Do colleges look at being a Certified Pharmacy Technician as an advantage?

[corey407woc]

Been a certified registered tech for Publix Supermarkets now for 2 years. Took ptcb test and thinking about taking the other excpt test just for giggles to be registered in both. Have about a 3.3 Gpa and about to take the pcat in september. have pcat set up to send to 14 different schools in southeast. do schools look at being a tech as an advantage over other applicants. thanks

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[dancingallday]

Your pharmacy experience counts for a lot, especially if you can articulately answer questions about it in the interview. Being a tech for 2+ years when I applied definitely helped me.

 

[corey407woc]

Does it matter if you are certified in both of the tests the ptcb and the other one or just one

 

[rxlea]

All pharmacy experience is viewed favorably. Whether you are certified or not is probably not that important if you've already been working on a technician capacity. The advantage of certification is if you get to do more tasks than you otherwise could. The responsibilities of a certified tech vs. non-certified tech will vary by state and institution/company.

 

[shadiggy]

Two years of Pharm experience helps but not enough to make a significant difference. I was just accepted to the University of Texas College of Pharmacy and what they are really looking for is a person who had the gumption to walk in to a mom-and-pop pharmacy and begged them to shadow. Not only this but they actually increase your chances by 10% if you have volunteered for more than 800 hours. Getting paid for the job means little to the board at UT, my father has taught there for 7 years now. If you could get your Pharmacist to say that you come in on your own time to actually watch what he does and discuss pt. care with him, that would help.
This, of course, is advice for the 4th best pharmacy school in the nation. Others may view it differently. UT doesn't interview students with less than a 75 composite, 79 bio.

 

[kalikat]

okay, i'm sorry but are you saying that shadowing a pharmacist for one day is viewed more favorably than working at a pharmacy for 2 years? like, how does that even make sense?

the experience you gain from passively watching a pharmacist do his/her job for a day doesnt even compare to actually working in a pharmacy.

 

[Flubbermasta]

I have my CPhT and currently work in a pharmacy. Dose it Help? What I've heard, from pharmacist and a few techs that got into pharmacy school, is that it really dose help having both expereince and being certified! So yes, Do it!

 

[rxlea]

Two years of Pharm experience helps but not enough to make a significant difference. I was just accepted to the University of Texas College of Pharmacy and what they are really looking for is a person who had the gumption to walk in to a mom-and-pop pharmacy and begged them to shadow. Not only this but they actually increase your chances by 10% if you have volunteered for more than 800 hours. Getting paid for the job means little to the board at UT, my father has taught there for 7 years now. If you could get your Pharmacist to say that you come in on your own time to actually watch what he does and discuss pt. care with him, that would help.
This, of course, is advice for the 4th best pharmacy school in the nation. Others may view it differently. UT doesn't interview students with less than a 75 composite, 79 bio.

Shadowing is better than work experience? I find that hard to believe but I guess every school is different.

 

[Incitatus]

I was led to believe by several people that UT favored work experience far more than voulenteer/shadowing.

 

[premolar9]

I don't know about UT, but I know that at my school pharmacy tech experience is almost mandatory. The idea is that you get to see what the pharmacist does while you work...so it's like built in shadowing? If you were applying to my school, tech experience is definitely an advantage. I think it'd be an advantage at most schools though. Good luck!

 

[Doulos]

Two years of Pharm experience helps but not enough to make a significant difference. I was just accepted to the University of Texas College of Pharmacy and what they are really looking for is a person who had the gumption to walk in to a mom-and-pop pharmacy and begged them to shadow. Not only this but they actually increase your chances by 10% if you have volunteered for more than 800 hours. Getting paid for the job means little to the board at UT, my father has taught there for 7 years now. If you could get your Pharmacist to say that you come in on your own time to actually watch what he does and discuss pt. care with him, that would help.
This, of course, is advice for the 4th best pharmacy school in the nation. Others may view it differently. UT doesn't interview students with less than a 75 composite, 79 bio.

I've got to believe that this has to be the exception to the rule. Working for free trumps working and getting paid? Seems to be a distinction without a difference.

 

[Rouelle]

Two years of Pharm experience helps but not enough to make a significant difference. I was just accepted to the University of Texas College of Pharmacy and what they are really looking for is a person who had the gumption to walk in to a mom-and-pop pharmacy and begged them to shadow. Not only this but they actually increase your chances by 10% if you have volunteered for more than 800 hours. Getting paid for the job means little to the board at UT, my father has taught there for 7 years now. If you could get your Pharmacist to say that you come in on your own time to actually watch what he does and discuss pt. care with him, that would help.
This, of course, is advice for the 4th best pharmacy school in the nation. Others may view it differently. UT doesn't interview students with less than a 75 composite, 79 bio.

Is this a new thing? I personally know of people who interviewed during the 2010/2011 cycle for admission in the 2011/2012 school year who fell below these stats.