Tips for Choosing a Good Vet Tech School
Choose an Accredited Vet Technician School
As of January 1, 2024 in order to be a Registered Veterinary Technician (RVT) you must successfully pass the licensing exam (VTNE). In order to be eligible to take the VTNE, you must have successfully completed an AVMA accredited program.
In addition to an AMVA accreditation, the school or schools for vet tech that you choose should have professors or instructors who are licensed in the field.
Choose a Vet Tech School That Has Onsite Facilities
A good veterinary technician school must have onsite facilities. This will give you and other students opportunities for well-rounded hands-on training. In other words, you can freely test and practice what is taught by your instructors. Some examples of useful facilities for schools include laboratories (that are usually patterned after actual clinics or labs), surgical suites (where vet tech students can learn to assist vets hands-on), and animal kennels (temporary homes for the animals).
The best thing to do to find out if the school has enough facilities for vet tech students is to ask for a tour of the campus, particularly in the area where the veterinary technician facilities are supposed to be found. Make sure that the facilities are equipped with the right equipment and that the vet tech instructor or faculty assigned to them are well-trained and experienced.
Find out if the school or schools on your list have partnerships or work closely with licensed animal facilities and zoos in your area.
Choose a Veterinary Technician School That Offers a Variety of Training Methods
One of the most important elements of a good vet tech school is the kind of training methods it offers or uses. Classroom lectures, clinical and laboratory learning, and applied learning are included in CAVT curriculum.
Get started on a new career in veterinary technology today!
FAQS
Is vet tech a good job?
Job openings for veterinary technicians are available in various settings, including animal hospitals and clinics, medical research facilities, government or military service, humane organizations, pharmaceutical companies, zoos, and pet shops, boarding kennels, and grooming salons run by veterinarians in private practice.
Credentialed vet techs may even continue their education by acquiring a bachelor’s degree at a 4-year institution and becoming specialized Veterinary Technologists or Technicians.
Is your Colorado Springs campus among the top-rated vet tech schools?
The Colorado Academy of Veterinary Technology is one of the best vet tech schools in the state, offering quality education. The classrooms are fit for occupational education, while facilities offer cadavers for real-life animal anatomy.
Additionally, our vet tech program students enroll to learn laboratory procedures, surgical nursing, and radiology. Our labs also have a colony of neutered and vaccinated dogs and cats. New animal caregivers adopt these animal species at the end of the year. Students have plenty of opportunities to learn the necessary healthcare procedures, thanks to the presence of the animals on our campus.
Our students also gain expertise in dental care, radiology, clinical pathology, exotic and lab animal nursing, and large animal nursing.
How many hours do I need to finish the Vet Tech degree?
A 120-hour credit program is required to earn a degree in veterinary technology, including 44 hours in general education courses and 76 hours in the major. Check with the program you are interested in for the precise credit requirements.
Before commencing the curriculum’s intensive clinical phase, students can gain a strong base in science, math, and general education during the first 44 hours. They can also build college-level study habits during this time.
Students must complete the basic veterinary technology courses in the 76 hours needed for their majors. The program also offers three advanced 15-hour credit courses where students can choose their area of focus.
What type of person will make an excellent Veterinary Technician?
People passionate about helping animals and ready to put in the necessary effort can flourish as veterinary technicians. Passion for excellence and a readiness to contribute to the teamwork of the veterinary health care team are two other significant traits. In addition, veterinarian technicians must interact with patients’ customers to provide quality care, so communication skills are also important.
What is a Veterinary Assistant?
Veterinary assistants are highly skilled individuals that play an important role in the veterinary healthcare team. In a veterinary setting or clinic, veterinary assistants carry out a variety of crucial tasks, such as the confinement of animals, sterilizing surgical equipment, and keeping records. Veterinary assistants do not perform invasive procedures, administer anesthesia, or perform medical calculations associated with dispensing drugs, nor to veterinary assistants have the academic and clinical training of veterinary technicians.
What is a vet tech for birds called?
Graduates of an exotic animal veterinary technology school who have decided to specialize in bird care are known as avian veterinary technicians.
They are veterinary technicians who focus on treating small animals, particularly birds.
On livestock farms or government processing facilities, avian vet technicians who work in poultry production may be responsible for flock health management operations, vaccination programs, inspections, meat or egg evaluation, and other related tasks.
Since they are familiar with the special requirements of a bird’s immune system, digestive system, and nutrition intake, they may also be contacted in the event of a disease breakout or epidemic in the local bird population under the guidance of an avian veterinarian.
What is a Veterinary Technologist?
This classification is based on the program’s accreditation and geographic location. A veterinary technologist typically holds a bachelor’s degree from an accredited veterinary technology program.
You may want to specialize in becoming a veterinary technologist to broaden the scope of your veterinary technology profession and work outside of a facility. In this career, you will be working in a variety of settings and doing things such as:
- Operating in wildlife facilities
- Working in biomedical facilities
- Doing laboratory diagnostic work
- Working at facilities for a food safety inspection
- Working at factories that produce animal food and drugs
A specialty is an option if you desire the flexibility to work in various positions or settings.
Would I make a good veterinary technologist?
If veterinary science has always piqued your interest, being a vet tech is a great, specially designed career choice in the veterinary industry.
However, before you commit, keep in mind that the life of a vet tech is not always filled with purring and tail wagging. Vet technologists are usually on their feet most of the day, trying to manage many responsibilities and dealing with the anxiety and unpredictable nature of animals.