How important is my pharm-tech job?

[bahmed816]

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So I have been working in a retail pharmacy for almost 8 months now. I've learned a lot, all the fellow techs are cool and my pharmacists are really great and helpful. However, I go to school in the city and have to commute back and forth twice a week (25 miles each way) and feel that its kind of paying a toll on me.

I really cant say whether or not it has been effecting my performance academically, I'd like to think its not, but I dont know. I do know that I feel burnt out sometimes and that if im not studying or in class, im working and dont really have the time I'd like to have to just relax and take a breather.

My employer has a minimum hour requirement, so I cant really lower my hours. Also, its pretty hard finding a job as a tech around here so I dont know if I'd be able to find one around my University.
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I always felt that being a tech for a year or 2 would look fantastic on your application (right?) and that regardless, I should just tough it out.

Should I just stick it out, or is 8 months enough experience? How good does being a tech for 2 years (by the time im applying) look on an application?

 

[y0ssarian87]

So I have been working in a retail pharmacy for almost 8 months now. I've learned a lot, all the fellow techs are cool and my pharmacists are really great and helpful. However, I go to school in the city and have to commute back and forth twice a week (25 miles each way) and feel that its kind of paying a toll on me.

I really cant say whether or not it has been effecting my performance academically, I'd like to think its not, but I dont know. I do know that I feel burnt out sometimes and that if im not studying or in class, im working and dont really have the time I'd like to have to just relax and take a breather.

My employer has a minimum hour requirement, so I cant really lower my hours. Also, its pretty hard finding a job as a tech around here so I dont know if I'd be able to find one around my University.
--

I always felt that being a tech for a year or 2 would look fantastic on your application (right?) and that regardless, I should just tough it out.

Should I just stick it out, or is 8 months enough experience? How good does being a tech for 2 years (by the time im applying) look on an application?

Here's how I'd look at it:
If I were on an AdCom, I'd expect you to have a letter of recommendation from a pharmacist as an individual who worked in a pharmacy and is applying to pharmacy school. In fact, if you didn't have a recommendation from a pharmacist after working in a pharmacy, that would be, to me, a red flag. (Some schools explicitly state this.)

Do you have another pharmacist who could vouch for your desire to pursue pharmacy?
Would your current pharmacist be willing to write a LOR even if you left after 8 months?
Could you work or volunteer in another pharmacy that is more convenient and subsequently get a LOR from the new pharmacist?

If your answer is "no" to each of the above, I'd say that you're putting yourself in a tough position from an admissions perspective. I think 8 months in a pharmacy will help you. Any time in a pharmacy is a plus, but I would be curious and a little wary if you didn't have a pharmacist LOR.

Any other thoughts?

 

[mqt5070]

Here's how I'd look at it:
If I were on an AdCom, I'd expect you to have a letter of recommendation from a pharmacist as an individual who worked in a pharmacy and is applying to pharmacy school. In fact, if you didn't have a recommendation from a pharmacist after working in a pharmacy, that would be, to me, a red flag. (Some schools explicitly state this.)

Do you have another pharmacist who could vouch for your desire to pursue pharmacy?
Would your current pharmacist be willing to write a LOR even if you left after 8 months?
Could you work or volunteer in another pharmacy that is more convenient and subsequently get a LOR from the new pharmacist?

If your answer is "no" to each of the above, I'd say that you're putting yourself in a tough position from an admissions perspective. I think 8 months in a pharmacy will help you. Any time in a pharmacy is a plus, but I would be curious and a little wary if you didn't have a pharmacist LOR.

Any other thoughts?

Glad you weren't on the AdCom at my school, I would have never gotten accepted 😀. The truth is most applicants do not have any pharmacy experience believe it or not, let alone a LOR from a pharmacist. My interviewer told me over half of the accepted students do not have any pharmacy experience, which may seem surprising but not really. It is rather difficult to find experience in my opinion. Not many are willing to hire people with no experience and volunteering in a pharmacy is a hit or miss. I applied to every tech position available in my area, as well as calling nearby hospitals. Got a call back from the hospital 8 months later after I took my PCAT in the summer. Barely got 30 hours in before sending in my application. I wasn't comfortable asking for a LOR after 30 hours even though the pharmacist was really helpful. (Wife, daughter, and himself graduated from the same pharmacy school I was applying to ) Like you said, any pharmacy experience is a plus and already puts you ahead of other applicants.

To the OP, if you don't need the income and/or LOR, and know that you're professors are capable of writing you excellent LORs, I would quit. Not to say I'm a quitter but it seems to be a burden the way you are describing it. I think 8 months is enough. Like I said, you are already ahead of many applicants with the experience already. If you score an interview and the interviewer ask you about it, just tell her the truth why you quit. Any decent human being would understand I hope. Why suffer now when you get to suffer for another 3-4 years after you get accepted.

 

[bahmed816]

I actually do have a couple of other pharmacist resources that I plan on asking for an LOR. One that I am planning on using either way. I guess my main question is, if I do stick it out and gain around 2 years of pharm tech experience, how valuable is that? My grades are not as competitive as some others (3.1) so I am kind of reluctant in leaving if being a pharm tech for 2 years looks really really good.

Thanks for the input

 

[mqt5070]

I actually do have a couple of other pharmacist resources that I plan on asking for an LOR. One that I am planning on using either way. I guess my main question is, if I do stick it out and gain around 2 years of pharm tech experience, how valuable is that? My grades are not as competitive as some others (3.1) so I am kind of reluctant in leaving if being a pharm tech for 2 years looks really really good.

