how to become hospital pharmacist?

[Pharmaco1234]

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How does one get into hospital pharmacy without hospital experience? it is pretty impossible and I dunno where to start when you alrdy graduated. I should have gotten a position as an intern but unfortunately I was in retail. Would hospitals hire per diem pharmacist that don't have hospital exp?

 

[WhiteSnows]

2 to 3 years of residency.

 

[confettiflyer]

2 to 3 years of residency.

Lol

 

[PharmDstudent]

***tighten your ass as much as possible***

 

[owlegrad]

***tighten your ass as much as possible***

This made me bark out a laugh.

 

[BidingMyTime]

This could vary from hospital to hospital, but given the amount of training involved, hospitals are more likely to hire someone with hospital experience PRN (because why do they want to invest a lot of training time & money in someone who is working PRN?), I think you have a better chance getting hired full-time with no experience at a hospital, then PRN with no experience at a hospital.

 

[Sparda29]

This could vary from hospital to hospital, but given the amount of training involved, hospitals are more likely to hire someone with hospital experience PRN (because why do they want to invest a lot of training time & money in someone who is working PRN?), I think you have a better chance getting hired full-time with no experience at a hospital, then PRN with no experience at a hospital.

Yeah, we've never had any inexperienced PRN hospital pharmacists anywhere I've worked. I didn't get my first PRN hospital job until I was already in at my full-time hospital job for 9 months.

 

[cnicolef08]

I got my hospital job in 2012 without any hospital experience at all. I actually was one of the lucky few that had my job in the bag before graduation. However, I was hired for an overnight 7 on/7 off position at a relatively small (250 bed) hospital in a small rural town in southwest GA. But it was the perfect opportunity for me because I ended up being about 45 min away for my hometown where all my family and friends are. This was literally the only hospital position I even got an interview for despite the MANY MANY positions I applied for. So I'd say you probably will at least need some type of intern experience unless you are willing to go to the country where we may be a little bit more desperate lol.

 

[confettiflyer]

Yeah...overnight 7-on-7-off positions were relatively plentiful for high-functioning/no-residency/new-grads in 2012, even in California. That might still be the case today, but in more rural areas.

 

[Sparda29]

Yeah...overnight 7-on-7-off positions were relatively plentiful for high-functioning/no-residency/new-grads in 2012, even in California. That might still be the case today, but in more rural areas.

I keep seeing these posts online for this 7 on/7 off position in Fresno but it's showing up under NY search results.

I don't have a problem working overnights, I just don't like having to do my training during the day shift and then having to shift my schedule back to overnight.

 

[confettiflyer]

I keep seeing these posts online for this 7 on/7 off position in Fresno but it's showing up under NY search results.

I don't have a problem working overnights, I just don't like having to do my training during the day shift and then having to shift my schedule back to overnight.

Training will almost always be day shift, because that only makes sense. It's not that hard flipping back to overnight especially if it's a one-time flip from days while training to night shift.

 

[Sparda29]

Training will almost always be day shift, because that only makes sense. It's not that hard flipping back to overnight especially if it's a one-time flip from days while training to night shift.

It's hard when your entire lifestyle revolves around staying out late. The last time I went to go for an overnight position, I was told after being offered the job that they'd be flexible with the training hours with me. I took flexible as meaning I could come in to start training at 10am-12pm. They took it as meaning 730am-9am as opposed to 7am. (Usual training schedule is 7am-3pm.) Even with that, other pharmacists started bitching to management that I was getting special treatment so I was forced to do 7am. The ****? I took the job because I was told I'd be allowed special arrangements regarding scheduling.

 

[Pharmaco1234]

So basically i wouldn't be able to start out per diem or part time at a hospital and try to work my way to a full time position? Its really hard even all the full times now require you to have min one year experience. I really wish I interned at a hospital now. But theres no way to go back and redo that. So in that sense how can I even try to get into hospital, am I stuck in retail forever...

 

[Sparda29]

So basically i wouldn't be able to start out per diem or part time at a hospital and try to work my way to a full time position? Its really hard even all the full times now require you to have min one year experience. I really wish I interned at a hospital now. But theres no way to go back and redo that. So in that sense how can I even try to get into hospital, am I stuck in retail forever...

When you see a position, call up the hospital, ask for the pharmacy department, ask to speak to the director/hiring manager and explain the situation that you're willing to learn, work as much as possible, etc.

 

[Pharmaco1234]

Thing is, most hospital positions have to go through human resources. A lot of time your resume doesn't even get a second look if you don't have prior hospital experience.

 

[Got Em]

If you are willing to go to the boonies for say a weekend every now and then, some pharmacy director may hire you. I actually got hired on this way while working at Walgreens. I promised to work a weekend every month, but liked it so much that I ended up working 2-3 weekends there for 2 years. No residency or prior hospital experience. Law of supply and demand.

 

[kendrick lamar]

When you see a position, call up the hospital, ask for the pharmacy department, ask to speak to the director/hiring manager and explain the situation that you're willing to learn, work as much as possible, etc.

Well I've been waning to do this, saw a position at the hospital I did my IPPE at a few days ago except that was two and a half years ago and I had an 80 hour rotation. At the time, I emailed that pharmacist manager asking him if he could refer me or get me in touch with the pharmacy manager at the affiliate hospital (where I ultimately ended up doing my APPE at) since there was a pharm intern position available and he told me it would be best not to cold call managers or email them directly...gave me generic job advice afterward. I haven't spoken to him since but I did apply to that hospital since there's a pharmacist job opening and am wondering if it would b appropriate in that case to email him and let him know my willingness to work and learn. I also know the clinical manager/pharmacists at the affiliate hospital that I also want to email (which is a larger 800-bed. Level 1 trauma center/teaching hospital opposed to the other which is 200 bed-so my only concern is that I won't be qualified for the larger hospital)

 

[Sparda29]

Thing is, most hospital positions have to go through human resources. A lot of time your resume doesn't even get a second look if you don't have prior hospital experience.

Yeah, which is why you call the director first. The director can tell HR to select you for interview regardless of your qualifications.

 

[farmadiazepine]

When you see a position, call up the hospital, ask for the pharmacy department, ask to speak to the director/hiring manager and explain the situation that you're willing to learn, work as much as possible, etc.

I been a pharmacist in the NYC area for 4 years nows, but always worked retail chain, retail independent, just always retail. The 3 hospitals that ever interviewed me only did so because I contacted the pharmacy departments directly. Never once did I get a response back from filling out an application online. This is very good advice above.

 

[zelman]

I've considered getting an intern license across the closest state border.

 

[confettiflyer]

Yeah, which is why you call the director first. The director can tell HR to select you for interview regardless of your qualifications.

Just don't be annoying. I get a few awkward cold calls a week asking for the director (mostly interns, though). That might work for a rural/small hospital that's hard to staff, maybe.

 

[PharmaSex]

It's actually pretty tough. I managed to get a dream job working overnight with only 4 months experience in hospital. However, I am known to interview pretty well and have a pretty good resume. NOT easy at all. Best way in is to do a lot of hospital rotations, do well, and keep in contact with the directors and managers there.

 

[Sparda29]

Just don't be annoying. I get a few awkward cold calls a week asking for the director (mostly interns, though). That might work for a rural/small hospital that's hard to staff, maybe.

Yeah, I usually call first from a different number to find out the name of the director and then make a second call a couple days later asking for the DOP by name, then the person who picks up the phone just transfers the call to them instead of asking me who I am.