community vs. hospital internship for p1 student

[Spartan676]

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Hi, I am a first year PharmD student and currently I have been selected for interviews in both community and hospital summer internships.
My question is that if I do get both offers, which one would advice me to take?
As a student, I do not have a lot of experience in retail. So I am thinking of doing an internship in a community pharmacy for the summer during my first year and then apply for an internship position in a hospital the following year.
But at the same time I have heard from friends that hospital pharmacy can teach you a lot of medicines and you will apply your knowledge learned in class into practice in the hospital.
Please advice me on what path should I take. thanks.

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Hospital.

I've worked as an intern at both, nothing beats the experience and osmosis-esque aquiring of knowledge you can gain from working in a clinical pharmacy.

In retail you basically learn to run a cash register, count by 5s, and learn more than you will ever want to know about insurance companies and how your state medicaid system works. On the other hand, retail can afford you much, much more interesting stories. For instance, today a guy came into my pharmacy with a blank piece of computer printer paper with the words, in pencil, verbatim :

Loratab 500
Give 120 pills
Take 2-3 every 4 hours or so
Refill: unlimited
Dr. Minor

Of course I didn't give it to him. Anyway, yes, you don't get fun stuff like that in hospitals.

 

[LVPharm]

Regarding the poorly faked prescription:

Oh, WVUPharm2007, please tell me you're joking!

If not, O...M... frikin' G!

 

[WVUPharm2007]

Regarding the poorly faked prescription:

Oh, WVUPharm2007, please tell me you're joking!

If not, O...M... frikin' G!

No, no, it actually happened. The guy's a known problem. It's actually pretty sad.

 

[dgroulx]

For me, working retail helped me get familiar with common drug names. The hospital I am currently at has a limited formulary and there is a distinct lack of variety. I wanted to use my first internship to learn as many drugs as possible. Our store had an insurance expert, so I rarely dealt with insurance companies. There were also 2 full time cashiers. I mainly pulled meds and filled them. I got to know the names, how they looked and I would ask the pharmacist what they were for. When I started pharmacology the following semester, I could recall each drug as we studied it which helped me immensely.

 

[Glycerin]

For me, working retail helped me get familiar with common drug names. The hospital I am currently at has a limited formulary and there is a distinct lack of variety.

I agree. Although I would choose hospital over retail just due to my preference, the knowledge of drug names (brand/generic) that I learned while working retail was invaluable. Working in a hospital now, there are many drugs that I saw in retail that I don't see (especially working at a pediatric hospital), and I also don't see many of the new drugs that come onto the market.

 

[ultracet]

i would do hospital because it is easier to get retail jobs throughout the year and during the summers

 

[ZpackSux]

For me, working retail helped me get familiar with common drug names. The hospital I am currently at has a limited formulary and there is a distinct lack of variety. I wanted to use my first internship to learn as many drugs as possible. Our store had an insurance expert, so I rarely dealt with insurance companies. There were also 2 full time cashiers. I mainly pulled meds and filled them. I got to know the names, how they looked and I would ask the pharmacist what they were for. When I started pharmacology the following semester, I could recall each drug as we studied it which helped me immensely.

An hospital with a limited formulary will still have drugs to encompass most classes of drugs.. of course they won't carry every brand of BC or Viagra, Levitra or cialis...why would hospitalized patients need Viagra...ok Pulmonary Hypertension...

But are you interested in just knowing the names of the drugs? Or are you interested in learning how drugs are administered..how it's prescribed...how a disease state is treated.. You'll see the whole picture when you see a patient get admitted with COPD...and receive nebulizer treatment, IV Steroid, IV antibiotics... then as patient progresses...converts to MDI, Oral steroid and oral antibiotics. You will rarely see critical care drugs in a retail setting.. when patient has to be intubated..and sedated..with versed, propofol...or Ativan drip.. with mechanical ventillation..

or patient is on Dopamine or Dobutamine drip... or Nipride drip or cardizem drip.. Cordarone drip.. TPN..

Hospital or clinical setting will definitely provide a broader picture of pharmacotherapy... But you will need to be exposed to both retail and hospital.

Then decide what it is you want.

 

[dgroulx]

But are you interested in just knowing the names of the drugs? Or are you interested in learning how drugs are administered..how it's prescribed...how a disease state is treated..

During my first year I was interested in knowing the names of the drugs only. We didn't start pharmacology or therapeutics until year two, so the more drug names I knew the better. That gave me more time to learn about the disease state, etc. because I was familiar with the majority of the drug names.

 

[Trancelucent1]

During my first year I was interested in knowing the names of the drugs only. We didn't start pharmacology or therapeutics until year two, so the more drug names I knew the better. That gave me more time to learn about the disease state, etc. because I was familiar with the majority of the drug names.

That's my plan also. I landed a great Wal-mart internship this summer and that will afford me the opportunity to learn more about the drugs. Also, the program's set up so that I have a binder to complete while I'm at work. It has a lot of info on disease states/drugs so I think this'll be a great opportunity! Not to mention around $13.50/hr!!

 

[shelle]

I would say it depends on what type of hospital it is...

My first job as a student was at a children's hospital and it was great experience for some things and lacking for others: It taught me how to compound and prepare IV's = awesome. It taught me specialty pediatric drugs = awesome (especially because I hear that we never end up completely learning that, its all experienced based). It was low key and a great way to start working in the pharmacy world. Yet, I didn't know all those popular drug names and uses all your retail friends will be throwing around within a year, and I didn't know much about insurance stuff. So, I followed it up with a retail job and its a good balance.

Your plan to do both is awesome, but that is what everyone says they will do their first year, so I would say: start with the most basically useful one- retail, just in case you get sucked in and don't want to start a new job in a year. Also, hospital will be a better reinforcer then retail, retail is better to lay the groundwork first.

Good luck either way! The fact that you are getting a job is a good move in itself, so I'm sure you will be fine!

 

[StaviZFingerZ]

An hospital with a limited formulary will still have drugs to encompass most classes of drugs.. of course they won't carry every brand of BC or Viagra, Levitra or cialis...why would hospitalized patients need Viagra...ok Pulmonary Hypertension...

But are you interested in just knowing the names of the drugs? Or are you interested in learning how drugs are administered..how it's prescribed...how a disease state is treated.. You'll see the whole picture when you see a patient get admitted with COPD...and receive nebulizer treatment, IV Steroid, IV antibiotics... then as patient progresses...converts to MDI, Oral steroid and oral antibiotics. You will rarely see critical care drugs in a retail setting.. when patient has to be intubated..and sedated..with versed, propofol...or Ativan drip.. with mechanical ventillation..

or patient is on Dopamine or Dobutamine drip... or Nipride drip or cardizem drip.. Cordarone drip.. TPN..

Hospital or clinical setting will definitely provide a broader picture of pharmacotherapy... But you will need to be exposed to both retail and hospital.

Then decide what it is you want.

Don't listen to this guy!!! Thank goodness he's gone!!

 

[pharm127]

I'm a P1 and I had planned to do a retail job at first because I thought that's all I could get with no experience, but I kinda fell into a hospital job and I'm so glad! I feel that I've learned so much more than I would at a retail store. Of course it depends on the specific store or hospital you are at, but I think in general you will learn more in a hospital internship. The only course where I felt at a disadvantage compared to my retail counterparts is in pharmacy law, but most other classes I feel that I was much better prepared for thanks to my hospital job.

 

[aboveliquidice]

Don't listen to this guy!!! Thank goodness he's gone!!

😕

 

[Farmercyst]

😕