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

How to Find the Right Veterinary Technician School near Reading Pennsylvania

Reading PA vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your lifelong aspiration of working with and caring for pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician college near Reading PA could at first feel like a daunting undertaking. After all, you must search for and enroll in a program that will furnish the appropriate training so that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. But just how do you tackle analyzing and contrasting colleges so that you can make the correct choice? Many future students begin their due diligence process by looking for schools that are near their residences. Once they have located some nearby colleges, they find out which ones have the cheapest tuition and hone in on those. Although cost and location are important concerns when evaluating vet tech schools, they are not the only significant ones when making your evaluations. Factors such as accreditation and internship programs need to be evaluated as well. The main idea is that there are questions you ought to be asking the veterinary technician programs you are reviewing before you make a final decision. We have provided several within this article to help get you started, but before we review them we’ll discuss the varied duties of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives available.

The Function of a Vet Tech in Reading PA

cat with cone after surgery in Reading PA Among the first decisions that you will need to make is if you plan to train as a vet technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your determination may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the main determiner will most likely be which specialty appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they all work under the immediate guidance of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And while there are many duties that they can carry out within the Reading PA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe medicines, diagnose conditions, or conduct surgical procedures. In those areas they can only provide assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the typical veterinarian practice, such as for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the job functions and education requirements for each specialization.

Vet Assistants in the majority of instances will have gone through a structured training program, either as an apprentice or intern in a practice, or by finishing 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 completion of their duties. Generally they are not associated with more involved activities, such as assisting with surgeries. Some of their normal responsibilities may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or handling pets during exams.
Vet Technicians get more extensive training compared with assistants and normally earn a 2 year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinarian equivalent of medical nurses, since their basic job duty is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from veterinary assistants is that they are included in more complicated duties, for instance assisting with surgical procedures or administering medication. All states presently mandate that vet techs 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 mandated to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which generally requires four years. So the main difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist’s higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more career options, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are also required to pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.

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

Veterinary Technician Online Programs Offered in Reading

student attending online vet tech school in Reading PA An option that might make sense for those with a hectic lifestyle or who are working full-time while attending veterinarian college is to enroll in an online program. Because the classes are offered through the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is available. The curriculum is taught using multiple methods, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since the majority of vet technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that portion can usually be completed as an internship or work study program at a local Reading PA veterinary practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in some instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and ancillary expenses, such as for commuting and study materials, may be lower compared to more standard classroom programs. Just confirm that the online school that you choose is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting organization. With the online classes and the practical training, everything is furnished for a complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more self-reliant mode, an online vet tech school may be the right option for you.

Questions to Ask Reading PA Veterinary Technician Colleges

Questions to ask Reading PA vet tech schools At this point you probably have determined which veterinarian degree that you want to earn, and if you want to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Reading PA area as well as across the USA, you must ask some qualifying questions to help narrow down your list of alternatives. As we discussed in our introduction, many future students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have already touched on other essential qualifiers, for example accreditation and internship programs. And naturally you want to select a college that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. These and other qualifications are reviewed in the list of questions that you need to ask the vet tech schools that you are reviewing.

Is the Veterinary Program Accredited? It’s important that you make sure that the vet tech school 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). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone a demanding review process that confirms you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since a large number of programs are not offered for non-accredited schools. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is frequently a prerequisite for employment for many Reading PA area veterinarian practices and hospitals.

What is the Program’s Reputation? The veterinary trade school or college and program you choose must have an outstanding reputation within the vet field. You can start your due diligence by asking the schools you are reviewing for testimonials from the employers in their job placement network. Other tips include looking on internet school rating websites and contacting the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the Pennsylvania school licensing department if there have been any complaints or violations involving your targeted schools. As a final recommendation, get in touch with some Reading 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 might even recommend one or more programs not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs? The best approach to get practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a professional environment. Ask if the colleges you are considering have internship programs established with Reading PA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and many furnish it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable regarding the clinical training, but an internship can also help develop associations in the local veterinary community and aid in the search for a position after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program? Searching for a job after graduating from a veterinary technician college can be challenging without the assistance of a job placement program. First, find out what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are considering. A low rate may mean that the instructors were unqualified to teach the curriculum or that a number of students were disappointed with the program and quit. Next, check that the colleges have a job assistance program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate might indicate that the school has an excellent reputation within the Reading PA veterinarian community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may indicate that the training is not well thought of 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 may get little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Reading PA schools you are looking at what their class student to teacher ratios are. You may also want to participate in some classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and instructors. Get feedback from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the College Located? Yes, we previously talked about location, but there are a couple of more points to make on the subject. If you are planning to commute to your vet tech classes from your Reading PA home, you must make certain that the commuting time fits into your schedule. For example, driving during the weekend to check out the route won’t be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, particularly if the school is located near or in a large city. In addition, if you do choose to attend a college in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be increased tuition charges especially for community and state colleges. Of course attending online classes might be an option that will give you more flexibility and reduce the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And finally, it’s imperative that you find out if the veterinarian colleges you are evaluating offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue to work full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near Reading PA. Some might only be able to attend class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you require are offered prior to enrolling. Also, determine if you can make up classes that you might miss due to work, sickness or family emergencies. You might find that an online college is the best way to fit your veterinary education into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Reading PA?

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

Reading, Pennsylvania

Reading (/ˈrɛdɪŋ/ RED-ing; Pennsylvania German: Reddin) is a city in and the county seat of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States. With a population of 87,575, it is the fifth-largest city in Pennsylvania.[8][9][10] Located in the southeastern part of the state, it is the principal city of the Greater Reading Area, and is furthermore included in the Philadelphia-Reading-Camden PA-NJ-DE-MD Combined Statistical Area.

The city, which is approximately halfway between the state's most populous city, Philadelphia, and the state capital, Harrisburg (as well as about halfway between Allentown and Lancaster) is strategically situated along a major transportation route from Central to Eastern Pennsylvania, and lent its name to the now-defunct Reading Railroad, which transported anthracite coal from the Pennsylvania Coal Region to the eastern United States via the Port of Philadelphia. Reading Railroad is one of the four railroad properties in the classic United States version of the Monopoly board game.

Reading was one of the first localities where outlet shopping became a tourist industry. It has been known as "The Pretzel City", because of numerous local pretzel bakeries. Currently, Bachman, Dieffenbach, Tom Sturgis, and Unique Pretzel bakeries call the Reading area home.

Select the Best Veterinary Technician College near Reading PA

Reading PA vet tech holding dog Choosing the ideal vet tech school is a critical first step to beginning a fulfilling career providing treatment and care for pets and livestock. Students thinking about vet tech schools must make their decision based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They typically handle administrative duties and support the veterinarian with the animal patients as needed. As we have covered, it’s essential that you enroll in a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This goes for vet tech online programs as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to reduce your options so that you can make your final selection. And by picking the best college, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a vet tech in Reading PA.