How can I get pharmacy experience?

[bohomojo]

Hello, I joined today, but I have most certainly been a lurker for years. I finally feel that I have a question that I couldn't find the answer for. How do I get the pharmacy experience (volunteer or paid) that most schools will look for? I am a junior in college and I live on campus. How can I get the experience needed?

Thanks

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[Amicable Angora]

Hello, I joined today, but I have most certainly been a lurker for years. I finally feel that I have a question that I couldn't find the answer for. How do I get the pharmacy experience (volunteer or paid) that most schools will look for? I am a junior in college and I live on campus. How can I get the experience needed?

Thanks

First, a few questions for you:

1. What have you done so far to try to get experience?
2. What are you looking for experience-wise?
3. What is your time commitment and are you able to work holidays/summers/winters?

 

[bohomojo]

First, a few questions for you:

1. What have you done so far to try to get experience?
2. What are you looking for experience-wise?
3. What is your time commitment and are you able to work holidays/summers/winters?

I have tried countless times to get a job as a pharmacy technician. I live in NJ, so certification is generally preferred. I've tried independent and chain pharmacies in my area.

2. This may sound stupid, but I'm looking for the experience that pharmacy schools are looking for.
3. Since I do live on campus during the semester I am open with availability, but as for when I go back home- I cannot travel back and forth.

 

[Amicable Angora]

I have tried countless times to get a job as a pharmacy technician. I live in NJ, so certification is generally preferred. I've tried independent and chain pharmacies in my area.

2. This may sound stupid, but I'm looking for the experience that pharmacy schools are looking for.
3. Since I do live on campus during the semester I am open with availability, but as for when I go back home- I cannot travel back and forth.

1. Ah, you're in luck, I know a lot about NJ. It's extremely difficult to get a pharmacy technician job as a student, unfortunately.
2. ... do you go to Rutgers University? And/or are you looking to get into Rutger's pharmacy program? If you're not already in the pharmacy program now, you have an extremely slim chance of getting in because their transfer program only takes a few students every year.
3. So you are only available during the school semester... that makes it even harder in NJ.

 

[bohomojo]

1. Ah, you're in luck, I know a lot about NJ. It's extremely difficult to get a pharmacy technician job as a student, unfortunately.
2. ... do you go to Rutgers University? And/or are you looking to get into Rutger's pharmacy program? If you're not already in the pharmacy program now, you have an extremely slim chance of getting in because their transfer program only takes a few students every year.
3. So you are only available during the school semester... that makes it even harder in NJ.

Rutgers isn't the only pharmacy school in New Jersey. Also, I don't want to go to Rutgers University.
As for the original question.... Do you have any advice on getting paid or volunteer experience in a pharmacy?

 

[Jibby321]

Rutgers isn't the only pharmacy school in New Jersey. Also, I don't want to go to Rutgers University.
As for the original question.... Do you have any advice on getting paid or volunteer experience in a pharmacy?

It's the only decent one right?

 

[bohomojo]

It's the only decent one right?

Not exactly, I do believe Fairleigh Dickinson's program is excellent and well structured. I have at least 10 schools in my mind that I would like to attend.

Can anyone help me with the experience part?

 

[Amicable Angora]

Not exactly, I do believe Fairleigh Dickinson's program is excellent and well structured. I have at least 10 schools in my mind that I would like to attend.

Can anyone help me with the experience part?

Already explained to you, in your situation it's extremely hard to find one.

 

[Jibby321]

Not exactly, I do believe Fairleigh Dickinson's program is excellent and well structured. I have at least 10 schools in my mind that I would like to attend.

Can anyone help me with the experience part?

You'll prob need to get your national cert then apply for tech positions. Or see if you can shadow at a hospital or independent.

 

[bohomojo]

You'll prob need to get your national cert then apply for tech positions. Or see if you can shadow at a hospital or independent.

