Online Vet Tech Training Programs

If you love animals and want to quickly begin working with them, a career as a veterinarian technician can let you do so, in just two years.

You’ll still have room for advancement because you could become a veterinarian.

With projected job growth of 15 percent through 2030, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), and certification and licensing that only requires an associate’s degree, you could quickly launch yourself in this career while your friends continue working on their bachelor’s degrees.

There’s a strong need for vet techs, as the position also gets called, and the job outlook for this position is growing faster than most career fields.

Veterinary technicians earn a median salary of $36,260 or $17.43 per hour, depending on whether the veterinarian pays on a salaried or hourly basis.

This job provides an entry-level position where you can work part-time or full-time and you can hold this position while attending veterinary school.

What Courses Are in an Online Veterinarian’s Technician Training Program?

You’ll need to complete about 270 clinical hours of training for a veterinary technician program.

The curriculum covers courses in:

• Animal breeds
• Medical records and recordkeeping
• Anatomy
• Physiology
• Veterinary acronyms
• Medical terminology
• Nutrition
• Pharmacology
• Veterinary practice business management
• Ethics
• Legal and professional standards
• Large animal care
• Surgery
• And related topics.

Can You Earn an Online Veterinarian’s Technician Training Program Certification Completely Online?

You can earn an online veterinarian’s technician training program certification completely online.

You will need to complete 270 clinical class hours and pass the licensing exam.

How Long Does it Take to Earn an Online Veterinarian’s Technician Training Program Certification Online?

Once you complete the associate’s degree, you can take the licensing exam.

You must first complete your college training.

You can immediately take your exam after graduation.

How Much Does an Online Veterinarian’s Technician Training Program Certification Cost?

The cost of these schools varies widely.

The range starts at about $1,300 and tops out at about $12,000.

Schools like Ashworth College and Penn Foster offer dependable programs.

They number among the 25 online schools in the US that received accredited status.

Types of Online Veterinarian’s Technician Training Program Certifications

You can choose from a vocational school program or a college program.

If you choose the latter, you’ll need to decide if you want to pursue an associate’s degree or a bachelor’s program.

Also, consider the transfer of credit when choosing a school.

You can typically transfer credits earned at a college if you decide to pursue a higher degree.

Benefits of Online Veterinarian’s Technician Training Programs

Attending an online veterinarian tech training program affords you many advantages and benefits over attending an in-person program.

Many of these benefits apply to virtually any online training program, but not all.

1. It Requires No Transportation

You might not currently have a vehicle or need to care for a child or elderly parent temporarily.

If due to COVID-19 restrictions, injury, or illness, you cannot leave your home, or you reside in a rural area with no local schools, you can complete your schooling long-distance.

Whatever the reason, attending school online provides convenience.

2. Programs Only Feature Required Courses

Unlike your friends who pursue a four-year degree, you’ll only need to take courses that focus on the practical skills required of a veterinarian technician.

You won’t have to deal with prerequisite courses, typically.

3. Small Class Sizes Provide Individualized Attention

You can choose to attend the lectures when they’re delivered live or watch them when it best suits your schedule.

This means you might be the only one watching at any given time.

Most online programs keep class sizes small, so students receive individualized attention from their professors or instructors.

When questions arise, you simply email the instructor and ask your question, or schedule an appointment for a video conference.

4. Self-paced Learning

When you enter an online veterinarian’s technician training program, the school provides the curriculum with a minimum and maximum time limit for completion.

Most vet tech programs let you take up to 24 months to complete the degree.

You can complete the coursework more quickly than that if desired.

5. Interning Gets You Experience

Like most medical positions, completing the training for a veterinary technician position requires the student to intern at a veterinarian’s office or an animal hospital.

This could consist of paid or unpaid work, but it can help you determine if you want to enter a general practice environment or specialize.

For instance, a specialty in radiology requires added training.

You’ll also uncover your strengths and weaknesses within your training.

6. Preparation for Certification

Unlike working as a veterinary assistant, a vet technician position requires certification or licensing.

You’ll need to pass the Veterinarian Technician National Examination (VTNE).

7. Job Placement Assistance

While many bricks and mortar schools provide job boards, online veterinary tech programs offer job placement services.

They want to actively assist their graduates in finding a job.

This helps their students and also provides their college with impressive statistics.

Students completing their program get jobs.

Drawbacks of Online Veterinarian’s Technician Training Program Training Programs

Some drawbacks exist although these typically involve the student, not the school.

This includes the best way you learn individually and how many individuals in your area attend the same school or a similar program.

1. Online School Requires Self-Motivation

When you attend one of these online programs, you set your own pace and decide when to attend the lectures.

