Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools University Park PA

How to Choose a Veterinary Technician Program near University Park Pennsylvania

University Park PA vet tech diagnosing puppy Achieving your long term goal of working with and caring for animals by enrolling in a veterinary technician college near University Park PA might initially feel like a challenging endeavor. After all, you must search for and enroll in a program that will furnish the appropriate training so that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you approach reviewing and contrasting programs so that you can make the ideal selection? Many aspiring students launch their due diligence process by looking for campuses that are near their homes. Once they have identified some local colleges, they determine which ones have the cheapest tuition and hone in on those. Although cost and location are significant concerns when assessing veterinary technician programs, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your evaluations. Factors such as accreditation and internship programs need to be looked into as well. The main idea is that there are questions you need to be asking the veterinary technician programs you are looking at before you make a final decision. We have furnished several within this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll discuss the various duties of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives available.

The Function of a Veterinary Technician in University Park PA

cat with cone after surgery in University Park PA Among the first decisions that you will need to make is whether you plan to train as a veterinary technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your preference may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your education, but the main factor will undoubtedly be which specialty interests you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they all work under the immediate direction of a practicing and licensed veterinarian. And while there are many tasks that they can perform within the University Park PA veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose conditions, or perform surgical procedures. In those areas they can only provide support to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the typical vet practice, for example for animal shelters, zoos or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the job functions and education requirements for each specialization.

Vet Assistants in the majority of cases will have gone through a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a practice, or by graduating from a certificate program at a vocational school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet techs in the execution of their duties. Normally they are not associated with more complicated tasks, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their normal responsibilities may include working at the front desk, preparing and cleaning exam rooms and equipment, or controlling pets during exams.
Vet Technicians undergo more extensive training in contrast to assistants and usually obtain a two year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinarian counterparts of medical nurses, since their basic 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 complicated tasks, such as assisting with surgeries or providing medicine. All states presently require veterinary techs pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary technicians and essentially carry out the same job functions. They are mandated to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which normally takes four years to complete. Therefore the only real difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist’s higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job opportunities, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

Veterinary technicians and technologists can 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 University Park PA labs or research facilities as well.

Veterinary Technician Online Programs Offered in University Park

student attending online vet tech school in University Park 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 training program. Because the classes are provided by means of the internet, students can attend on their own timetable wherever a computer is available. The educational program is taught using multiple venues, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since the majority of vet tech and technologist degrees require clinical training, that part can normally be completed as an internship or work study program at a local University Park PA veterinarian practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in many instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and secondary costs, for example for commuting and study materials, can be more affordable compared to more conventional classroom programs. Just make certain that the online school that you select 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 comprehensive education. So if you are dedicated enough to learn in this more self-reliant manner, an online veterinary technician school may be the ideal choice for you.

Things to Ask University Park PA Vet Tech Colleges

Questions to ask University Park PA vet tech schools By now you probably have selected which veterinary degree that you wish to obtain, and if you intend to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinarian community colleges, technical and vocational schools in the University Park PA area as well as across the USA, you need to ask some relevant questions in order to fine tune your list of alternatives. As we mentioned in our introduction, many future students start by concentrating on location and tuition expense. But we have already touched on other essential qualifiers, which include accreditation and internship programs. And obviously you want to choose a college that offers the specialty and degree that you want to earn. These and other factors are covered in the checklist of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician programs that you are reviewing.

Is the Vet College Accredited? It’s essential that you confirm that the veterinary technician school you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting agency. As earlier stated, 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 an extensive review process that ensures you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not offered for non-accredited colleges. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited college is often a precondition for employment for many University Park PA area veterinary clinics and hospitals.

What is the School’s Reputation? The veterinary college or vocational school and program you select must have an excellent reputation within the veterinarian field. You can start your due diligence by asking the colleges you are reviewing for references from the employers in their job placement network. Other suggestions include looking on online 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 grievances or infractions involving your targeted schools. As a final pointer, call some University Park PA veterinarians that you might want to work for after you receive your training. Find out what they think of your school choices. They might even recommend one or more colleges not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The best means to get clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a clinical setting. Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have internship programs established with University Park PA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs require clinical 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 may also help establish connections in the local veterinary community and aid in the search for a job after graduation.

Is there a Job Placement Program? Getting a job after graduating from a vet tech college can be difficult without the help of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are evaluating. A low rate could mean that the teachers were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that some students were dissatisfied 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 may mean that the school has an excellent reputation within the University Park PA veterinarian community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may mean that the training is not highly thought of by employers or that the job assistance 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 individualized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the University Park PA programs you are looking at what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You may also want to attend a few classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between students and teachers. Get feedback from students concerning 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 College Located? Of course, we previously discussed location, but there are a few more points to make on the topic. If you are planning to commute to your vet tech classes from your University Park PA home, you have to make sure that the commuting time fits into your schedule. For example, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won’t be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, especially if the school is located close by or within a larger 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 increased tuition costs particularly for community and state colleges. On the other hand, attending online classes could be an alternative that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And finally, it’s essential that you determine if the vet programs you are exploring offer class times flexible enough to accommodate your schedule. For instance, many students continue working full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near University Park PA. Others may only be able to attend classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you require are available prior to enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make up classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family issues. You may find that an online program is the ideal way to fit your veterinary training into your busy life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near University Park PA?

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

University Park, Pennsylvania

University Park is the name given to the Pennsylvania State University's largest campus, and University Park, Pennsylvania is the postal address used by Penn State. The University Park campus is located in State College and adjacent College Township, Pennsylvania. The campus post office was designated "University Park, Pennsylvania" in 1953 by Penn State president Milton Eisenhower, after what was then Pennsylvania State College was upgraded to university status.

The school that later became Penn State University was founded as a degree-granting institution on February 22, 1855, by act P.L. 46, No. 50 of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as the Farmers' High School of Pennsylvania. Centre County, Pennsylvania, became the home of the new school when James Irvin of Bellefonte, Pennsylvania, donated 200 acres (80.9 ha) of land – the first of 10,101 acres (4,088 ha) the school would eventually acquire. In 1862, the school's name was changed to the Agricultural College of Pennsylvania, and with the passage of the Morrill Land-Grant Acts, Pennsylvania selected the school in 1863 to be the state's sole land-grant college. The school's name changed to the Pennsylvania State College in 1874; enrollment fell to 64 undergraduates the following year as the school tried to balance purely agricultural studies with a more classic education.

In 1953, the university sought a name change for the town called State College to reflect the new status of the school as a university. As the name change referendum failed to pass, the resolution ended with a new postal address to be called "University Park".

Enroll in the Ideal Vet Tech School near University Park PA

University Park PA vet tech holding dog Picking the ideal veterinary technician program is a critical first step to beginning a fulfilling career providing treatment and care for pets and livestock. Students considering vet tech schools need to make their selection based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They typically take on administrative responsibilities and assist the veterinarian with the animals as needed. As we have discussed, it’s very important that you enroll in a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This applies to vet tech online programs as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for reviewing schools, you will be able to reduce your alternatives so that you can make your final selection. And by selecting the right school, you can achieve your goal of becoming a vet tech in University Park PA.