Veterinary technicians are required (in most states) to have a 2 year degree in veterinary technology from an AVMA accredited veterinary technology program, to have passed the Veterinary Technician National Exam and a state exam in order to be credentialed. They are also generally required to attend a set number of continuing education courses each year to keep up with changes in veterinary medicine. Veterinary technicians are educated in veterinary anatomy and physiology, pharmacology, animal husbandry, surgical assisting, anesthesia, medical nursing, diagnostics such as radiology and ultrasonography, clinical pathology, parasitology, medical terminology and record keeping, biological collection and sample handling and preperation, etc. They can also specialize in areas such as emergency and critical care, internal medicine, anesthesia, dentistry, behavior and equine nursing.
The American Veterinary Medical Association maintains a list of accredited degree programs on their website: In
nhttp://www.avma.org/education/cvea/vettech_programs.asp In some states, the use of the title "veterinary technician" and the practice of veterinary technology is recognized as profession and licensure is required. In other states, veterinary technicians are registered or certified. The laws that govern veterinary technicians vary from state to state so for specific information on the laws a person should check their state veterinary practice act or contact their state veterinary licensing board.
For the different schools, you should contact the ones you are interested in directly as they way they run their programs and the tuition and lab fees aren't going to stay the same over the years. You need to talk to them to find out the most up-to-date figures and details on their programs.
I would also recommend that you volunteer or take a part time job at a veterinary clinic prior to enrolling in college to be sure that this profession is really what you want. Many people expect it to be different and end up dropping out of the degree program.
I went to Cedar Valley College in Lancaster, TX many years ago. The cost is different now from then. The program I'm sure has changed as well as the staff and director have changed.