CVS interns

[ndearwater]

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Can anyone who is an intern at CVS share their experiences? I've heard such mixed feelings on this company and I think it varies from location to location. I'm in Virginia at SU and recruiters are calling me (and my fellow classmates) and encouraging us to apply for intern positions. They seem to be very flexible with hours (only 4 hrs per 30 days to stay active!). We are all just in the beginning of P1 and won't be licensed until May but they said it's cool and we can start on our hours now.... strange!
I'm so confused and I don't feel like I know anymore about it than I did the first day of school!!!!
But anyhow, does anyone know about Virginia law and if a minimum pharmacy intern rate of pay is set by the state. And who decides when you can begin hours that start toward interning? Can CVS decide that if they're willing to sign off or is that strictly a state thing?
I hope I make some sense here. Thanks for any help ya'll!

 

[rxlynn]

Can anyone who is an intern at CVS share their experiences? I've heard such mixed feelings on this company and I think it varies from location to location. I'm in Virginia at SU and recruiters are calling me (and my fellow classmates) and encouraging us to apply for intern positions. They seem to be very flexible with hours (only 4 hrs per 30 days to stay active!). We are all just in the beginning of P1 and won't be licensed until May but they said it's cool and we can start on our hours now.... strange!
I'm so confused and I don't feel like I know anymore about it than I did the first day of school!!!!
But anyhow, does anyone know about Virginia law and if a minimum pharmacy intern rate of pay is set by the state. And who decides when you can begin hours that start toward interning? Can CVS decide that if they're willing to sign off or is that strictly a state thing?
I hope I make some sense here. Thanks for any help ya'll!

Hi - I'm a CVS intern, although in GA not Virginia. Generally speaking, it is totally up to your state board what will or will not count as intern hours towards your required # of hours per licensure. Here in GA, we have to get 500 hours besides our 4th year rotations, but the board will only count hours worked in a week where you work between 20 and 50 hours, and only when school is not in session. SO, that means that the 4 hours per week or whatever that I am working right now does not count towards the required # of intern hours - all it does is give me pay. Go look at your state board webpage - it should give you all the info you need in terms of intern hours.

CVS is generally interested in getting interns early on, so that they can try to get you interested in working for them later, and so that they don't waste time training an intern in their 3rd or 4th year who then only stays a year or whatever.

Definitely, it varies from location to location. I would not accept a position without a)finding out which exact store you will be assigned to and b) going to the store, finding out a bit about it, and talking to the regular pharmacists there to get a sense of how the store is run, if you would be a good personality fit, etc. The last thing you want to do is be in a situation where the pharmacist doesn't want you.

No, as far as I know the state has nothing to say about pay rate. CVS is pretty standard for a set pay for P1, P2, etc. but I think that rate will vary somewhat with the market served. But, yes - if you don't have significant pharmacy experience already the district manager will probably have some set per hour figure in mind for a P1 and that's what you will get.

PM me if you have more questions.