Hi,

I came here looking to get some information and a general consensus on what online degrees and long distance education is like. I'm a skeptic of sorts... I'm wondering why if a degree online is taken seriously in some fields that require honest field time. The reason I'm wondering this is because I would love to take a veterinary assistant program offered by a few different online colleges because I'm sort of restricted by my location-- I'm an army wife and the closest school to offer the program that I want is over 5 hours away.

 If anyone here is taking a Veterinary Assistant program to be used in Canada, I'd love to hear from you.

 Thanks!



 

Have you found an online veterinarian assistant program online?  In things like medicine it's hard to say that distance education is the best way to go unless you are adding upon an already gained practical experience, for instance if you were an RN nurse, BSN looking to earn an MSN then online is a great option.  If however you had never been to nursing school then trying to become a nurse online would not only be unlikely but I wouldn't want to be your patient.  Does that make sense?  You could work in a local vet shop doing some clinic work, assisting, scooping the cages, etc. while getting a vet assistant certificate then you would have the experience and the education.  In what you are considering however as a vet assistant I think if you earned the certificate it may help you in getting a job at a clinic as likely they will teach you everything they need you to do anyways.  I hope that helps.

Hi carmel!

If you have some time, call up some vet clinics and hospitals and ask what kind of academic/professional experience is necessary to work at their facilities. If you start to get a sense that distance education is frowned upon, you might consider getting some professional experience via volunteer work (or working in a retail setting) where you can practice skills hands-on.

It's just an idea!

Victoria

carmel:

I came here looking to get some information and a general consensus on what online degrees and long distance education is like. I'm a skeptic of sorts... I'm wondering why if a degree online is taken seriously in some fields that require honest field time. The reason I'm wondering this is because I would love to take a veterinary assistant program offered by a few different online colleges because I'm sort of restricted by my location-- I'm an army wife and the closest school to offer the program that I want is over 5 hours away.

Those programs ought to require you to have a relationship with a local veterinarian so that you have a place to do the hands-on part of things.  If not, yeah, I'd agree that's not an ideal program.

-=Steve=-