best intern pharm

[cml2010]

I am currently employed at Rite Aid as a technician. I am going to be starting my first year of pharmacy school this coming fall. I haven't been 100% happy (i guess i can't expect 100% though right) with my job. Mainly I think its my boss and his boss and the pay. I will soon be an intern after my first year and I do not want to do it where I work.

This is the first chain pharmacy I have worked for...I am curious are they all this sucky or just the one I work at.

Where would you guys suggest me looking for an intern....target..walmart...walgreens... or maybe just another Rite AID any others. I heard CVS isn't worth it. Also....do you guys know who pays the best for an intern position?

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[pharmwannebe2]

I am currently employed at Rite Aid as a technician. I am going to be starting my first year of pharmacy school this coming fall. I haven't been 100% happy (i guess i can't expect 100% though right) with my job. Mainly I think its my boss and his boss and the pay. I will soon be an intern after my first year and I do not want to do it where I work.

This is the first chain pharmacy I have worked for...I am curious are they all this sucky or just the one I work at.

Where would you guys suggest me looking for an intern....target..walmart...walgreens... or maybe just another Rite AID any others. I heard CVS isn't worth it. Also....do you guys know who pays the best for an intern position?

retail is retail anywhere you go.

 

[bacillus1]

I agree with the above statement.
Retail is retail.
If you want out of your job, find a better job (and better paying too) before you quit your job. Intern jobs are hard to come by now, even in retail. I think the staff at a store and the amount of staff there per the amount of scripts matter as well. I used to work at 2 different Rite Aids at the same time, and I can definitely say that one ran more efficiently, just because it was better staffed (different district+14-hour store, so I guess they get techs). Otherwise, no matter what company you work for, chains aren't much different from each other.

On a side note, I hear Walgreens pays slightly better than Rite Aid/CVS.

 

[ToXiK PiLL]

Actually... Wags doesnt pay better. At least not in NC... I worked for CVS for almost 8 years and 1 as an intern - horrible micromanagement and crappy pay...my g/f is an intern at Wags and they make the same as CVS. Overall, intern rates are all about the same though except Rite Aid... it pays $1 more per hr, which is why I made the switch! I work at a great Rite Aid and dont plan on going back to CVS anytime soon.

 

[type b pharmD]

I am currently employed at Rite Aid as a technician. I am going to be starting my first year of pharmacy school this coming fall. I haven't been 100% happy (i guess i can't expect 100% though right) with my job. Mainly I think its my boss and his boss and the pay. I will soon be an intern after my first year and I do not want to do it where I work.

This is the first chain pharmacy I have worked for...I am curious are they all this sucky or just the one I work at.

Where would you guys suggest me looking for an intern....target..walmart...walgreens... or maybe just another Rite AID any others. I heard CVS isn't worth it. Also....do you guys know who pays the best for an intern position?

Dont be afraid to look around. Depends on what city you are in, but some places intern jobs are a dime a dozen, i mean you should have no problem getting another offer on the table by the end of the week. All retail is gonna be more or less the same, and you can get a retail job after you graduate without experience while the same cannot be said for hospital or other segments of pharmacy practice. I always tell people to get hospital or industry experience if they have a chance during school. Also check out independents, compounding, nuclear, and LTC pharmacies. Hop on those jobs as soon as you hear about them. If you cant find a hospital or industry internship, look at HMO's. They usually have really cush intern jobs as well, and could land you a job with great benefits after school ends. I know kaiser permanente here pays interns $20 an hour in p4, $18 in p3, and so on. Keep in mind you should be paid at least $13-15 an hour starting as an intern, in my experience.. But rates vary around the country too. Dont be afraid to take less if the job is going to get you great networking experience or post-graduation offers. On the other hand, if i was applying to work at a retail place, i would take the highest offer I got, and try to negotiate with whoever lowballed me, cause really you cant be paid enough for your time as a cashier/clerk.

