Do you love animals and want to work with them daily to provide the care needed to make them healthy? A career as a veterinary technician may just be the right path for you. A veterinary technician helps a qualified veterinarian in a similar way to how a nurse helps a doctor, by assisting the veterinarian to ensure the animal receives the best possible medical care. Depending on what you choose to specialize in you will either work in small animal care that includes household pets or in large animal care where you will work with horses, sheep, cows and other animals.
The employment prospects for veterinary technicians are positive based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ predictions. With visions of a great career floating before your eyes, let us turn our thoughts to something more practical, getting the qualifications you need to become a veterinary technician.
The BLS is a trusted source of information for all things pertaining to education and employment. You need a high school diploma to gain admission to an associate’s (two year) degree program or a bachelor’s (four year) degree program.
If you are sure about your career choice and have decided the course of study will be via an internet based vet tech program, you have several options to choose from. One thing we recommend you bear in mind is to select an accredited program. The American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) provides accreditation for colleges offering vet tech programs based on their compliance with AVMA’s requirements. Accreditation ensures the student gets a well rounded quality education.
How does an internet-based vet tech program work?
Internet veterinary technology programs have the same academic requirements as campus-based education. The course is designed to provide instruction in veterinary medicine and animal healthcare as the focus and on related areas.
Internet-based online vet tech programs offer their courses through web seminars, exams and clinical mentorships that allow students to gain practical work experience in a clinical environment. Online instruction may be provided through videos on a variety of topics. For example, you will be shown a video to demonstrate how to draw blood from a dog – how to secure the animal, disinfect the area and take the blood sample. The knowledge you gain through coursework needs to be applied in your hands-on clinical practice.
Clinical practice is an essential part of the program, so before choosing an internet based vet tech program, you need to find out whether there are local practices affiliated to your college where you will get your required clinical practice.
Choosing an internet based vet tech program should be based on whether the program is accredited by the AVMA. Most programs will be accredited through state and region specific accrediting association for higher learning. Do not confuse this accreditation with the accreditation provided by the American Veterinary Medical Association. You can only earn licensure if you graduate through an accredited internet based vet tech program.
Employers are not interested in whether you graduate through on-campus learning or distance learning. The importance is on whether the program through which you earn your degree is accredited.
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