Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Southeastern PA

How to Choose a Veterinary Technician School near Southeastern Pennsylvania

Southeastern PA vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your long term dream of working with and caring for pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician school near Southeastern PA may at first seem like a challenging task. After all, you must locate and enroll in a school that will furnish the appropriate training so that you can succeed as a veterinary technician. But just how do you tackle analyzing and comparing programs so that you can make the right choice? Many potential students begin their due diligence process by searching for schools that are close to their residences. After they have located some local schools, they ascertain which ones have the cheapest tuition and hone in on those. Although expense and location are important concerns when evaluating vet tech schools, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your assessments. Qualifications such as accreditation and internship programs should be considered as well. The main idea is that there are questions you should be asking the vet tech programs you are evaluating before you make a final selection. We have furnished several in this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll go over the various responsibilities of vet techs and the training options offered.

The Responsibilities of a Vet Tech in Southeastern PA

cat with cone after surgery in Southeastern PA One of the initial decisions that you will have to make is if you wish to train as a veterinary assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your preference may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your training, but the main determiner will probably be which specialization appeals to you the most. What technicians and assistants share in common is that they each work under the direct guidance of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And although there are numerous jobs that they can carry out within the Southeastern PA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose conditions, or conduct surgical procedures. In those areas they may only provide assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work outside of the typical veterinarian practice, such as for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let’s take a look at the responsibilities and education prerequisites for each position.

Vet Assistants in the majority of instances will have gone through a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice 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 veterinarians and vet techs in the performance of their duties. Generally they are not associated with more involved activities, such as assisting with surgeries. Some of their typical duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during exams.
Vet Technicians receive more extensive training compared with assistants and normally earn a two year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the vet counterparts of medical nurses, since their general job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they differ from veterinary assistants is that they are engaged in more complicated tasks, for instance assisting with surgical procedures or providing medicine. All states currently require veterinary techs pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.
Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary technicians and for the most part carry out the same work functions. They are mandated to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which typically requires four years to complete. 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 work opportunities, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally required to pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.

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

Online Vet Tech Programs Offered in Southeastern

student attending online vet tech school in Southeastern PA An alternative that may be a solution for those with a busy schedule or who are working full time while going to veterinary school is to enroll in an online program. Since the classes are offered 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 slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since most vet technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that portion can typically be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Southeastern PA veterinarian clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in some instances decrease the cost of your education. Tuition and secondary costs, for example for travel and study materials, may be lower compared to more standard classroom courses. Just make certain that the program that you choose is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting agency. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything is included for a comprehensive education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more self-reliant manner, an online vet tech program may be the ideal option for you.

Things to Ask Southeastern PA Veterinary Technician Schools

Questions to ask Southeastern PA vet tech schools By now you should have decided on which veterinarian degree that you wish to obtain, and if you want to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the Southeastern PA area as well as across the United States, you should ask some relevant questions in order to narrow down your list of alternatives. As we mentioned in our opening, many future students start by prioritizing location and the cost of tuition. But we have previously pointed out other important qualifiers, such as accreditation and internship programs. And naturally you want to select a school that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. These and other factors are reviewed in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician colleges that you are considering.

Is the Veterinary Program Accredited? It’s important that you make sure that the vet tech college you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously discussed, one of 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 ensures you will receive a quality 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 colleges. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is in many cases a precondition for employment for many Southeastern PA area veterinary practices and hospitals.

What is the Program’s Reputation? The veterinary college or vocational school and program you choose must have an exceptional reputation within the vet field. You can start your due diligence by asking the colleges you are interested in for references from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include looking on internet school ranking websites and checking with the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the Pennsylvania school licensing department if there have been any grievances or violations involving your targeted schools. As a final tip, call some Southeastern PA veterinarians that you may wish to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think about your school selections. They might even suggest one or more programs not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The best means to obtain practical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Find out if the schools you are looking at have internship programs set up with Southeastern PA veterinarians, vet hospitals or practices. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate practical training and a large number furnish it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable relative to the practical training, but an internship can also help build relationships in the local veterinarian community and help in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Offered? Finding a job after graduating from a vet tech school can be challenging without the help of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are considering. A lower rate might signify that the instructors were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that a number of students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. Next, check 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 excellent reputation within the Southeastern PA vet community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A low rate may signify that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job assistance program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes? If the classes are larger sized, you probably will receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Southeastern PA programs you are looking at what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You might also want to attend a few classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between instructors 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 approaches to teaching.

Where is the College Located? Yes, we already talked about location, but there are a couple of more points to make on the topic. If you are going to drive to your vet tech classes from your Southeastern PA home, you have to make sure 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, especially if the school is located near or in a larger city. Also, if you do opt to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition fees particularly for state and community colleges. On the other hand, taking classes online could be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and reduce the need for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And last, it’s essential that you find out if the veterinarian schools you are exploring offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to fit your schedule. For instance, many students continue to work full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night near Southeastern PA. Some might only be able to attend classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you require are offered before enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make-up classes that you might miss due to illness, work or family issues. You may discover that an online school is the ideal way to fit your vet training into your busy life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Southeastern PA?

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

Planned Parenthood v. Casey

Planned Parenthood v. Casey, 505 U.S. 833 (1992),[1] was a landmark United States Supreme Court case in which the constitutionality of several Pennsylvania state statutory provisions regarding abortion were challenged. The Court's plurality opinion reaffirmed the central holding of Roe v. Wade[2] stating that "matters, involving the most intimate and personal choices a person may make in a lifetime, choices central to personal dignity and autonomy, are central to the liberty protected by the Fourteenth Amendment."[3]

The Court's plurality opinion upheld the constitutional right to have an abortion while altering the standard for analyzing restrictions on that right, crafting the "undue burden" standard for abortion restrictions. Planned Parenthood v. Casey differs from Roe, however, because under Roe the state could not regulate abortions in the first trimester whereas under Planned Parenthood v. Casey the state can regulate abortions at any point prior to fetal viability (when a fetus is able to live outside of the mother's womb) and beyond as long as that regulation does not pose an undue burden on the woman.[4]

In Casey, the plaintiffs challenged five provisions of the Pennsylvania Abortion Control Act of 1982 authored by Rep. Stephen F. Freind,[5] arguing that the provisions were unconstitutional under Roe v. Wade. The Court in Roe was the first to establish abortion as a fundamental right protected by the Due Process Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The majority in Roe further held that women have a privacy interest protecting their right to abortion embedded in the liberty clause of the Fourteenth Amendment. The five provisions at issue in Casey are summarized below.

Select the Right Veterinary Technician School near Southeastern PA

Southeastern PA vet tech holding dog Choosing the appropriate veterinary technician college is a crucial first step to beginning a gratifying career providing care and treatment for animals. Future students looking into veterinary technician programs must make their determination based on a number of key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in veterinary clinics and hospitals and animal shelters. They usually take on administrative responsibilities and assist the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have covered, it’s essential that you select a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the field. This goes for vet tech online programs as well. By asking the questions included in our checklist for evaluating schools, you will be able to reduce your options so that you can make your final decision. And by selecting the right program, you can reach your goal of becoming a vet tech in Southeastern PA.