 

[bacillus1]

Dont be afraid to look around. Depends on what city you are in, but some places intern jobs are a dime a dozen, i mean you should have no problem getting another offer on the table by the end of the week. All retail is gonna be more or less the same, and you can get a retail job after you graduate without experience while the same cannot be said for hospital or other segments of pharmacy practice. I always tell people to get hospital or industry experience if they have a chance during school. Also check out independents, compounding, nuclear, and LTC pharmacies. Hop on those jobs as soon as you hear about them. If you cant find a hospital or industry internship, look at HMO's. They usually have really cush intern jobs as well, and could land you a job with great benefits after school ends. I know kaiser permanente here pays interns $20 an hour in p4, $18 in p3, and so on. Keep in mind you should be paid at least $13-15 an hour starting as an intern, in my experience.. But rates vary around the country too. Dont be afraid to take less if the job is going to get you great networking experience or post-graduation offers. On the other hand, if i was applying to work at a retail place, i would take the highest offer I got, and try to negotiate with whoever lowballed me, cause really you cant be paid enough for your time as a cashier/clerk.

Good advice if there are plentiful intern jobs in this area, but in some areas it's hard to even land a retail intern position.

 

[type b pharmD]

Good advice if there are plentiful intern jobs in this area, but in some areas it's hard to even land a retail intern position.

not gonna deny that.

 

[cml2010]

Well I live in Philadelphia and will be attending Jefferson in the Fall. I am not sure if just the area I live in or the whole city itself is saturated but this is the first year that there were no offerings for graduating pharmacy students at Rite Aids. So I think it could be hard to find an intern job here in the city....did i misunderstand or do hospitals pay there interns as well as retail?

 

[bacillus1]

Well I live in Philadelphia and will be attending Jefferson in the Fall. I am not sure if just the area I live in or the whole city itself is saturated but this is the first year that there were no offerings for graduating pharmacy students at Rite Aids. So I think it could be hard to find an intern job here in the city....did i misunderstand or do hospitals pay there interns as well as retail?

Oh, Philly....definitely saturation here, since there's 3 pharmacy schools. Just apply to a lot of places and I guess go where they hire you. Hospital would obviously be better, but most of those jobs are taken. Still, there is no harm trying. Hospitals pay better too. I applied to 2 hospitals last week, still no word. I also applied right before P1, and they never even called me back (though this was in August-September).

I currently work at a Rite Aid, and vacancies there are filling up as well. I work at one right next to Jefferson (though I don't go to that school) and if we ever hire new interns, it's not at intern pay. You could probably find an intern job somewhere if you try hard enough but it probably won't be right next to your school or any pharmacy school (maybe South Philly?)

 

[Ackj]

Good advice if there are plentiful intern jobs in this area, but in some areas it's hard to even land a retail intern position.

With only 2.5 months left of my P1 year, I'm going to agree with the "hard to land" notion. Maybe the chains just won't talk to me until after I have my intern permit (NYS requirement)?

Just to rule out a late application as the reason, how early should I have applied for an internship? The hospitals near me had structured 3 year internships, with an application deadline in November. I didn't end up getting either of those (only 2 spots per hospital), so I applied late December for all the major chains (CVS, Wags, Rite Aid).

I'm sure something will turn up, its just sort of unsettling to not have a job lined up, especially when I'm going to need intern hours for boards.

 

[type b pharmD]

With only 2.5 months left of my P1 year, I'm going to agree with the "hard to land" notion. Maybe the chains just won't talk to me until after I have my intern permit (NYS requirement)?

Just to rule out a late application as the reason, how early should I have applied for an internship? The hospitals near me had structured 3 year internships, with an application deadline in November. I didn't end up getting either of those (only 2 spots per hospital), so I applied late December for all the major chains (CVS, Wags, Rite Aid).

I'm sure something will turn up, its just sort of unsettling to not have a job lined up, especially when I'm going to need intern hours for boards.

nobody's going to hire you without an intern license.

 

[Ackj]

nobody's going to hire you without an intern license.

Well, naturally, but you might expect at least an interview or something prior to May. It seems kind of unlikely that every student has to scramble the day they get their permit.