You’ll have a set amount of time to complete certain assignments, but that starts from the lecture in which they are assigned.

Unlike attending high school or a typical college campus, you won’t have secondary motivations like socializing, sports, or after-school activities.

You’ll have to schedule yourself to do your work on your own, so you make it to any course chats, meetings with the instructor, and you complete your homework, write papers, etc.

2. You Need In-Person Instruction

Maybe you’re an individual who learns best with an instructor physically present, so the professor can show you how to do something.

That kind of hands-on learning you can only get from a bricks-and-mortar school.

You’ll get more structure by attending school on a traditional college campus.

3. You Study Best With a Group

Introverts excel at online learning, but many extroverts have problems with it because they lack a local study group and socialization.

Sometimes, you can attend a school large enough that you’ll have a local student population to form a study group, but it occurs rarely.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Online Veterinarian’s Technician Training Program Training Programs – Summary Table

4 Self-Study Tips for Online Veterinarian’s Technician Training Program Online Students

We offer a few study tips to help you get started taking classes online.

It may seem like virtual school will work just like going to a brick-and-mortar school, but it does not.

These four tips can help you jumpstart your online learning.

Tip 1: Take Handwritten Notes

Psychology shows that you improve your memory by writing your notes by hand.

You don’t have to use pen and paper to do this.

You can install a program like Penbook on your smartphone, tablet, or computer.

Handwriting notes force you to listen to the lecture closely and put the instructor’s words into your own words.

This helps you learn the material quicker.

Tip 2: Cut Out All Distractions

While you listen to lectures, participate in a study group, write papers, or study for a test, block out all distractions.

Focus only on the learning material.

This means turning off your notifications, your cellphone, the TV, etc.

Tip 3: Use a daily planner to plan out class time and assignments

Attending school virtually means self-managing your schedule.

You make yourself attend school and do your homework.

Without social interaction, school-related activities, and friends to study with, many people find it challenging to show up and get the work done.

A daily planner provides ample space to write down assignment due dates, exam dates, block out study time, and let you plan in advance how best to achieve your goals.

Tip 4: Approach online college like physical college

If you can, block out a schedule for yourself to attend lectures.

Make it on a set schedule just as if you were attending classes in high school.

When you focus and attend classes on a regular basis, you can breeze through the material

You should set up your homework schedule in a similar manner.

Tackling a little bit of the work each day makes it easier to accomplish all of it on time.

Frequently Asked Questions

If you still have questions about completing your studies online to become a veterinarian technician, we have answers.

What financial aid is available for these programs?

You can obtain financial aid from the federal government through most schools.

Qualifying for this financial aid requires a specific income range.

The federal government uses the FAFSA form to document income and eligibility for Pell grants, SEOG grants, and other forms of federal financial aid, such as student loans.

Some schools also offer scholarships.

These range in amounts, and some also use income as their basis.

Other scholarships require a specific grade point average (GPA) or college entrance exam score.

Private organizations may offer scholarships that you can use at any school, whether vocational or college.

Which states require licensing of veterinarian technicians?

At this time, all states in the US require licensing of their veterinarian technicians.

If you complete vet tech school and become a veterinary technician, you will need certification or licensing before you can work in the field.

What does a veterinarian’s technician make in my state?

In the US, a veterinary technician’s salary varies, but the median income is $36,260.

An entry-level vet tech earns less than that.

Many employers start their vet techs at about $25,500 annually.

The top ten percent of those working in this position earn about $52,400 annually.

The variation depends on the individuals’ education, experience, and location, plus the cost of living consideration.

For example, a vet tech in California earns a median annual salary of $46,370, while in Florida a vet tech earns a median annual salary of $34,590.

What is the typical workday like for a veterinarian technician?

A veterinarian tech works in a vet clinic, veterinarian’s hospital, or animal hospital.

Some of these facilities use office hours, such as 8 am to 5 pm, but some use a 24-hour system.

The latter qualifies as an emergency vet hospital and typically employs more individuals than a daytime-only practice.

The vet tech takes over when the vet assistant’s work ends.

The latter gets the exam rooms ready, while the former assists the veterinarian with the exam.

The vet tech also assists during surgeries.

Those who specialize in radiology will administer x-rays, develop the film, and read the x-rays.

You’ll need to work well with animals.

You may complete some of the lab work, taking blood from animals or urine or feces samples.

Summary

You can complete the full course of training online in 24 months or less.

If you decide to go further with your training, you can become a veterinarian and all of your college courses will apply to your further degree.

As a veterinarian technician, your salary will range from about $25,500 to $52,400 annually.

If you love animals and want a career in medicine, the career of a veterinarian technician might be for you, and you can complete your education completely online.