About Shadowing and Volunteering.

[BitsCodex]

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Hi all,

I have a question about shadowing a pharmacist. When you are shadowing, are you only just watching the pharmacist the whole time and asking questions when you are curious about what about they are doing? If so, what are your opinions on how long one should shadow? I can't really imagine shadowing for more than two days. But, I've heard of people who have shadowed for 10 months and more. Are they really just observing the whole time? I'm just wondering what one gets out of shadowing for so long (besides a letter of recommendation, lqtm).

I've shadowed once at a pharmacy/compounding center. It was fun. It gave me a better idea of what pharmacy is like and confirmed my feelings of becoming a pharmacist. Once was enough for me and it got me to get my tech license and national certification. I wanted to get more involved and volunteer instead of just observing. Does anyone know how to go about asking to volunteer and where? I've tried a few hospitals (including Kaiser and other big ones), but they aren't too open about having a volunteer in the pharmacy department. I live in the Bay Area, so anywhere around the bay I'm willing to get involved. Has anyone heard of people volunteering in independent pharmacies too? I'm also looking for a tech job right now, but so many places are cutting back on hours. It has been tough looking for one.


TL;DR - What are your opinions on how long one should shadow? Does anyone know how to go about asking to volunteer and where?

 

[Passion4Sci]

Hi all,

I have a question about shadowing a pharmacist. When you are shadowing, are you only just watching the pharmacist the whole time and asking questions when you are curious about what about they are doing?

Oh man, that totally depends. I've had a few different shadowing experiences in my time... One time at a coumadin clinic, another at a diabetes clinic in a humongous hospital, and one at a staff position doing in-patient fill. It's going to depend entirely on the "kind" of pharmacist you pull - Is s/he talkative? Does s/he enjoy their job? Does s/he enjoy helping young prospective pharmacists? And on and on. Most of the time, you are expected to just watch and observe but generally there'll be some time for Q&A, typically either before or after the shadowing session since, well, pharmacy isn't exactly something you want to shoot the **** while you're doing it, know what I mean?

If so, what are your opinions on how long one should shadow? I can't really imagine shadowing for more than two days. But, I've heard of people who have shadowed for 10 months and more. Are they really just observing the whole time? I'm just wondering what one gets out of shadowing for so long (besides a letter of recommendation, lqtm).

I highly doubt any organization is allowing one sole volunteer to shadow anyone for nearly a year, unless it was like, one or two shadowing experiences every 6 months or something. There IS no prescribed time for shadowing or volunteering. Obviously, the more hours you have, the better, and the better quality the volunteering program it is, the better. For a LoR, pharmacists generally want a 6 month commitment from what I've seen but - again - it's highly variable and you'll need to contact each hospital dept. The bay area is a really, really big place.

I've shadowed once at a pharmacy/compounding center. It was fun. It gave me a better idea of what pharmacy is like and confirmed my feelings of becoming a pharmacist. Once was enough for me and it got me to get my tech license and national certification. I wanted to get more involved and volunteer instead of just observing. Does anyone know how to go about asking to volunteer and where?

When I started, I just went to every single hospital website within 75 miles of my location and sent out CVs and offers to help - BUT NOT for the pharmacy. I got my foot in the door with working in the gift shop, as is common practice in hospitals, particularly in the greater SF area.

I can tell I've tried a few hospitals (including Kaiser and other big ones), but they aren't too open about having a volunteer in the pharmacy department.

You'll likely need a public hospital, since for-profit hospitals like Kaiser and, to a lesser extent, Sutter, have the same hang-ups about volunteers that Rite-Aid and big box places do! Insurance... But, try not to go RIGHT for the pharmacy, and see if that changes their tune! If you go aggressively for pharmacy volunteering it can look like you're trying to find an 'in' for easy access to a pharmacy department. Not a good idea, if you catch my drift?

I live in the Bay Area, so anywhere around the bay I'm willing to get involved. Has anyone heard of people volunteering in independent pharmacies too? I'm also looking for a tech job right now, but so many places are cutting back on hours. It has been tough looking for one.

Yep... getting a tech job w/ minimal experience is an uphill climb. You just gotta keep going at it and keep on keeping on. The bay is BIG, and since BART will serve you well, just google "bay area hospitals" and you're off! Don't give up.

In the end, if you just can't get into a pharmacy, take what you can get. Any volunteering is better than none!!!!!!!

