Bad intern experience

[Cju101]

I was accepted to lecom back in late december. I'm scheduled to start in september. Since Dec Ive been working full time as an intern. I was lucky in that i found a full time position right after I got accepted. Since lecom is acceleraed, no summers off, I trying to get all my hours in before I start.

However, the experience Ive had at the store has not been that greatest. I work so hard, stay late, come in early to try and impress the pharmacists but it doesent work. Its no coincidence that Im the only guy that works there, the pharmacists there are extremely sexist and very open on their opinions on "guy" pharmacists. Such is, I don't recieve any training and its difficult for me to learn anything. My question is...is it more important to take certain knowledge away from an internship or should I just try and soak up as much hours as I can and look at it as a character builder.

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[firefighter9015]

I would still try to learn as much as possible. I have learned from my experience with sexist pharmacist (however they have been sexist towards females) that as you can still learn and soak up information. You just have to push yourself. Learn how to look up info and use that ability to teach yourself. Or you can look for a new internship.

 

[FruitFly]

Just continue doing what you're doing. Don't try to impress, just do right by your job. Don't expect a pat on the back from supervisors, and don't expect the opposite. And try to learn as much as you can. You're there to learn pharmacy and interact with patients, and make some money doing it.

If it were me, I'd look into changing stores if possible. Some stores just have very low morale and are not the best place for interns. (I had a hellish experience myself, back in P1 year- working at a store where no one got along with each other. The patients were tame compared to the pharmacists/technicians... Sometimes it's good to see the worst, so you can really value a good co-worker when you see one, and feel good about where you are.)

 

[YapYap6]

I work in a completely female pharmacy where I'm the only male tech. It's the 2nd busiest store in the district as well, so there are quite a few techs working on any given day. There's one pharmacist who feels compelled to make me do things that everyone should be helping with. Putting out the trash, cleaning up the pharmacy, getting lunch, refilling the yuyama or the printers etc. She even WAITS until I come in, even if the trash is overfilling, to have me empty the trash. I just have to put up with it for the most part. I guess it's a good real world learning experience about people and the work place; however, I'm going to remember these events for the future....and plot.

 

[FruitFly]

I work in a completely female pharmacy where I'm the only male tech. It's the 2nd busiest store in the district as well, so there are quite a few techs working on any given day. There's one pharmacist who feels compelled to make me do things that everyone should be helping with. Putting out the trash, cleaning up the pharmacy, getting lunch, refilling the yuyama or the printers etc. She even WAITS until I come in, even if the trash is overfilling, to have me empty the trash. I just have to put up with it for the most part. I guess it's a good real world learning experience about people and the world place; however, I'm going to remember these events for the future....and plot.

Sounds like Cinderella. lol

Yeah, it's like pledging a fraternity I guess... (or sorority, even). I hate taking out the garbage. Any responsibility is good for internship years. Just keep them happy and keep picking up those paychecks.

 

[Allure]

I've worked with some really crazy techs and pharmacists who refuse to answer the phone. I would have to repeat what the nurse said to the pharmacist, then repeat what the pharmacist said to the nurse and this happened EVERY time I worked. Talk about wasting time. One of the techs, when I introduced myself, she just stared me down from head to toes then walked away...hahah..OMG..so many psychos out there.
I'm sitting in class with some people that I can't even imagine working with. Those are the future pharmacists that will torture the future pharmacy students.

You should ask to transfer to a different store since you have a good 3 months to work.

 

[YapYap6]

Agreed, try to transfer out and find a good manager that treats you as an equal rather than a subordinate. The only reason that I'm still at my store putting up with a sexist, farting, bad mouthed, bad BO pharmacist is because of the manager. It's not everyday that you find someone in a position of power that is also down to earth.

I've worked with some really crazy techs and pharmacists who refuse to answer the phone. I would have to repeat what the nurse said to the pharmacist, then repeat what the pharmacist said to the nurse and this happened EVERY time I worked. Talk about wasting time. One of the techs, when I introduced myself, she just stared me down from head to toes then walked away...hahah..OMG..so many psychos out there.
I'm sitting in class with some people that I can't even imagine working with. Those are the future pharmacists that will torture the future pharmacy students.

You should ask to transfer to a different store since you have a good 3 months to work.

 

[BMBiology]

I work so hard, stay late, come in early to try and impress the pharmacists but it doesent work.

I think the problem you made is working hard, staying late and coming in early because they figure you are just trying to impress them and not give you the credit you deserve. Now, if you dont work as hard or come in early, they will assume they were right about you and now you are slacking off.

It does not seem like a good learning environment (btw, don't expect it to be if you are working in retails). I think you should start looking for a new job and start over.

 

[Cju101]

What do you think would be some nessacary info to take away from an internship. Lecom is year round so I wont have much time to intern during school, but I want to make sure I take the important things away from this summer. Im just nervous that since its difficult to learn anything that I wont take away vital info Ill need

 

[Pianopooh]

I'm sorry you're having such a horrible experience at your pharmacy Cju -- what you should take away from interning is the generic names of drugs, brand name of drugs, notice drug interactions (or things you shouldn't take with certain drugs), what are the common drugs that are prescribed, the procedure of how a proper prescription is filled.. etc. I'd say just forget the rest of the people at the pharmacy and stay for your own benefit -- the pharmacist seems to be extremely unprofessional, and that is unfortunate because your pharmacy education teaches you to show empathy, caring, and all the good qualities a professional should have.