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How to Find the Right Veterinary Technician Program near Whitehall Pennsylvania

Whitehall PA vet tech diagnosing puppy Fulfilling your lifelong dream of working with and caring for pets by enrolling in a vet tech school near Whitehall PA could at first feel like a challenging endeavor. After all, you need to locate and enroll in a college that will provide the proper training so that you can be successful as a vet tech. But just how do you go about assessing and comparing programs so that you can make the correct selection? Many potential students begin their due diligence process by looking for colleges that are near their residences. Once they have found some area schools, they find out which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although location and cost are important factors when evaluating veterinary technician schools, they are not the only significant ones when making your assessments. Factors such as accreditation and internship programs should be considered also. The main idea is that there are questions you need to be asking the vet tech schools you are evaluating before you make a final choice. We have presented several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll discuss the varied roles of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives available.

The Function of a Vet Tech in Whitehall PA

cat with cone after surgery in Whitehall PA One of the first decisions that you will have to make is whether you plan to train as a veterinary assistant, technician or technologist. Part of your decision may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your education, but the primary factor will probably be which specialty interests you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they each work under the immediate guidance of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And even though there are a number of functions that they can perform within the Whitehall PA veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe medications, diagnose health issues, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they can only furnish support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the typical veterinarian practice, for instance for animal shelters, zoos or police departments. Let’s take a look at the duties and education prerequisites for each specialization.

Vet Assistants in most cases will have gone through a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a vet clinic or hospital, or by graduating from a certificate program at a community college or trade school. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet technicians in the performance of their duties. Usually they are not involved with more involved activities, for example assisting with surgeries. A few of their regular functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or handling pets during examinations.
Vet Technicians receive more extensive training compared with assistants and typically acquire a two year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the veterinarian equivalent of medical nurses, since their basic job duty is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from veterinary assistants is that they are included in more complicated functions, for instance assisting with surgeries or providing medicine. All states presently require veterinary techs pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.
Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary techs and basically perform the same job functions. They are required to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which typically takes 4 years. So 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 opportunities, increased salaries and potential management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

Veterinary 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 Whitehall PA laboratories or research facilities also.

Veterinary Technician Online Schools Offered in Whitehall

student attending online vet tech school in Whitehall PA An approach that may make sense for those with a busy schedule or who are working full time while attending veterinary college is to enroll in an online program. Because the classes are provided over the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is accessible. The syllabus is taught using various venues, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since the majority of vet technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that segment can usually be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Whitehall PA veterinarian practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in some instances decrease the cost of your education. Tuition and supplementary costs, for example for travel and study materials, may be cheaper compared to more conventional classroom courses. Just make sure that the program that you enroll in is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally recognized accrediting organization. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything is included for a complete education. So if you are dedicated enough to learn in this more independent fashion, an online vet tech school may be the ideal option for you.

What to Ask Whitehall PA Veterinary Technician Schools

Questions to ask Whitehall PA vet tech schools At this point you should have selected which veterinary credential that you wish to obtain, and if you want to study online or attend a college on campus. Since there are a large number of veterinarian community colleges, vocational and technical schools in the Whitehall PA area as well as across the USA, you must ask some relevant questions in order to narrow down your list of options. As we pointed out in our introduction, many future students start by prioritizing location and the cost of tuition. But we have already pointed out other significant qualifiers, such as accreditation and internship programs. And naturally you want to choose a school that offers the specialty and degree that you want to earn. These and other factors are addressed in the list of questions that you need to ask the vet tech colleges that you are considering.

Is the Veterinary School Accredited? It’s imperative that you confirm that the veterinary technician college you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As earlier discussed, 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 quality education. Also, accreditation is essential if you are requesting a student loan or financial assistance, since many programs are not available for non-accredited programs. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited college is frequently a prerequisite for employment for a number of Whitehall PA area veterinary practices and hospitals.

What is the School’s Reputation? The vet college or vocational school and program you choose must have an outstanding reputation within the veterinary community. You can begin your due diligence by asking the schools you are looking at for testimonials from the employers in their job assistance 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 grievances or violations involving your specific schools. As a final recommendation, call some Whitehall PA veterinarians that you may wish to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think about your school choices. They might even suggest some schools not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The best means to obtain practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a clinical environment. Find out if the schools you are looking at have internship programs arranged with Whitehall PA veterinarians, vet clinics or hospitals. Most veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and many provide it through internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial as far as the practical training, but an internship may also help build relationships in the local vet community and aid in the search for a position after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Provided? Getting a job after graduating from a vet tech college can be difficult without the assistance of a job placement program. To start with, find out what the graduation rates are for the programs you are reviewing. A lower rate might signify that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the syllabus or that some students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. Next, check that the colleges have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate might mean that the school has an outstanding reputation within the Whitehall PA veterinary community and has a significant network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may signify that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job placement program is a failure at placing students.

How Big are the Classes? If the classes are larger in size, you may get little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Request from the Whitehall PA schools you are considering what their class student to teacher ratios are. You might also decide to sit in on a few classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between teachers and students. Get feedback from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the teachers and find out what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the School Located? Yes, we already discussed location, but there are a few more points to make on the topic. If you are going to commute to your vet tech classes from your Whitehall PA home, you must make sure 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 commute during rush hour traffic, especially if the campus is located in or near a larger 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 higher tuition costs particularly for state and community colleges. On the other hand, taking online classes might be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and reduce the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And finally, it’s important that you find out if the vet colleges you are considering offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For example, a number of students continue to work full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near Whitehall PA. Some might only be able to go to classes in the morning or later in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are available prior to enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make-up classes that you might miss due to sickness, work or family issues. You might discover that an online college is the best way to fit your veterinary training into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Whitehall PA?

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

Whitehall Township, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania

Whitehall Township is a first class township with home rule status in Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, in the United States. It is a suburb of Allentown, Pennsylvania, in the Lehigh Valley region of the state.

The Province of Pennsylvania was created in 1681 when King Charles II granted a tract of land in the New World to William Penn. After the death of William Penn, his sons, John, Thomas and Richard, became the owners of Pennsylvania. The Delaware Indians deeded that part of Lehigh County lying between the Lehigh (South) Mountain and the Blue Mountains to Penn’s sons in 1736.

A wave of immigrants from Germany’s Palatinate settled in Whitehall Township, the first being Jacob Kohler, who settled in the vicinity of Egypt about 1728. The settlers staked their claim on the lands by applying to the Penn's for a land warrant. They cleared the land for farming and established churches around which villages grew.

Choose the Ideal Vet Tech Program near Whitehall PA

Whitehall PA vet tech holding dog Enrolling in the appropriate vet tech school is a critical first step to starting a gratifying career delivering treatment and care for animals. Students looking into vet tech programs need to make their decision based on multiple key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They usually take on administrative tasks and support the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have covered, it’s essential that you choose a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an excellent reputation within the profession. This goes for online vet tech colleges as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to narrow down your alternatives so that you can make your final selection. And by choosing the ideal school, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Whitehall PA.