 

[BabyBelle]

Volunteering at a pharmacy definitely limits what you can do due to liability reasons. I think working at a pharmacy gives you a better hands on experience because you have more responsibilities and you can actually do stuff, like type prescriptions, etc.

 

[Passion4Sci]

Volunteering at a pharmacy definitely limits what you can do due to liability reasons. I think working at a pharmacy gives you a better hands on experience because you have more responsibilities and you can actually do stuff, like type prescriptions, etc.

Yep. And good luck to OP at getting an actual job in a pharmacy as a technician with no exp. Hard life out there =/

 

[veyep]

Volunteering at a pharmacy definitely limits what you can do due to liability reasons. I think working at a pharmacy gives you a better hands on experience because you have more responsibilities and you can actually do stuff, like type prescriptions, etc.

Agree, when I volunteered they had me do filling and putting medications back on the shelf and the pharmacist were too busy to teach me! I would find a paid job as a tech to understand the work flow and the feel of the pharmacy!

 

[pharm B]

Be aware that it's also getting harder and harder to get any kind of shadowing experience due to privacy laws and changes in company policy. I was shadowing in an ER two years ago, and recommended others locally do the same, only to find out that the opportunity no longer existed.

One of my old chemistry professors recently attended a Texas meeting for advisors of pre-meds, pre-pharms, pre-vets, etc, and he was told that due to this change in what a student can and can't do, they're starting to give a little more weight to just plain old volunteering in the community.

Your state might be different, but like P4sci said, it's a hard life out there, and you might not get the chance to do the same stuff we did, even recently.

 

[R2pharmD2]

Your state might be different, but like P4sci said, it's a hard life out there, and you might not get the chance to do the same stuff we did, even recently.

That sucks. I seriously doubt I would have chosen pharmacy as a career if I couldn't have experienced it before making my choice.

 

[pharm B]

P4Sci volunteered as a tech (and I think worked for pay as one, too). I just worked as a tech while I was still pre-med, and it's actually the reason I cross over to pharmacy. It's still easy enough to become a tech and get hired on with a pharmacy in many areas. Some places, as evidenced by these boards, aren't hiring immediately, but a determined soul will find what they want.

So while volunteering as a tech is going away, you can always slave away at your local CVS. 🙂

 

[R2pharmD2]

P4Sci volunteered as a tech (and I think worked for pay as one, too). I just worked as a tech while I was still pre-med, and it's actually the reason I cross over to pharmacy. It's still easy enough to become a tech and get hired on with a pharmacy in many areas. Some places, as evidenced by these boards, aren't hiring immediately, but a determined soul will find what they want.

So while volunteering as a tech is going away, you can always slave away at your local CVS. 🙂

Same here. And there are still tech jobs in my area, but I'm not sure how difficult they are to come by. I didn't have much trouble getting hired at a local hospital, but I already had 2 years of retail pharmacy experience when I applied + certification + (and probably most importantly) I had a connection there. I do know that lots of retail pharmacies around here are cutting hours though, so even that option is probably becoming more difficult to pull off.

 

[Notecard]

I starting my shadowing in a compounding pharmacy as well and they kept asking me to come back. It sort of turned into a volunteer type of thing because I go in every week now and don't even observe anymore. I just make what ever the pharmacy needs and kind of leave when there isn't anything left to do lol. If the one you were at is independently owned you could try going back and asking to help out to learn hands on style. It seems like they always need capsules and hormone creams made and it's pretty easy stuff.

 

[BitsCodex]

I starting my shadowing in a compounding pharmacy as well and they kept asking me to come back. It sort of turned into a volunteer type of thing because I go in every week now and don't even observe anymore. I just make what ever the pharmacy needs and kind of leave when there isn't anything left to do lol. If the one you were at is independently owned you could try going back and asking to help out to learn hands on style. It seems like they always need capsules and hormone creams made and it's pretty easy stuff.

Yeah, I tried to contact the compounding pharmacy I shadowed at, but I haven't heard a response back from them for a while. I'm guessing that they don't need any help.

 

[BitsCodex]

Yep. And good luck to OP at getting an actual job in a pharmacy as a technician with no exp. Hard life out there =/

Yup, it has definitely been difficult. I've been searching for a couple months already and have been going into the pharmacies in person to submit my resume and cover letters too. No luck. But I'm still trying!