Become a Vet Tech | Vet Tech Schools Mount Vernon WA

How to Enroll In a Veterinary Technician Program near Mount Vernon Washington

Mount Vernon WA vet tech diagnosing puppy Achieving your lifelong dream of working with and caring for animals by enrolling in a veterinary technician school near Mount Vernon WA could at first feel like a daunting task. After all, you must find and enroll in a college that will provide the proper training to ensure that you can be successful as a veterinary technician. But just how do you approach analyzing and contrasting programs so that you can make the best choice? Many aspiring students start their due diligence process by searching for colleges that are close to their homes. After they have located some nearby schools, they ascertain which ones have the lowest tuition and focus on those. Although location and expense are significant concerns when comparing vet tech programs, they are not the only significant ones when making your evaluations. Qualifications 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 vet technician programs you are evaluating before you make an ultimate choice. We have presented several in this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll go over the different roles of veterinary technicians and the training alternatives offered.

The Function of a Veterinary Technician in Mount Vernon WA

cat with cone after surgery in Mount Vernon WA One of the initial decisions that you will need to make is if you want to train as a veterinary technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your decision may be predicated on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your training, but the main factor will undoubtedly be which specialty interests you the most. What techs and assistants share in common is that they all work under the immediate direction of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And while there are many functions that they can perform within the Mount Vernon WA veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe medicines, diagnose health issues, or carry out surgical procedures. In those areas they may only furnish support to a licensed veterinarian. There are technologists and technicians that work outside of the standard vet practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let’s take a look at the job functions and education requirements for each specialization.

Vet Assistants in almost all cases will have completed a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice 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 vets and vet technicians in the execution of their duties. Generally they are not associated with more involved tasks, for instance assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their regular responsibilities may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or handling animals during examinations.
Vet Technicians get more advanced training in contrast to assistants and normally earn a two year Associate Degree, preferably from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a fashion the vet equivalent of medical nurses, since their general job function is to assist veterinarians with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from veterinary assistants is that they are engaged in more complicated functions, such as assisting with surgeries or providing medication. All states currently mandate that veterinary technicians pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
Vet Technologists are similar to veterinary techs and basically perform the same work functions. They are mandated to obtain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which usually requires four years. So the main distinction between a vet technician and a technologist is the technologist’s higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job opportunities, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are also mandated to pass a credentialing examination for either certification, registration or licensing.

Veterinary technicians and technologists may specialize in areas such as internal medicine, anesthesia or emergency care. Many may receive certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Mount Vernon WA labs or research facilities also.

Online Veterinary Technician Schools Offered in Mount Vernon

student attending online vet tech school in Mount Vernon WA An alternative that may be a solution for those with a hectic schedule or who are working full time while going to veterinary school is to enroll in an online program. Since the classes are made available by means of the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is accessible. The syllabus is taught using several methods, including videos, slide shows and live streaming webinars. And since the majority of vet technician and technologist degrees require clinical training, that part can usually be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Mount Vernon WA veterinary practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in many instances decrease the cost of your education. Tuition and supplementary expenditures, for example for commuting and study supplies, can be cheaper compared to more traditional classroom courses. Just make sure that the program that you select is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting agency. With the online classes and the clinical training, everything is provided for a complete education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more self-reliant fashion, an online vet tech school may be the ideal choice for you.

What to Ask Mount Vernon WA Vet Tech Colleges

Questions to ask Mount Vernon WA vet tech schools At this point you probably have decided on which veterinary degree that you would like to obtain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are an abundance of veterinarian community colleges, vocational and trade schools in the Mount Vernon WA area as well as across the Country, you need to ask some qualifying questions to help fine tune your list of options. As we discussed in our opening, many future students start by focusing on location and the cost of tuition. But we have previously mentioned other important qualifiers, such as internship programs and accreditation. And obviously you need to enroll in a program that offers the degree and specialty that you are interested in. These and other factors are addressed in the list of questions that you need to ask the veterinary technician schools that you are reviewing.

Is the Vet School Accredited? It’s essential that you confirm that the veterinary technician college you choose is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously stated, among the most highly regarded is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Vocational schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have undergone an extensive review process that verifies you will get a superior education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are requesting a student loan or financial aid, since a large number of programs are not available for non-accredited schools. Last, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is in many cases a precondition for employment for a number of Mount Vernon WA area vet clinics and hospitals.