Thanks for the tips!
Do I just call around or go in person in ask? Also, I don't mind getting my state certification and I'm planning on getting it before the summer is over. I've never heard of national certification. How do I do that?

 

[Jibby321]

Thanks for the tips!
Do I just call around or go in person in ask? Also, I don't mind getting my state certification and I'm planning on getting it before the summer is over. I've never heard of national certification. How do I do that?

Personally I would go in.

Register to take PTCB.

 

[bohomojo]

Already explained to you, in your situation it's extremely hard to find one.

So do you have any advice?

Not to sound rude, but you both sound very pessimistic and vague in this post.

 

[Jibby321]

So do you have any advice?

Not to sound rude, but you both sound very pessimistic and vague in this post.

Try cvs first. They are always hiring. High turnover. That's where I started first.

 

[Amicable Angora]

So do you have any advice?

Not to sound rude, but you both sound very pessimistic and vague in this post.

If you're asking questions like, "Do I go around or call or ask?" It makes it sound like you haven't done anything. What do you want us to say aside from our opinions? This isn't a self esteem thread.

 

[manne02]

I know it can sound sketchy, but try craigslist. I wasn't certified yet, but I found a volunteer opportunity as a pharmacy clerk on there. I just searched for "pharmacy" under the jobs section. I found a local pharmacy that was just opening up, so they were only looking for volunteers. I found my first tech job, after got certified, on craigslist as well. There's a lot of stigma with craigslist because it's true that you never know who may be behind those ads, but I looked up the pharmacies, their addresses, and their phone numbers before I went in for interviews to make sure that they were legit.

Another great website is indeed.com. They always have postings for pharmacy jobs, but keep in mind that they are not volunteer so you would probably have to get certified as a tech first. When I was in school I also used my school's own job posting website, so if your school has one then I would highly suggest you use that.

Schools aren't necessarily looking for specific types of duties that you performed while you worked at a pharmacy. It's more about how much experience you have. Schools look for this because they don't want to waste a seat on somebody that might change their mind. If you don't have any experience, then there's the possibility that you realize half way through pharmacy school that you actually don't like the job of a pharmacist. Having plenty experience shows them that you are committed to this profession.

The best thing you can do right now to increase your chances to get pharmacy experience is to get certified as a tech. I just took the PTCB exam and then registered for a license. Even taking the test is more exposure towards a pharmacy career.

 

[manne02]

Also, if you decided to go for retail experience and apply to chains like CVS, Walgreens, etc. I recommend using the website glassdoor.com. I got my current tech job at Target by applying on their website and then I used glassdoor to prepare my interview and gage how much my salary would be. It's a great website for any chain company you apply to, because people that worked there and have had interviews post their experiences. You can prepare for the kind of questions that a specific company may ask, aside form those vague "tell me about yourself" questions. Hope this helps and good luck!

 

[bohomojo]

If you're asking questions like, "Do I go around or call or ask?" It makes it sound like you haven't done anything. What do you want us to say aside from our opinions? This isn't a self esteem thread.

I've stated what I have done in my original post. I'm not looking for a confidence boost or validation. I am simply looking for tips on getting pharmacy experience like the original post asks. You haven't even answered the question.

 

[bohomojo]

I know it can sound sketchy, but try craigslist. I wasn't certified yet, but I found a volunteer opportunity as a pharmacy clerk on there. I just searched for "pharmacy" under the jobs section. I found a local pharmacy that was just opening up, so they were only looking for volunteers. I found my first tech job, after got certified, on craigslist as well. There's a lot of stigma with craigslist because it's true that you never know who may be behind those ads, but I looked up the pharmacies, their addresses, and their phone numbers before I went in for interviews to make sure that they were legit.

Another great website is indeed.com. They always have postings for pharmacy jobs, but keep in mind that they are not volunteer so you would probably have to get certified as a tech first. When I was in school I also used my school's own job posting website, so if your school has one then I would highly suggest you use that.

