How to Pick a Veterinary Assistant Training near Livingston Illinois
Fulfilling your lifelong aspiration of working with and helping animals by enrolling in a vet college near Livingston IL could initially seem like a daunting endeavor. After all, you have to locate and enroll in a college that will furnish the appropriate training so that you can be successful as a veterinary technician, assistant or technologist. But just how do you go about reviewing and comparing colleges so that you can make the ideal choice? Many potential students start their due diligence process by searching for campuses that are near their residences. When they have found some nearby schools, they ascertain which ones have the most affordable tuition and hone in on those. Although cost and location are important concerns when evaluating vet tech schools, they are not the only important ones when making your evaluations. Qualifiers such as internship programs and accreditation need to be looked into as well. The main idea is that there are questions you should be asking the veterinary tech programs you are considering before you make an ultimate selection. We have provided several within this article to help get you started, but before we discuss them we’ll talk about the various duties of vet techs and assistants and the training options offered.
The Role of a Vet Assistant and Technician
One of the first decisions that you will have to make is if you want to train as a veterinary technician, assistant or technologist. Part of your decision may be dependent on the amount of time and money that you have to commit to your education, but the main determiner will undoubtedly be which specialization interests you the most. What vet techs and assistants have in common is that they both work under the direct supervision of a licensed and practicing veterinarian. And even though there are many jobs that they can carry out within the Livingston IL veterinary practice or hospital, they can’t prescribe drugs, diagnose health issues, or conduct surgeries. In those areas they may only provide support to a licensed vet. There are technicians and technologists that work away from the conventional veterinarian practice, for instance for zoos, animal shelters or police departments. Let’s take a look at the responsibilities and training prerequisites for each specialty.
- Vet Assistants in most instances will have undergone a formal training program, either as an intern or apprentice in a vet clinic or hospital, or by completing a certificate program at a community college or vocational school near Livingston IL. As the name implies, their job function is to assist the vets and vet techs in the performance of their duties. Usually they are not associated with more complicated activities, for instance assisting with surgeries. Some of their normal duties may include working at the front desk, cleaning and preparing examination rooms and equipment, or handling pets during exams.
- Vet Technicians get more advanced training compared to assistants and usually acquire a two year Associate Degree, ideally from an American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) accredited program. They are in a sense the veterinary counterparts of medical nurses, since their fundamental job function is to assist vets with diagnosing and treating animal patients. Where they stand apart from veterinary assistants is that they are included in more involved duties, for example assisting with surgeries or administering medicine. All states presently require vet technicians pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
- Vet Technologists are similar to vet techs and basically carry out the same job functions. They are required to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in veterinary technology, which normally requires four years to complete. So the main difference between a vet technologist and a technician is the technologist’s higher level of education. But with an advanced degree comes more job options, increased salaries and possible management positions. They are additionally required to pass a credentialing exam for either registration, certification or licensing.
Vet techs and technologists may specialize in areas such as anesthesia, internal medicine or emergency care. Some may receive certification from the American Association for Laboratory Animal Science (AALAS) to work in laboratories or Livingston IL area research facilities as well.
Veterinarian Online Colleges
An approach that may make sense for those with a busy schedule or who are working full-time while attending veterinarian college is to enroll in an online training program. Since the classes are offered over the internet, students can study on their own schedule wherever a computer is available. The syllabus is taught using various venues, including slide shows, videos and live streaming webinars. And since the majority of veterinary technician and technologist degrees require practical training, that segment can typically be carried out as an internship or work study program at a local Livingston IL veterinarian practice or hospital. Distance learning, as it is also called, can in some instances lower the cost of your education. Tuition and supplementary expenditures, for instance for traveling and study materials, may be lower compared to more standard classroom courses. Just confirm 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 furnished for a comprehensive education. So if you are disciplined enough to learn in this more independent mode, an online vet tech or assistant school may be the perfect choice for you.
Questions to Ask Veterinary Assistant and Technologist Colleges
By now you should have decided on which veterinary certificate or degree that you wish to obtain, and if you prefer to study online or attend a school on campus. Since there are an abundance of vet community colleges, trade and vocational schools in Illinois and across the Country, you should ask some important questions to help narrow down your list of alternatives. As we pointed out in our opening, many potential students start by focusing on location and tuition expense. But we have already mentioned other essential qualifiers, for instance internship programs and accreditation. And obviously you need to select a college that offers the specialty and degree that you would like to earn. These and other qualifications are reviewed in the checklist of questions that you should ask the Livingston IL veterinary technician and assistant programs that you are considering.
Is the Veterinary School Accredited? It’s essential that you confirm that the vet tech or assistant school you select is accredited by a regional or national accrediting organization. As previously 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 thorough review process that ensures you will obtain a superior education. Also, accreditation is necessary if you are applying for a student loan or financial aid, since numerous programs are not obtainable for non-accredited colleges. And finally, having a degree or certificate from an accredited college is frequently a prerequisite for employment for a number of Livingston IL veterinary practices and hospitals.
