The Bel Rea Institute of Animal Technology

This tech school is getting lots of student money. Tuition is $18,000 for the year and a half program. It works out to paying about $60.00 per individual 50 minute class session.

Classrooms are stuffy and poorly ventilated. There are LOTS of smokers on campus, so if you are not a smoker, beware. The teachers are quite helpful and accessible, but some seem a bit self-absorbed and also a little high-and-mighty at times. This is in stark contrast with their overall level of education. In the past, I attended classes at a junior college, and I feel the level of education at Bel Rea is substantially lower than the junior college experience. There is not enough parking for students, and what is there is badly in need of repair. The "library" is a glorified closet. There is no cafeteria service and the student lounge is uncomfortable and cramped, as are all the rooms on campus. Although animal smells are prevalent on campus, animals are NOT. This school boasts three horses, three dogs, three cats, four birds and four reptiles. Oh yeah, and LOTS of rats, mice and guinea pigs. There are NO farm animals, and NO wild animals. The students do not seem particularly bright, overall. Some are quite bright, but they are the exception rather than the rule.

This is NOT the school to go to if you plan on getting advanced education later. If all you want out of life is to be a vet tech, working in a conventional veterinary clinic, and you want the training quickly and painlessly, come here. This is probably the easiest "medical" training I could imagine.

There are quite a few Continuing Education classes listed in the school brochure. Some of them look very glamorous, and appear to be taught by big-name vets, such as Holly Knor, Kevin Fitzgerald, and so on. Well, we had one CE course this first quarter, on Animal Acupuncture. In the second quarter, we will have ONE, again, on Animal First Aid. I haven't even seen the DEAN of this school, the whole first quarter, let alone Dr. Taylor (mentioned in the brochure also) or Dr. Fitzgerald. Most of the teachers at this school are not even DVMS. Some do not have any training beyond the CVT.

The ugliness, the smelliness, the poor quality of the educational experience, the expense -- almost the whole thing -- has been quite depressing. Yes, I am getting GREAT grades at this school, but they would have been better had I felt motivated and/or inspired by the teaching staff and subject matter. I wanted a GOOD education, not a superficial one. You may get your CVT here, but you sure won't get lots of interesting new information.

A student commented on "getting in good" with the staff in order to get a good internship. I haven't been at the school long enough to absolutely confirm that, but so far, that appears to be true. How sad that academic and practical success at the school seem to count for so little, and schmoozing the teachers counts for so much! I would be unhappy with this school, even if it were free. Considering how much money I've paid, I am outraged. My advice is: DON'T GO.