How many of you are PTCB certified?

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letsEAToranges

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Just curious.... are most Pre-pharm students PTCB certified?
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I wasn't during pre-pharm
 
from my experience, most pharmacy hopefuls are NOT CphTs, although that trend might be changing in the near future.

I am a CphT, though, and will stand up and be counted for my $129 donation to Pearson's coffers.
 
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I was, but when I first started working as a tech I wasn't. CVS paid for my certification.
 
Not during pre-pharm. I'm studying for it and taking it two weeks before I start pharm school though (although I really don't see the point)
 
Kaiter said:
Not during pre-pharm. I'm studying for it and taking it two weeks before I start pharm school though (although I really don't see the point)
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There isn't one, because when you take NAPLEX and pass, you'll be able to send your pharmacy license to the Board in CA and you'll be given the CphT cert. free of charge + without test.

With some of the $129 you just saved, you can take me to Macaroni Grill on Pacific.
 
Passion4Sci said:
There isn't one, because when you take NAPLEX and pass, you'll be able to send your pharmacy license to the Board in CA and you'll be given the CphT cert. free of charge + without test.

With some of the $129 you just saved, you can take me to Macaroni Grill on Pacific.
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Yeah, I should force the gf to read this. -_-"
haha do you really eat there? I have yet to eat there purely because the price drives me away
 
Kaiter said:
Yeah, I should force the gf to read this. -_-"
haha do you really eat there? I have yet to eat there purely because the price drives me away
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The price is better than BJ's and on par with Olive Garden, but way better quality than both, plus their bartender actually knows how to mix drinks (Every time I've been there, compared to the lackluster **** from BJ's). Wife and I don't go out to restaurants much, but when we do, we like nice ones.

Cheesecake Factory on Arden is also reallllllly nice. =]

edited: Apparently you don't even need to pass NAPLEX to get your CphT... just need to show that you graduated from an ACPE-accredited Pharmacy school. So, hey, even if you fail NAPLEX you can always be a Pharm Tech! bad ass!
 
Passion4Sci said:
The price is better than BJ's and on par with Olive Garden, but way better quality than both, plus their bartender actually knows how to mix drinks (Every time I've been there, compared to the lackluster **** from BJ's). Wife and I don't go out to restaurants much, but when we do, we like nice ones.

Cheesecake Factory on Arden is also reallllllly nice. =]

edited: Apparently you don't even need to pass NAPLEX to get your CphT... just need to show that you graduated from an ACPE-accredited Pharmacy school. So, hey, even if you fail NAPLEX you can always be a Pharm Tech! bad ass!
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Bah BJ is pricey too, but we've eaten there and it isn't all that great to be honest. We do like to drink though so maybe we should go...haha.

If I fail the naplex I wouldn't be quite worried about becoming a pharm tech. I'd be more worried as to why I failed and what I'm going to do with all the debt I have that I have to pay off.
 
Kaiter said:
Bah BJ is pricey too, but we've eaten there and it isn't all that great to be honest. We do like to drink though so maybe we should go...haha.

If I fail the naplex I wouldn't be quite worried about becoming a pharm tech. I'd be more worried as to why I failed and what I'm going to do with all the debt I have that I have to pay off.
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Good thing NAPLEX is easy as hell.
 
I am now but I was not last application cycle.

I am also not a tech though - unfortunately certification does not come with a job too :laugh:
 
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within a few weeks of getting a job, i was pretty much FORCED to be certified...plus the higher pay was a good incentive :p
 
I am, and my certification is what got me on the pre-pharm path. I was gung-ho pre-med and just going to school to knock the remaining pre-reqs when I took the test. I just wanted a part time job and heard the test was easy. After working in the pharmacy for a few months, it made me realize that the PharmD path was much more alluring than the MD (or DO!) path.

I had no medical/ pharm experience before taking the test. I studied out of a book for two weeks and passed. Working in nuclear power probably helped with the math. :p
 
Passion4Sci said:
edited: Apparently you don't even need to pass NAPLEX to get your CphT... just need to show that you graduated from an ACPE-accredited Pharmacy school. So, hey, even if you fail NAPLEX you can always be a Pharm Tech! bad ass!
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So instead of $129 you can just pay $100K? Good deal!

To the OP, I'm not. No point now, since I'll have my intern license in a few weeks.
 
Passion4Sci said:
Well, for the 100k you can also put "Dr" in front of your name, always good for status at Christmas parties.
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Oh, I forgot that part! You can even insist that your friends and family CALL you "doctor." That's going to be the best part. I think I'll go by Dr. D, and respond to nothing else.
 
Thanks for y'alls responses =) I guess I should get PTCB certified. :)
 
Passion4Sci said:
Well, for the 100k you can also put "Dr" in front of your name, always good for status at Christmas parties.
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no my family is already referring to me as the pill guy at events
 
The cost for the exam may be reimbursed depending on where you work. I wasn't certified when I first started as a pharm tech in a hospital but I did get certified and the hospital reimbursed me for the exam.
 
passed the PTCE, but never used it as the day after I passed, I was accepted off a waitlist!
 
