veterinary training into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Lehighton PA?

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

Lehighton, Pennsylvania

Lehighton (/li'hɑitən/) is a borough in Carbon County, Pennsylvania, United States, 77 miles (124 km) north of Philadelphia, and 54 miles (87 km) south of Scranton. In the past, it developed early industries because of water power from the Lehigh River. With the location of a repair facility here and its regional operations, the Lehigh Valley Railroad became for years a major employer of thousands of people from the area. Post-World War II railroad and industry restructuring led to job and population losses.

At the time of the first European's encounters with historic American Indian tribes, this area was part of the shared hunting territory of the Iroquoian Susquehannock and the Algonquian Lenape (also called the Delaware, after their language and territory along the Delaware River) peoples, who were often at odds.[5] Relatives of the peoples of New England and along the St. Lawrence valley of Canada, the Delaware bands occupied much of the coastal mid-Atlantic area in Delaware, New Jersey, Eastern Pennsylvania and lower eastern New York, including Long Island.[5] The Susquehannock confederacy's homelands were mainly along the Susquehanna River, from the Mohawk Valley in lower New York southerly to the Chesapeake and Virginia's Shenandoah Valley, but may have ranged into the 'empty lands'[6] of West Virginia, Eastern Ohio, and Western Pennsylvania.[5] The Dutch and Swedes first settled the Delaware Valley, and found the area north of the Lehigh Gap to be lightly occupied, probably by transients, but traveled regularly by the Susquehannock. This tribe traveled quite a bit according to the American Heritage Book of Indians,[5] including being described in lofty terms by John Smith when a band visited the new Jamestown, Virginia colony.[5] In the decades of the Beaver Wars in the mid-1600s, the Susquehannocks conquered and made the Lenape a tributary tribe — and also nearly inflicted an overwhelming defeat on the powerful Iroquois Confederacy,.[5] Shortly thereafter, the Susquehannocks suffered a reversal, falling first to epidemic disease that raged for three years which killed off potentially 90% of their population,[5] and a series of battles on most of their frontiers as various enemies took advantage.[5] This vacated the southeastern and central Pennsylvania regions for the Delaware peoples. However, all tribes were thereafter displaced westwards by continued colonial growth. Delaware dominance at the time of European colonization is why William Penn's settlers adopted Lenape Lenki (Delaware) names for landscape features, and less than a handful of Susquehannock names.

Lehighton was built on the site of the German Moravian Brethren's mission station "Gnadenhütten" (cabins of grace) founded in 1746. It was established as a mission to the Lenape by Moravians from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, lower on the Lehigh River.[7] The German name was transcribed as "Canatanheat" by missionary John Brainerd.[8]

Pick the Right Vet Tech College near Lehighton PA

Lehighton PA vet tech holding dog Choosing the appropriate veterinary technician school is an important first step to beginning a fulfilling career delivering treatment and care for pets and livestock. Students thinking about veterinary technician programs must make their decision based on a number of key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They commonly handle administrative duties and support the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have discussed, it’s very important that you pick a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This applies to online vet tech schools as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to reduce your choices so that you can make your final decision. And by selecting the ideal college, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Lehighton PA.