I am a pharmacy student in GA. I graduate this May. Due to many uncontrollable circumstances and an extremely saturated job market (2 pharmacy schools 20 minutes apart from each other), I was not able to complete any intern hours during school. If you want the story, I can give it to you but that's unimportant for now. Now I am starting to apply for jobs in South Carolina (where we can live with my in-laws and save money) and I would appreciate any pointers on how to go about applying for a graduate intern position. Thank you for your advice.
Intern Hours After Graduation
- Thread starter Aneddie
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Misunderstood OP. Regardless, I feel your school failed you. How do they not manage to fit you into doing IPPE hours during 4 years...
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Wow that is a huge problem! I had gotten word that SC does not grant intern licenses to students who have already graduated, so I scrambled to get mine (this is not a problem unique to SC either). Got it successfully and they actually accepted copies of my notarized out-of-state outside-of-school intern hours toward their requirement too, but the job I was going for fell through and I've basically abandoned seeking licensure in SC. I'm licensed in 4 states and ran out of patience for now (SC was #5 my the list of the 9 states that received my NAPLEX score).
Anyway, the current Intern Certificate Application requires that you certify that you belong to one of the following four categories...
My question is how can your school grant you a Pharm.D. aka graduate you if you've completed zero intern hours? Each 6 week APPE is 6 credits right? Are you going to be held back because they couldn't place you in APPEs? I hope they put you on a per credit hour basis so you only paid for what you were able to attempt.
The good news is that SC will let you take the NAPLEX and MPJE before completing all their hours (1000 max in school, 500 min out-of-school). The bad news is that 500 hours must be outside-of-school retail or institutional, aka paid intern hours. North Carolina has the same 1500 total hours requirement, but does not have an outside-of-school minimum, and does not issue intern permits. Florida licenses interns while they are in school.
The best site for comparing states hours requirements is put together by Siskind Susser here.
Aren't you going to have to create a school-practice site partnership aka preceptorship agreement (with liability coverage over your actions) for each site? Doesn't it take months to get those through health system risk management departments? I hope your school has enough existing sites in SC already.
Good Luck!
Edit: Ed, Edd n Eddy's post is ambiguous, but you are probably right @TheBlaah. Hopefully he is just referring to the 500 out-of-school hours. Either way he has to hurry up and get that intern certificate and hustle to get a preceptor.
Anyway, the current Intern Certificate Application requires that you certify that you belong to one of the following four categories...
- I have been accepted by an approved college of pharmacy and that I will begin classes within no more than three (3) months from today’s date;
- that I am currently attending an approved college of pharmacy;
- that I am a Foreign Pharmacy Graduate and have been certified by the Foreign Graduate Equivalency Committee of the NABP; or
- that I am a licensed pharmacist in another state applying for reciprocity in South Carolina.
My question is how can your school grant you a Pharm.D. aka graduate you if you've completed zero intern hours? Each 6 week APPE is 6 credits right? Are you going to be held back because they couldn't place you in APPEs? I hope they put you on a per credit hour basis so you only paid for what you were able to attempt.
The good news is that SC will let you take the NAPLEX and MPJE before completing all their hours (1000 max in school, 500 min out-of-school). The bad news is that 500 hours must be outside-of-school retail or institutional, aka paid intern hours. North Carolina has the same 1500 total hours requirement, but does not have an outside-of-school minimum, and does not issue intern permits. Florida licenses interns while they are in school.
The best site for comparing states hours requirements is put together by Siskind Susser here.
Aren't you going to have to create a school-practice site partnership aka preceptorship agreement (with liability coverage over your actions) for each site? Doesn't it take months to get those through health system risk management departments? I hope your school has enough existing sites in SC already.
Good Luck!
Edit: Ed, Edd n Eddy's post is ambiguous, but you are probably right @TheBlaah. Hopefully he is just referring to the 500 out-of-school hours. Either way he has to hurry up and get that intern certificate and hustle to get a preceptor.
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If you thought getting an intern position was hard, you have another thing coming if you want to get a graduate intern position, even if it's in South Carolina. Grad intern positions are generally reserved for their student interns who they wish to hire on as pharmacists. Why pay 1/2 pharmacist salary to what is basically another intern?
Your best bet at this point is to volunteer at independent pharmacies willing to sign off on your 500 intern hours (in Georgia, it does not necessarily require paid intern hours; not sure about SC).
Also, I assume the OP completed the 1000 in-school hours through APPE and just needs the 500 hours out of school.
Your best bet at this point is to volunteer at independent pharmacies willing to sign off on your 500 intern hours (in Georgia, it does not necessarily require paid intern hours; not sure about SC).
Also, I assume the OP completed the 1000 in-school hours through APPE and just needs the 500 hours out of school.