I am...Not that it is helping me find a job in a pharmacy during this God awful recession...
 
fhx06 said:
The cost for the exam may be reimbursed depending on where you work. I wasn't certified when I first started as a pharm tech in a hospital but I did get certified and the hospital reimbursed me for the exam.
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I was looking for a career change a few years ago and asked if I could do a two-week internship at a hospital (I took an online pharm-tech course that didn't require it but I has having trouble trying to figure some stuff out without any hands-on experience... btw, the course was a waste of money). I guess they admired my motivation and the first day on the job (hadn't even started yet), they offered me a full time paid position. They also reimbursed me for the exam. I crammed two days before the exam and landed a near perfect score. As someone else mentioned, I can't believe I even stressed about it either. It was pretty easy. I loved the job so much, that's why I decided to go back to school to add "Dr." to my name, lol. :laugh:
 
I passed it tonight after cramming all morning. I didn't really know too many of the drug questions but the rest were cake. Hopefully I can land a job before fall semester starts.
 
Lily12481 said:
I was looking for a career change a few years ago and asked if I could do a two-week internship at a hospital (I took an online pharm-tech course that didn't require it but I has having trouble trying to figure some stuff out without any hands-on experience... btw, the course was a waste of money). I guess they admired my motivation and the first day on the job (hadn't even started yet), they offered me a full time paid position. They also reimbursed me for the exam. I crammed two days before the exam and landed a near perfect score. As someone else mentioned, I can't believe I even stressed about it either. It was pretty easy. I loved the job so much, that's why I decided to go back to school to add "Dr." to my name, lol. :laugh:
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Hey Lily. I just started an online pharm tech class with a local cc and i paid like 2k for it. It offered an externship to walgreens so that sounded cool. Do you think it was too much? I feel that I should've just went straight to taking the ptce and would spare me the hours for the online course. Should I just go straight to taking the exam and try to find pharmtech position and pay off the class? I've been finding it hard to get on top of things with the online course. what do you think?
 
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ktran411 said:
Hey Lily. I just started an online pharm tech class with a local cc and i paid like 2k for it. It offered an externship to walgreens so that sounded cool. Do you think it was too much? I feel that I should've just went straight to taking the ptce and would spare me the hours for the online course. Should I just go straight to taking the exam and try to find pharmtech position and pay off the class? I've been finding it hard to get on top of things with the online course. what do you think?
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Well, the externship w/ Walgreen's could be pretty invaluable... Since a lot of employers want cert+exp, that'll get you some experience.

Will you save any money by leaving the course early? If not, then I'd just stick it out and get that externship.
 
desmoulins45179 said:
I am now but I was not last application cycle.

I am also not a tech though - unfortunately certification does not come with a job too :laugh:
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Hah I'm a certified tech, but unable to find a job either! For the time being, I'm just volunteering until something comes along.
 
man... it must suck having the cert and not being able to find a pharm tech job with it! lucky for me, i already work at walgreens so hopefully the pharmacy mgr can hook me up with a pharm tech job once i have my cert :thumbup:
 
Passion4Sci said:
But hey, it's "almost ready to swing back up"!
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Lol ever the optimist. I have a job in retail (selling juniors clothing) and I"m glad to have it, I'd rather be working as a tech. As soon as I get a job offer I will be at CVS, Sav-On, or Walgreens.
 
I was PTCB certified before I received my first job at CVS Pharmacy. I know that CVS, Walgreens, and probably several other regional pharmacies will pay for a technician trainee (uncertified technician) to take the PTCB, but in general you have to be employed as a technician trainee for at least 6 months before that is offered to you. Given the state of the economy and the likely dearth of open positions, I think it would be better for you to simply take the PTCB to make yourself a more appealing applicant to any job position.

I know that some take pharmacy technician classes, but I don't think that's really necessary for most people. A study book should suffice for the PTCB, and whichever route you end up taking, you'll end up learning most of your things on the job.

--Garfield3d
 
I was for pre-pharm (more $, Tech II instead of I) and from what I understand Illinois is now requiring all techs hired after jan 1 08 to obtain the CPht designation within the next year.
 
I was not. I worked in a lab most of my undergrad then I was a bench chemist for a soap company. Luckily my uncle owns an independent pharmacy near where I go to school, so he was rather lenient when it came to me not having much experience.
 
I am, going on 2 years in November. I'll be a senior this fall
 
does being tech certified means that you've passed the exam or you've actually filed with the state board? i just recently passed but didn't include it on my application because i had no certification number. what id and number did you guys put under the professional license section?
 
ZeroC0mbine said:
does being tech certified means that you've passed the exam or you've actually filed with the state board? i just recently passed but didn't include it on my application because i had no certification number. what id and number did you guys put under the professional license section?
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There's certification, which is just passing the exam, and there's licensing which is registering with your state's board of pharmacy. When you passed, they should have mailed you an envelope with a certificate. On the back of the certificate is a small cut-out card that has a certification number on it. That's what I listed on my PharmCAS app since my state's board is taking its own sweet time with filling license requests.
 
I am not, and was lucky enough to score a hospital tech job without it. But I would recommend it for someone looking to have an advantage.
 
i registered with the texas state board of pharmacy as a pharmacy tech trainee. i can fill and do everything a PTCB-certified tech can do, but the only thing i can't do is actually sticking the label on the bottle. :cool:
 
yep, it's the only reason why I got my hospital inpatient position.
 
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