Schools aren't necessarily looking for specific types of duties that you performed while you worked at a pharmacy. It's more about how much experience you have. Schools look for this because they don't want to waste a seat on somebody that might change their mind. If you don't have any experience, then there's the possibility that you realize half way through pharmacy school that you actually don't like the job of a pharmacist. Having plenty experience shows them that you are committed to this profession.

The best thing you can do right now to increase your chances to get pharmacy experience is to get certified as a tech. I just took the PTCB exam and then registered for a license. Even taking the test is more exposure towards a pharmacy career.

Thanks for the thorough input. There are 3 pharmacists in my immediate family, yet they've never volunteered/worked in pharmacies until their rotations and etc. I've worked in Target as a cashier. I applied to both positions, but they weren't hiring for the pharmacy technician position at the time. Once they were hiring, I applied again. Then, they were no longer looking for applicants as a previous worker had returned from medical leave and there was no "space". Did you take your PTCB exam with or without the preparation course?

For the craigslist portion, that is how I found my current job. Although it relates to the medical field, it has nothing to do with pharmacy. I've been set on this career since I started high school. I've only been working for 8 months total, and I'm 19. I'm just trying to prepare myself for this year. I'm a junior/senior in college (due to the amount of credits I have). I took medical terminology at 16, that is how persistent I am about this career. The hard part about this is going to school away from home. I don't have a stable lifestyle when it comes to work, because if I get a job around my school- I can't work during breaks. If I get a job around my home, I can only work during summer's and winter breaks.

 

[Amicable Angora]

I get the feeling that something is wrong with you, and that is why no one hired you.

You say that you have THREE pharmacists in your immediate family, yet, you cannot get a pharmacy related job. Huge, HUGE red flag.

Second red flag, you get into arguments with random strangers you meet online in an Internet forum.

Finally, apparently you have went to great lengths to find said position, even taking a medical terminology class, yet come up empty.

My conclusion is that there is something wrong with your attitude or demeanor that is making people reject you despite whatever qualifications you have.

And I'm stating this plainly so you don't misunderstand somehow, this is meant to be constructive advice.

 

[bohomojo]

I get the feeling that something is wrong with you, and that is why no one hired you.

You say that you have THREE pharmacists in your immediate family, yet, you cannot get a pharmacy related job. Huge, HUGE red flag.

Second red flag, you get into arguments with random strangers you meet online in an Internet forum.

Finally, apparently you have went to great lengths to find said position, even taking a medical terminology class, yet come up empty.

My conclusion is that there is something wrong with your attitude or demeanor that is making people reject you despite whatever qualifications you have.

And I'm stating this plainly so you don't misunderstand somehow, this is meant to be constructive advice.

I can only find humor in your posts from here on out. You told someone on this forum to "go die in a fire". Bye FELICIA! You have no real social skills. All you do is go onto these threads to discourage and put down others, yet you talk about me arguing with a stranger. You can't answer a simple question. Are you a troll or just a sociopath? I don't have time for you non-sense. You are gladly dismissed from this thread.

Oh P.S. I've been promoted at my job 3 times and have only been working there for 3 months. I'm sure a multi-million dollar company doesn't find anything wrong with my "demeanor".

 

[Amicable Angora]

I can only find humor in your posts from here on out. You told someone on this forum to "go die in a fire". Bye FELICIA! You have no real social skills. All you do is go onto these threads to discourage and put down others, yet you talk about me arguing with a stranger. You can't answer a simple question. Are you a troll or just a sociopath? I don't have time for you non-sense. You are gladly dismissed from this thread.

Oh P.S. I've been promoted at my job 3 times and have only been working there for 3 months. I'm sure a multi-million dollar company doesn't find anything wrong with my "demeanor".

Quoted to save for the records. THIS is why you can't find a job.