What is the School’s Reputation? The vet college or trade school and program you select must have an excellent reputation within the veterinarian community. You can begin your due diligence by asking the schools you are interested in for testimonials from the employers in their job assistance network. Other suggestions include looking on online school rating websites and checking with the school’s accrediting agencies as well. You can ask the Illinois school licensing department if there have been any grievances or violations relating to your targeted schools. As a final pointer, get in touch with some Livingston IL vet clinics that you might wish to work for after you go through your training. Ask what they think about your school choices. They may even suggest one or more schools not on your list.
Are Internships Offered? The best approach to get practical hands on training as a vet assistant or technician is to work in a medical setting. Ask if the schools you are looking at have internship programs established with area veterinarians, vet hospitals or clinics. Almost all veterinary medicine programs require practical training and many furnish it through internships. Not only will the experience be valuable relative to the clinical training, but an internship may also help develop connections in the local Livingston IL vet community and assist in the search for a position after graduation.
Is there a Job Placement Program? Finding a job after graduating from a veterinary assistant or technician program may be challenging 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 teachers were unqualified to teach the curriculum or that some students were disappointed with the program and dropped out. Next, check that the colleges have a job placement program and ask what their placement rates are. A higher placement rate might signify that the Livingston IL program has an excellent reputation within the veterinarian community and has a considerable network of contacts for student placements. A lower rate may indicate that the training is not highly thought of by employers or that the job placement program is ineffective at placing students.
How Big are the Classes? If the classes are larger, you probably will get little or no personalized instruction from the teachers. Solicit from the Livingston IL schools you are looking at what their classroom teacher to student ratios are. You may also decide to attend a couple of classes (if practical) to monitor the interaction between students and teachers. Ask for feedback from students relating to the quality of instruction. Also, speak with the instructors and determine what their qualifications are as well as their methods of teaching.
Where is the College Located? Of course, we previously discussed location, but there are a few more points to make on the topic. If you are planning to commute to your veterinary assistant classes from home or work, you must make sure that the driving time is compatible with your schedule. For example, driving during the weekend to check out the route won’t be the same as the drive during rush hour traffic, especially if the Livingston IL school is located in or near a larger city. Also, if you do choose to attend a school in another state or even outside of your County of residence, there may be higher tuition costs especially for state and community colleges. On the other hand, taking online classes may be an alternative that will give you more flexibility and decrease the need for travel.
Do the Classes Fit Your Schedule? And finally, it’s important that you ascertain if the Illinois vet programs you are looking at offer class times that are sufficiently flexible to accommodate your schedule. For example, many students continue to work full time and can only go to classes on the weekends or at night. Others might only be able to attend class in the morning or later in the afternoon. Verify that the class times you need are available near Livingston IL before enrolling. In addition, find out if you can make-up classes that you may miss due to work, sickness or family emergencies. You may find that an online school is the ideal solution to fit your vet training into your hectic life.
Why Did You Choose to Become a Veterinary Technician?
When getting ready to interview for a veterinary position, it's advantageous to review questions you might be asked. One of the questions that interviewers often ask veterinary prospects is "What drove you to select veterinary care as a profession?". What the interviewer is hoping to discover is not merely the private reasons you might have for becoming a vet assistant, but also what qualities and abilities you possess that make you good at your profession. You will probably be asked questions pertaining exclusively to veterinary care, as well as a certain number of general interview questions, so you must ready a number of ideas about how you would like to answer them. Since there are several variables that go into selecting a career, you can answer this fundamental question in a variety of ways. When preparing an answer, aim to include the reasons the profession appeals to you in addition to the talents you have that make you an excellent vet tech and the best choice for the position. Don't make an effort to memorize a response, but write down some concepts and talking points that pertain to your own strengths and experiences. Going over sample answers can assist you to develop your own thoughts, and provide ideas of what to discuss to wow the interviewer.Enroll in the Ideal Veterinary Tech College near Livingston IL
Choosing the ideal vet assistant or tech school is a critical first step to starting a gratifying career delivering treatment and care for pets and livestock. Potential students considering veterinary tech or assistant programs must make their selection based on a number of key issues. Vet assistants, techs 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 as needed. As we have discussed, it’s very important that you enroll in a veterinary medicine program that is both accredited and has an outstanding reputation within the field. This applies to vet tech online colleges 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 picking the best college, you can reach your goal of becoming a veterinary assistant, tech or technologist in Livingston IL.
A Little Bit About Livingston IL
Livingston County, Illinois
Livingston County comprises the Pontiac, IL Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is combined with the Bloomington–Normal metropolitan statistical area as the Bloomington-Pontiac, IL Combined Statistical Area.
Livingston was established on February 27, 1837. It was formed from parts of McLean, LaSalle, and Iroquois counties, and named after Edward Livingston,[3] a prominent politician who was mayor of New York City and represented New York in the United States House of Representatives and Louisiana in both houses of Congress. He later served as Andrew Jackson's Secretary of State and as Minister to France. Although he had no connections to Illinois, the General Assembly found him accomplished enough to name a county after him.
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of 1,046 square miles (2,710 km2), of which 1,044 square miles (2,700 km2) is land and 1.6 square miles (4.1 km2) (0.2%) is water.[4] It is the fourth-largest county in Illinois by land area.
More Cities of Interest in Illinois