Vet Tech - to Bachelor's Degree

[Silly_Me]

I'm around 60+ credits into my degree program, and now I'm toying with the idea of going to vet tech school.  Originally, I had wanted to pursue a bachelor's degree in science so that I would be eligible to work with animals in some capacity.  However, I'm now narrowing my focus to vet tech school - at least for now.  

But, here's the catch.  I still want a bachelor's degree.  Even if I complete a two-year associates of applied science to become a vet tech, I still want a bachelor's degree so that I'll have other options in the future.  I could easily get a BALS from TESU before heading in my vet tech program, but I'm thinking I could also wait two years and then apply my vet tech courses to the BS in Technical Studies.  

Or... I could go ahead and finish my science degree (current goal is BS in Natural Sciences/ Biology from Excelsior) and pursue vet tech school afterwards.  This would be the most expensive option, but thanks to my military affiliate pricing, it's not ridiculously expensive.   I'm wondering if a science degree + vet tech certification might set me up for a nice future working with animals - over any of the other combinations I've mentioned.  Obviously, I don't want to overshoot, but I also don't want to cheat myself out of a more "useful" degree - just because the other degrees might be cheaper.

Any opinions or insights are most welcomed!

[Ideas]

Do you have at least 12 B&M credits? Have you been out of HS for years? I would suggest getting the BOG AAS degree if so. One with a concentration in Biology or Health Science or whatever you can get pretty fast.

Personally, then I would look for the quickest vet tech program or certification. I believe I saw one that is only like 10 months. But some places will hire you without a certification, as long as you agree to get one within a year.

I would also work on your Bachelor's a little bit, while doing the vet tech program.

The only real downside I see is that some students are having to wait months on their BOG AAS. It seems like they've gotten so many applications.

Edit: Also if you don't have 12 B&M credits yet, I would do the vet tech stuff for a term, get 12 credits, then apply for the BOG AAS.

[Silly_Me]

Do you have at least 12 B&M credits? Have you been out of HS for years? I would suggest getting the BOG AAS degree if so. One with a concentration in Biology or Health Science or whatever you can get pretty fast.

Personally, then I would look for the quickest vet tech program or certification. I believe I saw one that is only like 10 months. But some places will hire you without a certification, as long as you agree to get one within a year.

I would also work on your Bachelor's a little bit, while doing the vet tech program.

The only real downside I see is that some students are having to wait months on their BOG AAS. It seems like they've gotten so many applications.

Edit: Also if you don't have 12 B&M credits yet, I would do the vet tech stuff for a term, get 12 credits, then apply for the BOG AAS.

I'm actually just a few TECEP's shy of an ASNSM in Biology at TESU, so I'm definitely taking advantage of that first.  (Under the military degree completion program, four TECEP's waive the residency fee.)  Beyond that, I'm honestly not sure which route to take.  I'd go the BALS route if I believed such a generic degree would be useful to me in the future.  On its own, I would assume it isn't worth much, but coupled with a vet tech certification, it might be useful for job prospects.  It's just so hard to predict the future.

[Ideas]

Great!

Do you already have job goals after being a vet tech?

What's your life situation like... could you work as a vet tech and also continue your degree part-time?

[Silly_Me]

Great!

Do you already have job goals after being a vet tech?

What's your life situation like... could you work as a vet tech and also continue your degree part-time?

I'm honestly not sure what my goals would be after being a vet tech for a while.  (Vet clinic management? A more specialized field of vet tech?  Zoo vet tech?  Some sort of lab animal work?  I honestly have no clue at this point.)   I know that a science degree makes me eligible for working at a zoo or wildlife center.  The BALS would not be useful for that (unless, of course, the vet tech certification makes up for its lack of "usefulness").   Right now, I live at home with parents, do as much animal-related volunteer work as I can & work on school stuff.  I'm pretty sure that once I start working full-time as a vet tech, I probably won't want to continue working on my degree.  So, I'd prefer to be done with all of it (vet tech school + bachelor's degree) once I take on a full-time job as a vet tech.  

