The Bel Rea Institute of Animal Technology

I decided to attend Bel-Rea over the other technician programs in CO because of its reputation in the veterinary community. A lot of practices prefer Bel-Rea students because they know that the technicians that come from Bel-Rea are well equipped with knowledge and skills. This is definitely a school that you get from it what you put into it. So if you do not care, it will reflect in your grades and your overall education. If you try your best, do what you can to succeed, then you will have a pleasant experience and a greater chance of becoming a great technician. It is true that a majority of the hands on experience is during your internship, but due to laws and regulations, there is only so much we can do to the school owned animals and our own pets! That is why it is highly recommended and sometimes mandatory for us to volunteer our time at one of the local shelters.

2nd Year Female -- Class 2011

Education Quality: A+, Social Life: F

At this school you are really going to get out of it what you put into it. I found some of the greatest experience came from being a TA once I had passed a class. Tutoring other students and helping them in labs reinforced what I had already learned. Many students that attend this school can be snooty and arrogant, but that's pretty much any school. So many people come just because they "love animals" and don't realize that being a Vet Tech is a challenging MEDICAL and SCIENCE based career that requires a strong degree of intelligence in biology and chemistry. They assume its going to be some kind of cake walk. Yeah a lot of people also complain about how much it costs, but they knew that when they signed up. If they thought it was too expensive, why didn't THEY go somewhere else? I went to Bel-Rea because I wanted the BEST education in my field and I strongly feel that that is what I received. More Bel-Rea students pass the VTNE than any other tech school in the country. I work with techs who went to other schools and some of them don't even know what GDV is. I feel like my knowledge and experience is vastly superior to theirs right out of the box. Know one is going to know everything coming straight out of school, even most veterinarians do externships for a whole year after they are done with school. Bel-Rea, and all other tech schools, give you a strong foundation to build off of. I couldn't have been happier with my experience and education there. I loved my teachers and they were all eager to help me succeed. Of course they have favorites, every teacher does and every school will have teachers like that, Bel-Rea isn't unique in that regard. Yes their schedules are not very flexible, they usually have 2 versions of dates and times of each class each semester, but they aren't a huge community college with extra resources. They are open during daytime business hours because that's what they're able to do. If you need more flexibility, go somewhere else. Money and schedule wise it really is that simple. If you don't like it, go somewhere else. I wanted the best education and I got it and regret nothing except that I didn't do this sooner. :)

2nd Year Female -- Class 2010

Scholastic Success: A+, Social Life: F