Has anyone done the Vet Tech program through Penn Foster?

You gain convenience at the cost of credibility. Any legit vet tech program should be hands on-NOT online. As you have noticed, Penn Foster has a bad reputation, along with lots of other online schools and for-profit schools.

Online programs are not well accepted because the student may have cheated by hiring an impostor to take the coursee. As a result,ANY online program is considered questionable-even if from a legit school. This is especially true when the training should be hands on, like vet tech programs.

See RipOffReport.com for schools to avoid. Employers often automatically reject job applicants lisiting ANY online school or ANY for-profit school such as Penn Foster, Ashford, Brown Mackie, Kaplan, ICS,APUS, etc. It has been said that the "distance learning" student only learns how to be distant from any decent learning!

A far better option would be to visit the vocational division of a public community college to sit down and talk to an adviser about your goals. Their programs would be far more respected and likely cost far less than any for-profit schoool like Penn Foster.

There are only nine(9) distance education providers that are AVMA Accredited (including Penn Foster) and each program is very difficult and very demanding. It is simply not good enough to just love animals to become a Vet Tech. These are the truths about this field that many will not tell you prior to enrollment. Well, Penn Foster does. Also, there is an RVT who usually posts in this forum. And even though she does not necessarily care for the Penn Foster program, she will tell you the truth about the rigors of this type of work.

Generally speaking, the primary reasons students drop out college is because they are academically unprepared, they lack self-discipline, or because bad things are happening at home. Not every program is a good fit for every student - this decision should be taken very seriously and the proper research is necessary prior to moving forward. You are doing a great job asking all the right questions.

Here is a link if you would like chat with actual students and Penn Foster instructors from the Vet Tech program.

http://www.facebook.com/groups/pfvets/

Good luck in your research.

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Wow it sounds like you have done your research! Just make sure whatever school you choose is accredited so you can go on to get the career you want. Also, as far as costs go I'd be wary about something that sounds "insanely cheap" or "too good to be true." Just as a side note.