Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Mount Gretna PA

How to Pick a Vet Tech School near Mount Gretna Pennsylvania

Mount Gretna PA vet tech diagnosing puppy Achieving your lifelong goal of working with and caring for pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician program near Mount Gretna PA may initially feel like a daunting task. After all, you must find and enroll in a school that will provide the appropriate training to ensure that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you tackle assessing and comparing colleges so that you can make the right selection? Many aspiring students begin their due diligence process by searching for schools that are near their residences. Once they have found some nearby colleges, they find out which ones have the lowest tuition and hone in on those. Although expense and location are important concerns when comparing veterinary technician schools, they are not the only important ones when making your comparisons. Qualifications such as internship programs and accreditation should be considered as well. The point is that there are questions you should be asking the vet technician schools you are evaluating before you make an ultimate selection. We have furnished several in this article to help get you started, but before we review them we’ll talk about the varied roles of vet techs and the training alternatives offered.

The Job of a Veterinary Technician in Mount Gretna PA

cat with cone after surgery in Mount Gretna PA One of the initial decisions that you will need to make is if you desire to train as a vet assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your determination may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the primary determiner will probably be which specialty interests you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they all work under the direct guidance of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And even though there are a number of functions that they can carry out within the Mount Gretna PA veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe medications, diagnose conditions, or perform surgeries. In those areas they can only provide assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work away from the standard vet practice, for example for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let’s take a look at the duties and education prerequisites for each position.

Vet Assistants in most cases will have gone through a structured training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a vet clinic or hospital, or by finishing a certificate program at a community college or vocational school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet technicians in the completion of their duties. Usually they are not associated with more complex tasks, such as assisting with surgeries. Some of their normal responsibilities may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during exams.
Vet Technicians undergo more advanced training compared to assistants and generally acquire a 2 year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the veterinarian equivalent 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 functions, for instance assisting with surgical procedures or administering medication. All states presently require vet techs pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
Vet Technologists are comparable to vet techs and for the most part carry out the same job functions. They are required to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which normally requires 4 years to complete. Therefore the main difference between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist’s higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more work opportunities, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

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

Online Veterinary Technician Schools Offered in Mount Gretna

student attending online vet tech school in Mount Gretna PA An option that might be a solution for those with a busy lifestyle or who are working full-time while going to veterinarian college is to enroll in an online training program. Because 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 videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since most veterinary technician and technologist degrees require clinical training, that part can typically be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Mount Gretna PA veterinarian clinic 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 commuting and study materials, may be lower compared to more conventional classroom programs. Just make sure that the online school that you choose is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting organization. With the online courses and the clinical training, everything is furnished for a comprehensive education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more self-reliant mode, an online veterinary technician program may be the right option for you.

Things to Ask Mount Gretna PA Vet Tech Schools

Questions to ask Mount Gretna PA vet tech schools By now you probably have selected which veterinary credential that you wish to attain, and if you want to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinarian community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Mount Gretna PA area and across the USA, you must ask some relevant questions in order to narrow down your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our opening, many future students start by focusing on location and the cost of tuition. But we have previously mentioned other significant qualifiers, for instance accreditation and internship programs. 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 reviewed in the list of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician programs that you are looking at.

Is the Veterinary College Accredited? It’s important that you confirm that the veterinary technician school you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously stated, 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 screening process that confirms you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since a large number of programs are not available for non-accredited colleges. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited school is in many cases a precondition for employment for many Mount Gretna PA area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the School’s Reputation? The veterinarian vocational school or college and program you select should have an excellent reputation within the veterinarian field. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the schools you are looking at for references from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include checking with internet school ranking websites and speaking with the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Pennsylvania school licensing authority if there have been any grievances or violations concerning your targeted schools. As a final pointer, get in touch with some Mount Gretna PA veterinary clinics that you may wish to work for after you receive your training. Find out what they think about your school choices. They may even suggest one or more schools not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs? The most effective way to obtain practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a professional environment. Ask if the colleges you are looking at have internship programs arranged with Mount Gretna PA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Most veterinary medicine programs require practical training and many furnish it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable as far as the practical training, but an internship may also help build associations in the local veterinary community and assist in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided? Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college may be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. First, find out what the graduation rates are for the programs you are evaluating. A low rate could suggest that the instructors were unqualified to teach the course of study or that a number of students were unhappy with the program and quit. Next, check that the schools have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate may signify that the school has an excellent reputation within the Mount Gretna PA veterinarian community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A low rate could 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 bigger, you may receive little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Mount Gretna PA programs you are considering what their class student to teacher ratios are. You might also want to sit in on a couple of classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between teachers and students. Get evaluations from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the Campus Located? Yes, we previously discussed location, but there are several more points to make on the topic. If you are going to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Mount Gretna PA home, you must make sure that the driving time fits into your schedule. For example, driving during the weekend to check out the route won’t be the same as the commute during rush hour traffic, especially if the campus is located in or near a large city. In addition, if you do decide to attend a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition charges especially for state and community colleges. Of course attending online classes might be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and reduce the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And last, it’s imperative that you find out if the veterinary schools you are considering offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to fit your schedule. For example, many students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Mount Gretna PA. Some might only be able to go to classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you need are offered prior to enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make-up classes that you may miss as a result of work, sickness or family emergencies. You may find that an online college is the ideal way to fit your vet training into your busy life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Mount Gretna PA?

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

Mount Gretna, Pennsylvania

Mount Gretna is a borough in Lebanon County, Pennsylvania, United States. It is part of the Lebanon, PA Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 196 at the 2010 census. It is a popular place in the summer, for it has a nationally ranked juried art show (third weekend in August), jazz and chamber music concerts, lectures, book reviews, and an annual tour of historic homes and cottages (1st Saturday in August). The community also has a roller rink, lake, open-air playhouse, miniature golf course, several restaurants, playgrounds, and an award-winning ice cream parlor known as the Jigger Shop. The surrounding area, which includes seven distinct neighborhoods, has a year-round population estimated at 1,500 persons. Summertime population increases to about 2,500.

Mount Gretna is divided into seven different sections. These include Mount Gretna Heights, where the Mount Gretna Inn is located; Stoberdale; Campmeeting, where the Tabernacle and church are located, and Chautauqua, where the post office, playhouse, playground, and Jigger Shop are located. The area which includes Conewago Lake and the Timbers Restaurant is called Timber Hills. Conewago Hill, Timber Bridge and Conewago Lake are not in Mount Gretna, but rather South Londonderry Township.

Pursuant to a letter written by Hugh Maxwell, an official of the Cornwall and Lebanon Railroad, and sent by him to the Lebanon County Historical Society "and read before them on April 26, 1901" the name "Mount Gretna" was suggested by his wife, subsequently adopted by the Board, and "On September 21st 1883 that name appears in public print for the first time in the Lebanon Daily News." [4]

Select the Right Veterinary Technician School near Mount Gretna PA

Mount Gretna PA vet tech holding dog Choosing the right vet tech school is an important first step to starting a gratifying career providing treatment and care for animals. Future students considering vet tech programs must make their determination based on multiple key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They commonly handle administrative responsibilities and assist the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have covered, it’s essential that you decide on a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This goes for vet tech online schools as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to reduce your alternatives so that you can make your final choice. And by picking the best school, you can reach your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Mount Gretna PA.