 

[Irelia]

I can only find humor in your posts from here on out. You told someone on this forum to "go die in a fire". Bye FELICIA! You have no real social skills. All you do is go onto these threads to discourage and put down others, yet you talk about me arguing with a stranger. You can't answer a simple question. Are you a troll or just a sociopath? I don't have time for you non-sense. You are gladly dismissed from this thread.

Oh P.S. I've been promoted at my job 3 times and have only been working there for 3 months. I'm sure a multi-million dollar company doesn't find anything wrong with my "demeanor".

Clearly another immature kid in this forum....amicable, jibby and manne exactly told you what to do in your situation and you call one troll/sociopath lol. Why don't you simply search in this forum about your topic and you will get most of your answers.

P.S. No need to brag about how you got promoted 3 times when you even clearly don't know how to get a simple pharmacy technician job....common sense?

 

[bohomojo]

Clearly another immature kid in this forum....amicable, jibby and manne exactly told you what to do in your situation and you call one troll/sociopath lol. Why don't you simply search in this forum about your topic and you will get most of your answers.

P.S. No need to brag about how you got promoted 3 times when you even clearly don't know how to get a simple pharmacy technician job....common sense?

I don't take demeaning behavior lightly. I came to ask for help. It is very simple. When I searched the forum, the posts that came up were dated (2008). It is now 2014. Times have changed and so have procedures. That is why I asked. I am asking for all of the real advice I can get. If you read amicable's few posts, they did not answer the question. Amicable never actually gave me advice on what to do.

I was not bragging, I was defending my "demeanor". I clearly don't know how to get a pharmacy technician job because it is harder than I expected.
Why knock someone when they're asking for help? If you can find the post where amicable gave me advice on what to do in my situation then I can say I'm wrong for reacting negatively toward their posts.

 

[bohomojo]

Quoted to save for the records. THIS is why you can't find a job.

So can you dissect and break down every part of my comment like you did last time so I can see why I can't find a job.
I can't find the pharmacy technician job to fit my lifestyle and I'm asking for help. You never gave me tips. You just said it's hard, then attacked my character after I said you were being a pessimist. I only said you were being a pessimist because you just said it was very difficult. All you said was it is very difficult when I asked for advice on HOW to get a job. That is now HOW you get a job and me responding on a forum has nothing to do with me getting a job.

 

[bohomojo]

Manne02 and jibby were the only two to give me advice. The title doesn't ask "How to argue on a thread". It clearly states "How can I get pharmacy experience?". If you can't do that, then why comment?
For anyone to actually agree with a person saying "there is something wrong with you" is a definite problem. I came for advice on the situation stated in the original post.

 

[NejixRockS]

People are agreeing with Amicable because of the way you are reacting. If someone posts crap on your thread, you just ignore it. You have been quoting your original post a lot, and in it you said that you have been a lurker for many years. If you have been a lurker, you should be used to reading threads with harsher comments than this (wayyyyyy harsher). Take things easier, no need to get mad in an online thread! And to answer your question, try to volunteer in a hospital's pharmacy near your area. Call them/ go to the actual hospital and ask if they need help with anything. I'm currently volunteering in a hospital, and believe me... people are acting REALLY nice in here, and don't even get me started in retail. "Clients" will offend you and call you names, but you cannot fight back, you gotta stay calm/quiet! Think of this as training (very easy training)

 

[bohomojo]

People are agreeing with Amicable because of the way you are reacting. If someone posts crap on your thread, you just ignore it. You have been quoting your original post a lot, and in it you said that you have been a lurker for many years. If you have been a lurker, you should be used to reading threads with harsher comments than this (wayyyyyy harsher). Take things easier, no need to get mad in an online thread! And to answer your question, try to volunteer in a hospital's pharmacy near your area. Call them/ go to the actual hospital and ask if they need help with anything. I'm currently volunteering in a hospital, and believe me... people are acting REALLY nice in here, and don't even get me started in retail. "Clients" will offend you and call you names, but you cannot fight back, you gotta stay calm/quiet! Think of this as training (very easy training)

Thanks.
How has volunteering helped you so far?
Did you get your certification?
If not, do you want to get it?