Thanks for the input

Sure it looks good but you make it sound like its the only thing you have going for you. Although having 2 years under your belt does show you have some commitment, Do you have other ECs? If quitting would allow you to get involved in other stuff like research or clubs, it might be worth considering.

To answer your question, 8 months is good enough. Having more would benefit obviously, but its not going to be the golden ticket into pharmacy school. One year is not going to look much better than 8 months, and two years won't look much better than one year. The fact that you got experience is the important part, the amount is really just arbitrary.

Everything revolves around the whole package: GPA, PCAT, ECs, LORs, experience, interview, and personal statement. Check experience off your list and work on improving other aspects of your application. Like I said before, more than half of the accepted students (according to my interviewer at my school) do not have experience. I can bet even a much smaller amount has 8 months or more of experience. People with 2 or more years, I probably can count using my hands.

 

[The Recoverer]

important enough to get this 2.45 GPA applicant 3 acceptances

 

[ShockingPurple]

I'm currently a P1 student at UMES School of Pharmacy in Princess Anne, MD and I've been a Certified Pharmacy Technician since 2009-and working in pharmacy retail since 2003. When I applied, I thought that would definitely stick out, but after seeing some of the students this program takes, it doesn't seem to mean much. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad program but you would think experience would count in the interview/applicant process but it doesn't hold that much merit. It will end up helping you in the long run though. For some of our top 200 drug quizzes, I would only have to study the morning of whereas some of my classmates were studying all week and still were confused. Definitely don't downplay the fact that you have pharmacy experience-let them know! But definitely try to get stellar letters of recommendations from pharmacists and professors that can bump you up even more.

 

[Amicable Angora]

important enough to get this 2.45 GPA applicant 3 acceptances

Would you mind sharing your story/stats and which/how many schools you applied to, to give perspective to other candidates?

 

[Twentytwelve2]

I'm currently a P1 student at UMES School of Pharmacy in Princess Anne, MD and I've been a Certified Pharmacy Technician since 2009-and working in pharmacy retail since 2003. When I applied, I thought that would definitely stick out, but after seeing some of the students this program takes, it doesn't seem to mean much. Don't get me wrong, it's not a bad program but you would think experience would count in the interview/applicant process but it doesn't hold that much merit. It will end up helping you in the long run though. For some of our top 200 drug quizzes, I would only have to study the morning of whereas some of my classmates were studying all week and still were confused. Definitely don't downplay the fact that you have pharmacy experience-let them know! But definitely try to get stellar letters of recommendations from pharmacists and professors that can bump you up even more.

My law professor says that having a pharm. tech background is helpful in the beginning but in the second (and final didactic year for us), everything you know as a tech will prove to not be helpful and u will find that some of the things u know are actually wrong. Even the p4 agreed.

Maybe that's why its not accounted for so much.

 

[The Recoverer]

Would you mind sharing your story/stats and which/how many schools you applied to, to give perspective to other candidates?

I will post my full journey after the application cycle and I get accepted to my top choices. Sorry, I don't mean to be selfish, I just don;t want to expose anything yet before everything is set in stone. I will also post my Pharmcas PS. Basically long story short. I messed up undergrad bad with 130+ credits under my belt. i didnt give up, fought very hard for a tech job, ended up working as a tech in 4 different pharm settings, got solid LORs, did my research on what each school was looking for, and got in. Ill post the full story later on.

but bottom line, it's easier said than done, but Don't give up hope! Most important thing I want to stress: GPA is only part of the package, do not be discouraged over a bad grade. your PS I think is actually more important than your PCAT scores. your PS is your chance to really show your passion!

 

[Amicable Angora]

I will post my full journey after the application cycle and I get accepted to my top choices. Sorry, I don't mean to be selfish, I just don;t want to expose anything yet before everything is set in stone. I will also post my Pharmcas PS. Basically long story short. I messed up undergrad bad with 130+ credits under my belt. i didnt give up, fought very hard for a tech job, ended up working as a tech in 4 different pharm settings, got solid LORs, did my research on what each school was looking for, and got in. Ill post the full story later on.

but bottom line, it's easier said than done, but Don't give up hope! Most important thing I want to stress: GPA is only part of the package, do not be discouraged over a bad grade. your PS I think is actually more important than your PCAT scores. your PS is your chance to really show your passion!

I asked because I've seen in several threads now you'll post something like:

important enough to get this 2.45 GPA applicant 3 acceptances

This, without any kind of accompaning explanation, can be misleading when read on its own; what I mean is if you consider your statement below by itself it gives the impression that GPA didn't matter at all and it was a cakewalk to get into schools (not just 1, but 3 out of 4 interviews!) whereas you make clear now that, actually, it was a struggle and was difficult.

Regardless, sounds interesting. I'll look forward to reading your story in full.

 

[dancingallday]

My law professor says that having a pharm. tech background is helpful in the beginning but in the second (and final didactic year for us), everything you know as a tech will prove to not be helpful and u will find that some of the things u know are actually wrong. Even the p4 agreed.

Maybe that's why its not accounted for so much.

Interesting. I've never heard an actual pharmacist say anything like that. On the contrary, the consensus among the pharmacists I've talked to is that technician experience, especially hospital experience, makes the whole learning process make more sense.