Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Maple Valley WA

How to Choose a Vet Tech School near Maple Valley Washington

Maple Valley WA vet tech diagnosing puppy Realizing your long term dream of working with and helping pets by enrolling in a veterinary technician college near Maple Valley WA could initially seem like a challenging undertaking. After all, you have to locate 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 analyzing and contrasting schools so that you can make the best choice? Many future students start their due diligence process by searching for schools that are near their homes. Once they have identified some area schools, they ascertain which ones have the cheapest tuition and hone in on those. Although location and cost are significant concerns when assessing vet tech programs, they are by no means the only critical ones when making your evaluations. Factors such as internship programs and accreditation should be looked into also. The point is that there are questions you ought to be asking the vet tech schools you are considering before you make a final choice. We have presented several within this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll explore the different responsibilities of vet techs and the training options offered.

The Job of a Veterinary Technician in Maple Valley WA

cat with cone after surgery in Maple Valley WA One of the first decisions that you will need to make is if you want to train as a vet technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your decision may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to devote to your training, but the main factor will probably be which specialty interests you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they both work under the direct guidance of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And even though there are a number of jobs that they can perform within the Maple Valley WA veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe medications, diagnose health issues, or carry out surgeries. In those areas they can only provide assistance to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work outside of the standard vet practice, for example for zoos, animal shelters or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the responsibilities and education requirements for each specialization.

Vet Assistants in almost all instances 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 trade school or community college. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the veterinarians and vet technicians in the performance of their duties. Generally they are not associated with more complicated activities, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their normal functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or handling pets during examinations.
Vet Technicians get more advanced training in contrast to assistants and usually acquire a 2 year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the veterinary counterparts 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 engaged in more complex duties, for instance assisting with surgical procedures or administering medication. All states presently require vet techs pass a credentialing exam for either certification, registration or licensing.
Vet Technologists are comparable to veterinary techs and for the most part perform the same job functions. They are required to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which generally requires 4 years. So the only real distinction between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist’s higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more career opportunities, higher salaries and potential management positions. They are additionally mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either registration, certification or licensing.

Vet technicians and technologists may specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or urgent care. A number may receive certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Maple Valley WA laboratories or research facilities as well.

Online Vet Tech Programs Offered in Maple Valley

student attending online vet tech school in Maple Valley WA An alternative that might make sense for those with a busy schedule or who are working full-time while going to vet school is to enroll in an online training program. Since the classes are made available over 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 most veterinary technician and technologist degrees require clinical training, that segment can usually be fulfilled as an internship or work study program at a local Maple Valley WA veterinarian practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in some instances reduce the cost of your education. Tuition and secondary expenses, for example for traveling and study supplies, may be cheaper compared to more traditional classroom courses. Just be sure that the online school that you enroll in is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting organization. With the online courses and the practical training, everything is provided for a complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more independent mode, an online veterinary technician program may be the right choice for you.

What to Ask Maple Valley WA Veterinary Technician Schools

Questions to ask Maple Valley WA vet tech schools At this point you probably have decided on which veterinarian degree that you would like to earn, and if you prefer to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinary community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Maple Valley WA area and across the Country, you need to ask some important questions in order to fine tune your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our introduction, many potential students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have previously touched on other essential qualifiers, for example accreditation and internship programs. And of course you need to choose a school that offers the specialty and degree that you are interested in. These and other qualifications are covered in the list of questions that you should ask the vet tech colleges that you are looking at.

