Experiences

[studentgirl89]

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Hi,

I am a fourth year student at undergraduate school, majoring Biology. However, I have heard that pharmacy schools are looking for prospective students that have experience in pharmacy field or shadowing a pharmacist. I am volunteering at the hospital and I am not sure if this is not what pharmacy schools are looking for. Do you think it is too late to start an internship in the pharmacy field or shadowing the pharmacist after my undergraduate graduation next summer (May 2012)? Any tips would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[Digsbe]

Are you wanting to apply during the current 2011-2012 application cycle? Or are you aiming to apply during the 2012-2013 application cycle? If you are going to apply for the 2011-2012 cycle I would shadow a pharmacist several times in several fields (retail, hospital, clinical) and put that on your application. By the time you graduate (in May) the 2011-2012 application cycle for the class entering in the fall of 2012 will have already been concluded. You could certainly apply for a pharmacy tech job and work after you get out of school for the summer and place that on your application as well if you are aiming for 2012-2013.

Pharmacy experience is not required to go to pharmacy school. However, I would strongly encourage you to at least shadow pharmacists. Having pharmacy experience/shadowing is a very good thing to have on your application. Most schools like seeing applicants who have pharmacy experience in one way or another. I've known people who have gotten accepted into pharmacy school without any pharmacy experience prior to applying. However, to make yourself as competitive as possible I would say to try and shadow/work in a pharmacy.

 

[megandupe]

Shadowing is just as good. Butter them up and be personable with them so they'll write you a LOR.

 

[R2pharmD2]

Shadowing is just as good. Butter them up and be personable with them so they'll write you a LOR.

If your only goal is scoring a LOR or learning just enough to mention it in your PS, then sure. Otherwise, shadowing is a poor substitute for working as a tech. Techs actually get to interact with patients. They get to handle meds, which is helpful in learning brand/generic conversions and common strengths. They have opportunities to develop meaningful relationships with the pharmacists they work with, who can then write superior LORs because they've been working side by side and can actually attest to your strengths. Techs learn how to read and process prescriptions. They gain a leg up in landing intern positions during pharmacy school, which in turn gives them a leg up in landing jobs after graduation. I could go on, but you get the idea.

 

[hapy]

I had posted a similar question in another thread about someone not knowing a pharmacist who could write them an LOR. I thought I would ask again here to get a better idea.

My question was/is: could I get an LOR from a pharmacist I volunteer with or does it have to be from being a pharm tech (read: real job)? I mean, better than nothing, right? Or should I get one from an employer (non-pharmacy) who actually knows me?