What is the School’s Reputation? The veterinarian college or vocational school and program you choose must have an outstanding reputation within the veterinary field. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the schools you are reviewing for endorsements from the employers in their job assistance network. Other tips include checking with internet school ranking websites and checking with the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Washington school licensing authority if there have been any grievances or infractions concerning your specific schools. As a final recommendation, call some Mount Vernon WA veterinary clinics that you might wish to work for after you get your training. Find out what they think about your school selections. They might even suggest some programs not on your list.

Are there Internship Programs? The best way to get clinical hands on experience as a vet tech is to work in a professional environment. Ask if the schools you are reviewing have internship programs established with Mount Vernon WA veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Almost all veterinary medicine programs mandate clinical training and a large number provide it through internships. Not only will the experience be valuable as far as the clinical training, but an internship may also help build associations in the local veterinarian community and help in the search for employment after graduation.

Is there a Job Assistance Program? Searching for a job after graduating from a vet tech college may be difficult without the help of a job placement program. To begin with, find out what the graduation rates are for the schools you are evaluating. A lower rate could suggest that the teachers were unqualified to teach the syllabus or that a number of students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. Next, verify that the schools have a job assistance program and find out what their placement rates are. A high placement rate might signify that the school has an outstanding reputation within the Mount Vernon WA vet community and has a substantial network of contacts for student placements. A low rate might indicate that the training is not well thought of by employers or that the job placement program is a failure at placing students.

How Large are the Classes? If the classes are larger, you probably will receive little or no one-on-one instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Mount Vernon WA colleges you are looking at what their class teacher to student ratios are. You may also want to sit in on a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between teachers and students. Ask for evaluations from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, talk with the instructors and determine what their backgrounds are as well as their methods of teaching.

Where is the School Located? Of course, we already discussed location, but there are a few more points to consider on the subject. If you are planning to drive to your veterinary technician classes from your Mount Vernon WA home, you have to confirm 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 commute during rush hour traffic, especially if the campus is located near or in a large city. Also, if you do decide to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition costs especially for community and state colleges. Of course taking online classes could be an option that will provide you with more flexibility and decrease the necessity for travel.

Is the Class Schedule Flexible? And finally, it’s important that you determine if the veterinarian schools you are looking at 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 at night near Mount Vernon WA. Others might only be able to go to class in the morning or in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are offered prior to enrolling. Also, determine if you can make-up classes that you might miss due to work, illness or family emergencies. You may discover that an online college is the ideal way to fit your vet training into your busy life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Mount Vernon WA?

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

Mount Vernon, Washington

Mount Vernon is the county seat of Skagit County, Washington, United States. The population was 31,743 at the 2010 census. It is one of two principal cities of and included in the Mount Vernon-Anacortes, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area. Downtown Mount Vernon is known for its annual Tulip Festival Street Fair, which is part of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival. The climate of Skagit County is similar to that of Northern France, with millions of tulips grown in the Skagit Valley. In 1998, Mount Vernon was rated the #1 "Best Small City in America" by the New Rating Guide to Life in America's Small Cities.[5][6]

Jasper Gates and Joseph Dwelley first settled on the banks of the Skagit River, where the city of Mount Vernon now lies, in 1870. Later on, Harrison Clothier came to the community in 1877 to teach school and join in business with a former student, E.G. English. They were later recognized as the city's founders and pioneer businessmen. A post office was established in November 1877 with Clothier appointed postmaster. The city was named after Mount Vernon, the plantation estate and resting place of George Washington.[7] The two men laid out the city's first plan while the area was still heavily timbered.[8]

Mount Vernon's first industry was logging; camps were set up to log the townsite. The community grew quickly following the loggers, and hotels and saloons opened up along the Skagit River next to English & Clothiers' store. While poised to grow, river access to the community was stymied by a massive and ancient log jam in the river which prevented large ships from being able to port. Mail carriers instead had to paddle canoes down-stream to nearby Skagit City. The mining activity at nearby Ruby Creek spurred growth for a short time in 1880, gaining the city a new hotel, but little else was accomplished when the mines proved to be shallow. More logging operations were established but were not profitable due to the low price of logs at the time. By 1881, Mount Vernon's permanent population was 75.[8]

Pick the Best Vet Tech Program near Mount Vernon WA

Mount Vernon WA vet tech holding dog Picking the appropriate vet tech school is a crucial first step to beginning a gratifying career providing treatment and care for animals. Future students considering vet tech programs need to make their selection based on a number of key factors. Veterinary technicians and technologists are employed in animal hospitals, veterinary clinics and animal shelters. They usually handle administrative duties and support the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have discussed, it’s very important that you select a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding 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 choosing the ideal college, you can reach your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Mount Vernon WA.