When you are evaluating vet tech training programs one of the most important things you need to consider is if they are accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). While this is the main one, there are several other factors that should be evaluated.
First of all, congratulations on deciding to become a veterinary technician. It is a fun and demanding job that requires you to learn something new everyday either about pets or about yourself.
Remember that there is a big difference between veterinary technicians and veterinary assistants. To become a technician you are required to take more formal school classes and rarely are these offered online.
Most online course you see are for veterinary assistants, which requires much less training, but the salary is lower as well. If you see a company offering an online veterinary technician program be careful. While some parts of the program maybe given over the Internet, most of the classes should be in the classroom.
If you live in a rural area then the choices you have in choosing a vet tech training program may be limited. Living in a larger city allows you to be choosier about what program you select.
The other important factor to help you decide should be the faculty. You want to make sure that there are veterinarians running the school who have had lots of practice experience. These people make the best teachers because they have had lots of real world experience.
Also, when comparing programs ask how much hands on time you will get with animals. Programs that are mostly classroom education without learning on animals will put you at a big disadvantage when you graduate.
But the most important factor is accreditation by the AVMA. If a school does not have full accreditation then find out why. Sometimes if the school is new, they could be in the process of applying. Some schools may have had their accreditation taken away for an infraction, but are working on getting it back.
Whatever their accreditation status is you need to find it out, this is vital if you intend to become fully licensed in the state that you live in.
One last thing to consider is financial aid. With the rising cost of tuition these days it can be hard to afford to go back to school. Most schools should have a financial aid office that you can talk to counselor with about this.
Make sure you know what the average starting salary is for vet techs in your area before you take on a huge debt load. Knowing your future monthly income should be able to help you determine if vet tech school is a good financial investment.
If you are still somewhat unsure of your decision, go work for a local vet clinic for a few months to see what your future might look like.
Remember when looking for vet tech training programs evaluate their accreditation, the faculty, and the amount of time you get to spend work