 

[type b pharmD]

Well, naturally, but you might expect at least an interview or something prior to May. It seems kind of unlikely that every student has to scramble the day they get their permit.

I dunno, i tried applying for jobs without one, they told me to wait and come back when i had one or my resume would probably find its way to the bottom of the pile or get tossed. Once i had one, it was a matter of sending someone an email and I was hired as soon as they got back to me. Think about it. Without a license, you are a job candidate that is unable to work for your prospective employer. You're competing with people who are actually able to start work and make the store some $$$. So you arent likely to get a lot of consideration unless you have some personal connections.

 

[Ackj]

I dunno, i tried applying for jobs without one, they told me to wait and come back when i had one or my resume would probably find its way to the bottom of the pile or get tossed. Once i had one, it was a matter of sending someone an email and I was hired as soon as they got back to me. Think about it. Without a license, you are a job candidate that is unable to work for your prospective employer. You're competing with people who are actually able to start work and make the store some $$$. So you arent likely to get a lot of consideration unless you have some personal connections.

I guess it makes sense. Although they could take me on as a tech in the meanwhile just so I learn the computer system or something.

So your advice is to pretty much sit tight and study for the next 2 months, then send out some apps/emails then?

 

[type b pharmD]

I guess it makes sense. Although they could take me on as a tech in the meanwhile just so I learn the computer system or something.

So your advice is to pretty much sit tight and study for the next 2 months, then send out some apps/emails then?

Unfortunately stores often dont have the corporate budgets for techs. A lot of tech positions are being cut, especially with increasing automation. However they will have money dedicated on the side for interns. You have a chance of getting a tech job, but i would say it's unlikely since they wouldnt be reimbursed by corporate for it, and they would be losing you as a tech (when you became an intern). Yeah what I would do is when you're getting say.. a few weeks away from getting your license, like 2-3.. go into some stores, talk to some managers, basically tell them you'll be ready to work in a few weeks and are trying to get the hiring process started a little bit early. That way you'll have the drop on people who wait until they get their license, and companies you're looking to work for will have a much more accurate plan for their staffing needs (than they do now). A few weeks is about how long it will take to set up your HR account, get paperwork sent in, etc, that way you can start the day you get your license. You can be hired as an intern without a license you just cant work as one. (at least in my state). Good luck!!

Personally as far as getting an intern job goes, I would look on campus job boards and email lists, that's where i found mine. But if i had to go retail (which you may have to if your city has a bad economic climate) I would start by just talking to managers at stores, getting some district managers phone numbers, and calling or setting up an interview. Thats what i was in the process of doing when i was looking for retail jobs, then another opportunity presented itself so i stopped. But it certainly seemed there were positions open. Every grocery store i went in was looking for interns last fall. Always make it a point to ask the pharmacist whenever you go grocery shopping. That way you can kill two birds with one stone (getting food and getting a job).

 

[Ackj]

Yeah what I would do is when you're getting say.. a few weeks away from getting your license, like 2-3.. go into some stores, talk to some managers, basically tell them you'll be ready to work in a few weeks and are trying to get the hiring process started a little bit early. That way you'll have the drop on people who wait until they get their license,

I figured applying early would be my best bet, although I can see why its a bit too early. Thanks for the advice

 

[Quiksilver]

don't forget ****ty tech pay will increase when you become a pharmacy student enrolled in your P1 year. They automatically give you a pay raise in september.

More intern jobs will open in may, june, july with the new grads being licensed and moving out of their positions. get your apps. in early.

 

[cml2010]

has anyone done an intern at Target?

 

[J ROD]

has anyone done an intern at Target?

I know several folks that work for them as interns. They love it.

I think retail is retail except if there is no drive thru....

I find that makes the retail experience much worse....

 

[cml2010]

I know several folks that work for them as interns. They love it.

I think retail is retail except if there is no drive thru....

I find that makes the retail experience much worse....

How much do they make do you know?

 

[J ROD]

How much do they make do you know?

Not sure....