school to go to for Vet Tech?

Poststructural Pub
1

Hello, people. I know I haven’t been on here much lately. Busy, busy life. I’ve been traveling a lot. The first trip via Amtrak was…an experience. Heh.

Um, so does anyone here know of any good schools (anywhere in the eastern half of the country pretty much) to go to to become a Vet Tech, and that don’t cost a lot?

I know I heard (read) somebody here before say s/he was a retired vet tech but I can’t remember who it was exactly…

Morehead State University in Kentucky is where I’m looking right now because it’s relatively close to my family and smaller.

2

CRAN!!!

Thank God you’re alive! :smiley:

I sent an e-mail to you yesterday or the day before or something (I can’t remember), dunno if you got it. I’m glad to hear you’re not begging on the streets of DC or something. O.o

I dunno about vet tech schools though, sorry. :frowning: I see commercials on tv for some thing called bel rae (ray? Dunno how it’s spelled) institute occasionally, but I don’t remember any of the phone numbers. :-\

3

I think that’s a terrific career idea for you! I don’t know anything about schools for it, but good luck.

:slight_smile:

4

My wife was a Vet Tech before she became an R.N. She went to Becker College, in Leicester, MA. That’s central Massachusetts, maybe half way between Boston and Albany, NY. Right outside Worcester. It was a very thorough program, very hands-on, involving both small (pet) and large (farm) animal training. She breezed through the NY State licensing exams.

As far as the cost goes, she paid next to nothing after financial aid, scholarships, and a small student loan. I know this for a fact because I was in graduate school at the time and we were living on the miniscule stipend I got as a graduate assistant. We had no money at all, no car, no television and only two whistles (a Clarke and a Soodlums). Still, we both managed to get our educations. So don’t let the money become too big of a factor in your decision making process (yet). Have you looked into any of those financial aid links I gave you? Work on that angle before you start limiting yourself.

And keep up the good work!

5

I’m in the process of that right now, Jim. My computer at home crashed then I left for DC (will be here for a little while longer) so this is the first time I’ve been able to spend a lot of time at a computer…I have a lot I need to do, and yet I’m on the Chiffboard goofing off. :stuck_out_tongue: Figures.

6

Cranberry!

It’s great to hear from you.

That’s a perfect field for you. Go for it!

Best wishes,
Jerry

P.S. You’re not goofing off. You’re researching!

7

Hi Cran - good plan, but “good schools that DON"T cost a lot”, is, I’m afraid, in today’s climate, and oxymoron. But good luck (sincerely)!

8

Cran, you’re back!

I don’t know anything about the east coast, but good luck.

9

cranberry - the University of Cincinnati used to have a 2 year Vet. Tech. program (first year was at a suburban branch - Raymond Walters). My AS was in Science Tech from there - but the first year we all took the same classes (as well as the Environmental Techs, RN’s, and dental hygene).
Do a search for UC and see if you can find anything about their AS programs - I have a meeting to go to or I’d do it for you.


Missy

10

I know nothing about being a Vet Tech, but I did a quick Google search for you, figuring since you are without computer you might not have time, and came up with this link. Don’t know if it will help, but you can decide that for yourself.

http://www.vettech.com/schools/schools.htm

All the best to you.


Tom

11

I know I heard (read) somebody here before say s/he was a retired vet tech but I can’t remember who it was exactly…

You would be speaking of me here I guess.

I did not go to school. It was not a licensed profession when I began and by the time they started recognizing vet techs, it would have been neither feasible or profitable (I was already making what a licensed tech would make).

One of my daughters did go to school and get her degree and passed her national/state boards. She graduated from Lincoln Memorial University in Harrogate, TN. (right across the state line from the very tip end of southwest VA)This is a two year program . The school is a small private university. about $30,000 for the two years tuition. The education was good, lots of hands on. Plus there is a required internship with a private vet practice after the first year and internship at UT vet school in Knoxville after the second. This school is about 3-3 1/2 hours from you in WV.

There is also a vet tech program of some kind in Abingdon,VA at Virginia Highlands Community College but it is a new program and I know nothing about it.

The other sem- nearby school I am aware of is in Northern VA, Blue Ridge Community College I think. Near Weir’s Cave, VA I think. I worked with a graduate of this one and she was good. This would be considerably less cost-wise than LMU. The only reason my daughter did not go there is that she did not want to be that far from home.

I also need to tell you that, unless you are willing to work for a university or something like that, OR , relocate to a large metro area, you will find it hard to find a vet willing to hire a licensed tech and pay them what they are worth. Working in our area for a private practice will only enable you to ekk out an existence. It is rare to find a practice around here that will utilize the skills fully of a licensed tech. The Drs are just not use to delegating anything other than cleaning. All of the techs(licensed or unlicensed) that I worked with over many years have left it. They mostly went into human medicine (nurses- radiology tech- physical therapist, etc.) so they could make a decent living around here.My daughter, the licensed vet tech, has left that field, and is now working for a large corporation in a completely different job. Her degree, though unrelated , did help her get the job. That’s why it’s so important to get some kind of degree in this day and time.

I don’t mean to sound discouraging but this is a job that is very glorified in most folks eyes. It is VERY demanding, both physically, mentally and emotionally. It is rarely boring. There is a huge amount of plain old " grunt work".It can be very rewarding on occasion too.

The best advice I can give you is to work for a while at a vet clinic. If no one wants to hire you, explain to the drs at the practice what you are considering and offer to work free. I don’t think anyone will turn you down on that offer. We use to have folks fairly regularly that thought they wanted to work in the profession. Most were weeded out pretty quickly. The others at least knew what they were getting into before they spent a lot of time and money.

Let me know if you’ve anymore questions. I’ll be happy to help.[/quote]

12

Maybe it’s different in other parts of the country, but a common complaint I’ve heard from people my wife works with is that vet tech school does not increase one’s salary much compared to vet techs who, say, have a high school deploma. Of course, it probably depends heavily on the veterinary community in your area.

I’m not trying to discourage you from going to school, cranberry, I just thought it’d be worth it to check around with vet techs in the area you plan to work in to see if school would be an efficacious route… Or maybe work for a vet for a while, as cowtime said and see if degreed techs are doing better.

Also, when looking at schools, inquire about the radiology part of the program. I understand that good veterinary radiologists are hard to find.

13

This is very good advice Cranberry. In the Abingdon VA area, licensed techs are making around $13.00 an hour. Trained techs but not licensed, around $10.00. Not a big difference when you consider the cost of the license, both monetarily and in time and effort. You can do searches and find job offerings in whatever area you are considering to see what salaries are being offered. I think you will find this the norm, or even lower. Don’t go by a national average, go by the area. I can tell you that entry pay at UT was not more than $13.00 per hour a year ago.

In the tri-cities area(Bristol, Kingsport, Johnson City) my daughter found that vets do not WANT a licensed tech because of them expecting more pay. They’d rather take someone unskilled off the street that they can train to their way of working and pay them less.

If you can find a practice that is affiliated with AAHA( American Animal Hospital Association) then that will be the best place to get a feel for decent animal medicine. They will at least practice at basic good medicine levels. It should be at above average but I know of a few who somehow are affiliated that come nowhere near the high standards of AAHA. The owner of the practice I use to work at is a past president of this licensing group and believe me , they are tough on standards of practice. But I guess, some shoddy ones manage to slip through the cracks.

14

I was talking to my wife last night, and she said the same thing. Although, she mentioned that many emergency hospitals and especially Vet Schools (or, at least, North Carolina State as that’s the school she has experience with) will tend to hire only licensed techs, because they don’t have the time to train any unlicensed people. So it may depend on where you want your career to go.