Is the Vet School Accredited? It’s important that you make sure that the veterinary technician program you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. 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 a thorough screening process that confirms you will obtain a superior education. Also, accreditation is important if you are applying for a student loan or financial assistance, since a large number of programs are not offered for non-accredited colleges. Last, having a degree or certificate from an accredited college is often a requirement for employment for a number of Maple Valley WA area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the Program’s Reputation? The vet college or trade school and program you enroll in should have an exceptional reputation within the veterinarian field. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the schools you are reviewing for references from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include looking on internet school rating websites and speaking with the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the Washington school licensing authority if there have been any complaints or violations involving your targeted schools. As a final pointer, phone some Maple Valley WA veterinarians that you might want to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think of your school selections. They may even suggest one or more programs not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs? The best means to obtain clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a professional setting. Ask if the programs you are reviewing have internship programs established with Maple Valley WA veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. The majority of veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and a large number furnish it by means of internships. Not only will the experience be beneficial as far as the clinical training, but an internship may also help develop associations in the local vet community and help in the search for a job after graduation.

Is Job Assistance Provided? Searching for a job after graduating from a veterinary technician school can be challenging without the help of a job placement program. To start with, ask what the graduation rates are for the colleges you are considering. A lower rate could mean that the instructors were ineffective at teaching the curriculum or that some students were disappointed with the program and quit. Next, confirm that the colleges have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate could indicate that the college has an exceptional reputation within the Maple Valley WA veterinarian community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may indicate that the training is not highly regarded by employers or that the job assistance program is ineffective at placing students.

How Big are the Classes? If the classes are larger sized, you may get little or no individualized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Maple Valley WA programs you are looking at what their class teacher to student ratios are. You may also decide to participate in a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and teachers. Ask for evaluations from students concerning the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the teachers and find out what their backgrounds are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the College Located? Okay, we previously talked about location, but there are a couple of more points to make on the topic. If you are going to commute to your vet tech classes from your Maple Valley WA home, you have to make sure that the driving time fits into your schedule. For example, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won’t be the same as the commute during rush hour traffic, especially if the college is located in or close by 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 charges particularly for state and community colleges. Of course taking classes online might be an option that will give you more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And finally, it’s essential that you find out if the vet schools you are exploring offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to fit your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue to work full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or in the evenings near Maple Valley WA. Some might only be able to attend classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Make sure that the class times you need are offered prior to enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make-up classes that you might miss due to work, illness or family emergencies. You may find that an online school is the best way to fit your vet training into your active life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Maple Valley WA?

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

Maple Valley, Washington

The area was settled in 1879 by three men who were improving a trail and brought their families in. When a name for a future community was proposed, the names Vine Maple Valley and Maple Ridge were suggested. A vote was taken by writing the names on slips of paper and placing them in a hat. Vine Maple Valley won by 2/3, but the word "Vine" was later cut by the post office because it made the name too long.

The town's early history mainly had to do with coal, lumber milling to build homes, and a railroad that ran through town. Coal was brought in from Black Diamond to the south, but the town itself also mined coal from Cedar Mountain. The mine was used as late as 1947. Rail workers for lines like the Northern Pacific Railroad and the Cedar River Watershed, closed off by the City of Seattle, meant more workers for those things. More residents meant more lumber milling. More lumber milling meant more workers. Suquamish tribe chairperson Martha George was born near Maple Valley in Sheridan in 1892, at a logging camp where her mother and grandmother worked as cooks."[5]

The town grew inward. Blacksmith shops, hotels, saloons and stores took up the town in the 1910s and 1920s. Schools went up as well. Early schools were shacks at best. A two-room school went up in 1910, but a larger school was quickly needed. Tahoma High School, a three-story brick building, went up in 1920. Students made up the name by combining the first two letters in the town names Taylor, Hobart and Maple Valley.[6] The school still serves the Tahoma School District as an elementary school.

Enroll in the Ideal Vet Tech School near Maple Valley WA

Maple Valley WA vet tech holding dog Enrolling in the ideal vet tech college is a crucial first step to starting a rewarding career providing treatment and care for pets and livestock. Future students considering vet tech programs must make their decision based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They typically take on administrative tasks and support the veterinarian with the animals when needed. As we have discussed, it’s essential that you select a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the profession. This applies to online vet tech colleges as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to reduce your choices so that you can make your final decision. And by choosing the ideal school, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a vet tech in Maple Valley WA.