anyone from MI? need advice!!!

[jregan]

Is there any one out there from Mi that knows the procedure for becoming a certified Pharmacy tech? I am taking my pre-reqs and really want to go to WSU! At the info meeting I attended at WSU they stressed the importance of volunteer work and pharmacy experince, but it seems like you need to be a tech to get hired at a pharmacy. I thought you had to take like a year long course to be a tech, but then I heard that you could just take a test. I would appreciate any advice! Thanks

 

[Gilmore2B]

You don't need to become a certified technician to gain pharmacy experience. The best time to job search is in the fall. I simply made a list of all the chain pharmacies in my area, got dressed up, and took my resume to all of them (even though I had no pharmacy experience) With every pharmacist I talked to, I was encouraged to fill out an application or was told what store in the area they thought needed additional help. It just takes persistance. I went to about 20 stores, got one interview and was hired 2 weeks later. I started as a pharmacy service associate; counting pills, running register, cleaning the pharmacy, etc. But I've been there 2 years now, and all the while they trained me to be a technician, offered to pay for me to take the national certification exam ($120), and now that Ive been accepted to a pharm school are teaching me alot about the different drugs. If you really have your heart set on becoming certified, I would suggest getting some experiece first, the test will be much easier that way.

 

[chudson]

You don't need to become a certified technician to gain pharmacy experience. The best time to job search is in the fall. I simply made a list of all the chain pharmacies in my area, got dressed up, and took my resume to all of them (even though I had no pharmacy experience) With every pharmacist I talked to, I was encouraged to fill out an application or was told what store in the area they thought needed additional help. It just takes persistance. I went to about 20 stores, got one interview and was hired 2 weeks later. I started as a pharmacy service associate; counting pills, running register, cleaning the pharmacy, etc. But I've been there 2 years now, and all the while they trained me to be a technician, offered to pay for me to take the national certification exam ($120), and now that Ive been accepted to a pharm school are teaching me alot about the different drugs. If you really have your heart set on becoming certified, I would suggest getting some experiece first, the test will be much easier that way.

Thank you so much for this info! I am in Michigan and just starting class and this is something I have been wondering about.