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How to Select a Veterinary Technician Program near Stonington Connecticut

Stonington CT vet tech diagnosing puppy Fulfilling your lifelong dream of working with and helping animals by enrolling in a vet tech college near Stonington CT might initially feel like a challenging undertaking. After all, you need to find and enroll in a program that will provide the appropriate training to ensure that you can be successful as a veterinary technician. But just how do you approach analyzing and comparing schools so that you can make the correct selection? Many potential students launch their due diligence process by looking for colleges that are near their residences. Once they have identified some local colleges, they ascertain which ones have the cheapest tuition and hone in on those. Although location and cost are important concerns when comparing veterinary technician programs, they are by no means the only significant ones when making your evaluations. Factors such as accreditation and internship programs need to be considered as well. The point is that there are questions you need to be asking the vet technician programs you are considering before you make an ultimate selection. We have presented several in this article in order to help get you started, but before we review them we’ll talk about the different roles of veterinary technicians and the training options offered.

The Function of a Veterinary Technician in Stonington CT

cat with cone after surgery in Stonington CT One of the initial decisions that you will have to make is if you plan to train as a veterinary assistant, technologist or technician. Part of your determination may be based on the amount of time and money that you have to invest in your training, but the primary determiner will undoubtedly be which specialization appeals to you the most. What techs and assistants have in common is that they all work under the immediate supervision of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And even though there are numerous tasks that they can carry out within the Stonington CT veterinary clinic or hospital, they can’t prescribe medicines, diagnose ailments, or conduct surgeries. In those areas they may only provide assistance to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work exclusive of the typical veterinarian practice, for instance for animal shelters, zoos or law enforcement. Let’s take a look at the duties and education prerequisites for each specialty.

Vet Assistants in the majority of cases will have undergone a structured training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a vet clinic or hospital, or by completing 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 completion of their duties. Normally they are not involved with more involved activities, for example assisting with surgical procedures. A few of their regular functions may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or controlling animals during examinations.
Vet Technicians undergo more advanced 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 counterparts of medical nurses, since their general job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they vary from veterinary assistants is that they are included in more involved functions, for example assisting with surgical procedures or administering medicine. All states currently mandate that veterinary technicians pass a credentialing examination for either licensing, registration or certification.
Vet Technologists are comparable to vet techs and essentially perform the same work functions. They are required to attain a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which generally requires 4 years. Therefore the only real distinction 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 also mandated to pass a credentialing exam for either licensing, registration or certification.

Veterinary technicians and technologists may specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or urgent care. Many may receive certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in Stonington CT laboratories or research facilities as well.

Online Vet Tech Programs Offered in Stonington

student attending online vet tech school in Stonington CT An option that might be a solution 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 offered through the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is available. The course of study is taught using various methods, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since many veterinary technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that portion can normally be fulfilled as an internship or work study program at a local Stonington CT veterinary clinic or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, may in some instances decrease the cost of your education. Tuition and supplementary expenses, for instance for commuting and study materials, can be more affordable compared to more conventional classroom courses. Just be sure that the online school that you choose is accredited, either by the AVMA or another nationally certified accrediting organization. With the online classes and the practical training, everything is furnished for a complete education. So if you are dedicated enough to learn in this more self-reliant mode, an online vet tech school may be the right choice for you.

Things to Ask Stonington CT Vet Tech Colleges

Questions to ask Stonington CT vet tech schools By now you should have determined which veterinarian credential that you would like to earn, and if you want to study online or attend a program on campus. Since there are a large number of vet community colleges, trade and vocational schools in the Stonington CT area and across the United States, you must ask some qualifying questions in order to narrow down your list of options. As we mentioned in our opening, many future students start by focusing on location and the cost of tuition. But we have already pointed out other significant qualifiers, such as internship programs and accreditation. And obviously you need to select a school that offers the degree and specialty that you want to earn. These and other qualifications are reviewed in the list of questions that you should ask the veterinary technician colleges that you are considering.

Is the Vet School Accredited? It’s important that you make sure that the veterinary technician program you enroll in is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously discussed, among the most highly respected is the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). Trade schools and colleges that are accredited by the AVMA have gone through a rigorous review process that confirms you will obtain a superior education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are applying for a student loan or financial assistance, since numerous programs are not available for non-accredited schools. And finally, having a certificate or degree from an accredited program is frequently a prerequisite for employment for many Stonington CT area veterinarian clinics and hospitals.