 

[NejixRockS]

Thanks.
How has volunteering helped you so far?
Did you get your certification?
If not, do you want to get it?

It has helped me because I had no experience with pharmacy. I had the same general idea about a pharmacist as anyone else, but that was it. I have learned a lot in the hospital, and I have learned to like pharmacy I did not get certified because I did not feel like doing the process of becoming a tech down here in FL, its takes quite a bit of time to do now.

 

[bohomojo]

It has helped me because I had no experience with pharmacy. I had the same general idea about a pharmacist as anyone else, but that was it. I have learned a lot in the hospital, and I have learned to like pharmacy I did not get certified because I did not feel like doing the process of becoming a tech down here in FL, its takes quite a bit of time to do now.

Did the experience change your school choices and future career choices in terms of retail vs clinical and etc?

 

[NejixRockS]

Did the experience change your school choices and future career choices in terms of retail vs clinical and etc?

I mainly want to go to NOVA. The school had a bad reputation a few years ago, but it has gotten way better nowadays. Lot of people in Florida want to go to UF, but I have seen a few students from UF giving a presentation here in the hospital, and well...I'm not impressed. I better shut up now, lots of alligators around here . I want to work in a hospital when I graduate, but if I have to work in retail, I will suck it up and do it. It has always been easy for me to put up a fake smiling face

 

[Amicable Angora]

People are agreeing with Amicable because of the way you are reacting. If someone posts crap on your thread, you just ignore it. You have been quoting your original post a lot, and in it you said that you have been a lurker for many years. If you have been a lurker, you should be used to reading threads with harsher comments than this (wayyyyyy harsher). Take things easier, no need to get mad in an online thread! And to answer your question, try to volunteer in a hospital's pharmacy near your area. Call them/ go to the actual hospital and ask if they need help with anything. I'm currently volunteering in a hospital, and believe me... people are acting REALLY nice in here, and don't even get me started in retail. "Clients" will offend you and call you names, but you cannot fight back, you gotta stay calm/quiet! Think of this as training (very easy training)

In addition, let's suppose for the argument's sake that I really did not give advice (even when I gave my opinion of your situation, even though you didn't like it) but as the OP said, Jibby did. What got to me was when the two of us (Jibby and I) made all these replies to be responded with by:

"
So do you have any advice?

Not to sound rude, but you both sound very pessimistic and vague in this post."

Hence, what do you want us to say? We're not here to just agree with you (the OP). We've said what we've said. Regardless of the situation, if this is how you treat strangers who you are begging for help from on the Internet, and judging from the OP's behavior in thread, I can only conclude that the OP has an attitude problem.

 

[bohomojo]

I mainly want to go to NOVA. The school had a bad reputation a few years ago, but it has gotten way better nowadays. Lot of people in Florida want to go to UF, but I have seen a few students from UF giving a presentation here in the hospital, and well...I'm not impressed. I better shut up now, lots of alligators around here . I want to work in a hospital when I graduate, but if I have to work in retail, I will suck it up and do it. It has always been easy for me to put up a fake smiling face

Cool beans. NOVA is on my list as well, but not on my parents' list. I like the excitement of the hospital, but I also like the security of the retail business.
Thanks for the help!

 

[bohomojo]

Thanks NejixRockS, manne02, and Jibby321... I got a volunteer position at a local hospital by the school I am attending. I called them and then actually stopped by on my way to my vacation destination on the Friday. I got a call this morning! I don't start until the end of next month because I won't be able to travel back and forth, but I'm so excited. I'm studying to take my PTCB exam soon.