I suppose the ultimate question is.... Do I continue pursuing my science degree (so that I will qualify for zoo/ wildlife center jobs), or do I take a gamble & go for the cheap/easy BALS?  I'm only eligible for military affiliation pricing for a few more years, so if I'm going to get a degree through TESU or Excelsior, I need to buckle down & go for it.  Either way, I'd still like to pursue vet tech school.

[Ideas]

It seems like you will regret it if you go the BALS route, if it actually limits your job options in the future. I think that is what you have to consider in more detail.

If you have the BALS, can you get all the same job opportunities besides zoos/centers? If so, then think hard about the perks of working at a zoo/center. Do you know if the science degree and vet tech experience would make you a good candidate, or just an ok candidate? Zoos seem to be competitive to get into.

Also, besides the zoos, even if the BALS qualifies you the same other job opportunities, it may place you lower in the pile of resumes. For some careers. Probably not for something like clinic management, but almost definitely so for lab animal work.

[davewill]

If you can manage it financially, it seems like a no-brainer to finish the science degree and enter the career you really want. Most of the people who opt for the BALS are needing any degree to check the box for a job/career they are already in. The Vet Tech + BALS seems like a pretty substantial compromise over getting the science degree.

P.S. Remember that this advice is worth every penny you paid for it.

[cookderosa]

Great!

Do you already have job goals after being a vet tech?

What's your life situation like... could you work as a vet tech and also continue your degree part-time?

I'm honestly not sure what my goals would be after being a vet tech for a while.  (Vet clinic management? A more specialized field of vet tech?  Zoo vet tech?  Some sort of lab animal work?  I honestly have no clue at this point.)   I know that a science degree makes me eligible for working at a zoo or wildlife center.  The BALS would not be useful for that (unless, of course, the vet tech certification makes up for its lack of "usefulness").   Right now, I live at home with parents, do as much animal-related volunteer work as I can & work on school stuff.  I'm pretty sure that once I start working full-time as a vet tech, I probably won't want to continue working on my degree.  So, I'd prefer to be done with all of it (vet tech school + bachelor's degree) once I take on a full-time job as a vet tech.  

I suppose the ultimate question is.... Do I continue pursuing my science degree (so that I will qualify for zoo/ wildlife center jobs), or do I take a gamble & go for the cheap/easy BALS?  I'm only eligible for military affiliation pricing for a few more years, so if I'm going to get a degree through TESU or Excelsior, I need to buckle down & go for it.  Either way, I'd still like to pursue vet tech school.

You could spend a little time reaching out through your volunteer community and network- call a few vet offices in your area, tell them you are a volunteer considering a career as a vet tech. Ask if you can do a job shadow for a couple days in their office. I would call as many as necessary until I landed at least 2. Once you meet a few people doing the jobs you're considering- you've got the opportunity to not only understand the job better, but to ask them what they would do today if they were starting from scratch and what kind of "up" opportunities exist beyond vet tech for those willing to go to school. Don't tell them your situation and ask them to pick your degree for you, rather ask them what they would do differently and use their insight to build your own plan.
I spent a lot (!) of time doing that when I considered a career change into nursing, it was EXCEPTIONALLY valuable (and you'll notice from my siggy, that I ended up going in a different direction) I logged hundreds of hours as a volunteer and did a half dozen interviews and job shadows. Well worth it. I selected my plan with confidence and it was the absolute right decision. (I don't like guessing and I don't like surprises- especially ones that come after investing a year or two in a degree for a field that might not be a perfect fit)

[dfrecore]

I think people should get the degree that will be most valuable to them in the future. It sounds to me as if a degree in science will be that for you. A BALS is probably a waste of your time and money. To me, it is a check-the-box degree most of the time. For someone who says "I need a degree in anything, and the sooner the better" get a BALS. For everyone else, get the degree you want/need. Even a BSBA would be more helpful to you than a BALS (you mentioned vet clinic management). Even then, a science degree would be more valuable, with a BSBA or MBA later on (assuming you're not going straight into some sort of management role).