What is the College’s Reputation? The veterinarian college or trade school and program you enroll in must have an outstanding reputation within the veterinarian community. You can initiate your due diligence by asking the schools you are looking at for endorsements from the employers in their job placement network. Other pointers include checking with online school ranking websites and speaking with the school’s accrediting organizations as well. You can ask the Connecticut school licensing department if there have been any complaints or infractions involving your targeted schools. As a final tip, get in touch with some Stonington CT vet clinics that you may wish to work for after you receive your training. Find out what they think of your school selections. They might even recommend one or more programs not on your list.

Are Internships Offered? The most effective way to obtain practical hands on training as a vet tech is to work in a medical environment. Ask if the programs you are looking at have internship programs arranged with Stonington CT veterinarians, vet practices or hospitals. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require clinical training and many provide it by way of internships. Not only will the experience be valuable relative to the practical training, but an internship may also help build associations in the local vet community and aid in the search for a job after graduation.

Is Job Placement Provided? Finding a job after graduating from a vet tech college may be challenging without the help of a job placement program. To begin with, ask what the graduation rates are for the programs you are reviewing. A low rate could signify that the teachers were ineffective at teaching the curriculum or that some students were dissatisfied with the program and quit. Next, confirm that the schools have a job placement program and find out what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate may signify that the program has an excellent reputation within the Stonington CT veterinary 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 ineffective at placing students.

How Large are the Classes? If the classes are larger in size, you probably will receive little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Find out from the Stonington CT programs you are considering what their classroom student to teacher ratios are. You might also want to sit in on a few classes (if practical) to observe the interaction between students and teachers. Get evaluations from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and find out what their qualifications are as well as their approaches to teaching.

Where is the College Located? Okay, we previously covered location, but there are a few more points to make on the topic. If you are going to drive to your vet tech classes from your Stonington CT home, you must make sure that the commuting time fits into your schedule. For instance, driving during the weekend to investigate the route won’t be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, particularly 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 increased tuition charges especially for community and state colleges. On the other hand, attending classes online may be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and reduce the necessity for travel.

Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And finally, it’s important that you find out if the vet schools you are considering offer class times flexible enough to accommodate your schedule. For instance, a number of students continue working full time and can only attend classes on the weekends or at night near Stonington CT. Some might only be able to attend classes in the morning or in the afternoon. Confirm that the class times you require are available prior to enrolling. In addition, determine if you can make up classes that you may miss as a result of work, sickness or family issues. You might discover that an online school is the ideal way to fit your veterinary education into your hectic life.

Enrolling in a Vet Tech School near Stonington CT?

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

Stonington, Connecticut

The town of Stonington is located in New London County, Connecticut, United States, in the state's southeastern corner. It includes the borough of Stonington, the villages of Pawcatuck, Lords Point, Wequetequock, and the eastern halves of the villages of Mystic and Old Mystic (the other halves being in the town of Groton). The population of the town was 18,545 at the 2010 census.[1]

The first European colonists established a trading house in the Pawcatuck section of town in 1649. The present territory of Stonington was part of lands that had belonged to the Pequot people, who referred to the areas making up Stonington as Pawcatuck (Stony Brook to the Pawcatuck River) and Mistack (Mystic River to Stony Brook). It was named "Souther Towne" or Southerton by Massachusetts in 1658, and officially became part of Connecticut in 1662 when Connecticut received its royal charter. Southerton was renamed "Mistick" in 1665,[2]:26 and finally named Stonington in 1666,[2]:36 meaning "stony town".[3]Thomas Miner, Walter Palmer, William Chesebrough, and Thomas Stanton were the founders. The town of North Stonington was set off as a parish from Stonington in 1724 and incorporated as a town in 1807.

Stonington first gained wealth in the 1790s when its harbor was home to a fleet engaged in the profitable seal hunting trade in which seals were hunted on islands off the Chilean and Patagonian coasts, and their skins were sold as fur in China.[4]

Pick the Ideal Vet Tech College near Stonington CT

Stonington CT vet tech holding dog Selecting the right vet tech program is a crucial first step to beginning a fulfilling career delivering treatment and care for pets and livestock. Future students considering vet tech programs need to make their decision based on several key issues. Veterinary technicians and technologists work in vet clinics, animal hospitals and animal shelters. They typically take on administrative responsibilities and assist the veterinarian with the animal patients when needed. As we have covered, it’s essential that you enroll in a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This applies to online vet tech schools as well. By asking the questions provided in our checklist for assessing schools, you will be able to reduce your alternatives so that you can make your final selection. And by choosing the ideal college, you can accomplish your goal of becoming a veterinary technician in Stonington CT.