 

[JustAnotherRph]

Are you sure your volunteer position is in pharmacy? I used to volunteer at a hospital and I was just put in surgical waiting room vs. what I really wanted to be doing. However, that was years ago, so things may have changed.
I have worked with volunteers in a few hospitals I worked at in the hospital. Pretty much you are a drug runner. Our volunteers were not allowed to be in the IV clean room or be around order entry due to HIPPA. Either position you are in, be the best or most gracious you can be. If you do something wrong, they will be quick to yell at you, so you need to stop taking things so seriously.
However, I agree with what Amicable Angora stated. It will be HARD to find any pharmacy jobs with your limitations. Medical terminology at 16 means nothing to admission counselors or advisors. Having pharmacists in the family does not give you an edge either. I still don't see why your family members can't help you in get employment in a pharmacy, even as a pharmacy cashier. That just doesn't sound right to me if you have no idea how to get experience if you have valuable resources in your own backyard to go too.
As far as your promotions in your current job, it really doesn't say much. What says alot is building the relationship with the management, supervisors, and pharmacists to get a position in which you want to be in. Like everyone else, I started in retail, but I started as a cashier, then "promoted" to one-hour photo (when they really had those things), then really worked hard to get into pharmacy. I even studied for my PTCB before actually getting the official position. I would run back there an help or come in on days off to be their cashier when they were busy just to get a position there.
I'm also still concerned that this is what you wanted to do. I'm still concerned on your reference to medical terminology. Quite honestly, pharmacy has their own terminology that isn't even close to what you learned. Retail pharmacists know different terminology than those that work in hospitals vs. those that work in managed care. Why do you want to be a pharmacist? Do you know what the job is like or what career you want to eventually be in? If it is this hard for you to find experience, just imagine what it will be like to find an actual pharmacy intern position or pharmacist position. A lot of it is perseverence and self-learning. I didn't have Craigslist or online job boards at my fingertips when I was young, but I still managed to find my own resources to get the position. I also had to work their hours. If you don't put you are open to nights/weekends/holidays/traveling...the HR person will immediately hit delete on your application because there are 10 more behind you willing to do that.

 

[bohomojo]

My family is really big on being independent and finding your own way. We all fend for ourselves and are very competitive when it comes to advancing in life. Not only that, but they all live out of the state/northeast. Since they didn't Also, they all want me to finish my bachelors before I go off to pharmacy school (which I may end up doing). I didn't state any of those accolades for bragging rights except for when i was childishly arguing with Amicable because I was irritated with their response. Having the opportunity to even take med term was made possible by the program I was in. I took it at the time because I thought it would benefit me later on, which it has. I always put open availability. The only reason why I'm necessarily available during the school breaks are because I live too far away from campus. My promotions are a direct result of taking action, being determined, and showing willingness to take on great obstacles. That is a small summary of what it says on my review sheets.
My main problem is that there are no openings in my local area for these positions. I live in a low volume area, but I attend school in a very populated/urban area. Most of the pharm techs in my area are in their mid 20s and have no desire to go to pharmacy school. So I was having trouble deciding what to do in terms of where to work and how to approach working near my school.

As for my position, no it is not in pharmacy but I was told it can change since there is a gap between the time I inquired and the time I am able to start. I'm not worried about finding a pharmacy intern or pharmacist position as I'm not even qualified for those positions yet. I take on things I know I'm capable of doing, even if it seems nearly impossible.

 

[Jibby321]

I mainly want to go to NOVA. The school had a bad reputation a few years ago, but it has gotten way better nowadays. Lot of people in Florida want to go to UF, but I have seen a few students from UF giving a presentation here in the hospital, and well...I'm not impressed. I better shut up now, lots of alligators around here . I want to work in a hospital when I graduate, but if I have to work in retail, I will suck it up and do it. It has always been easy for me to put up a fake smiling face

BOOOOOOO.

 

[NejixRockS]

see?^ hahahaha

 

[Jibby321]

see?^ hahahaha

I'm busting your balls. We're not all perfect...... But most of us are.