Is it bad being a Pharm Tech?

[patrick1674]

Advertisement - Members don't see this ad

delete

 

[MilkmanAl]

It's only positive. That was the bulk of my clinical experience, and I guarantee you it's more useful than most things that people do to satisfy those requirements. Knowing the drugs really helps come second year. Go take that test, and enjoy the pay boost.

 

[Catalystik]

Go for it. But assuming you work in a retail pharmacy, I'd still suggest you get some clinical environment experience in a clinic or hospital setting, too, perhaps as a volunteer.

 

[Rickybobby]

Do you want to be a pharmacy tech? Yes - then do it. No - then don't.

 

[ILikeDrugs]

Having a job won't make you look bad. It will be you're current way of making a living. You have other interests. I doubt med schools will act like jealouss, they're not going to become upset if they see you hanging out in a different part of healthcare. Just because you want to become a physician doesn't mean that you have to swear complete and total allegiance to medicine before and after medical school. You're a person not some machine that sleeps with a stethoscope around your neck.

 

[swamprat]

Probably the wrong forum to ask this in but I've been looking... is there really any difference in job between a pharmacists and pharm tech other than $$, responsibility and ability to give advice. Seems like pharm techs do everything I thought a pharmacist did.

 

[MilkmanAl]

Functionally, not really. It's the legal responsibility and know-how you go to school and get paid the big bucks for. It's kind like of techs (radiology, ER, etc.) and physicians except the line is a little fuzzier.

 

[J ROD]

I can speak on this...it is great to know the drugs...

I would not do retail but work in a hospital so you can learn IV, TPN, etc.

 

[riverjib]

I was thinking about taking the Pharm Tech test because I've bassically been trained as one and work as one but I just don't have the license yet.
But on the same token I want to go to med school, so my question is; if I get certified and work as a pharm tech would that be a negative thing when applying to med school? Could it send mixed signals??

or would it be looked upon as something positive?

Why would it be negative? And if you've been trained and someone is willing to fund the licensure, that's even better! One of my best friends worked for CVS in high school and was offered on-site training as a pharm tech. She took it because she got an additional $4 an hour. After a year of working there, she applied to a local hospital that paid her $18/hour (back in 2002!). She worked through nursing school, and even now, she's grateful for that job because over the course of 3-4 years, she learned everything she could ever need to know (clinically) about drug interactions. For her, it really dropped the learning curve--only slightly in nursing school, but significantly when she actually started practicing as a nurse.

I imagine the same would be true for MDs and other practitioners. Regardless of how well you do and how much you study pharmacology, there's no substitute for the intuition you develop after years of knowing the "best" drugs for certain conditions, and what drugs interact with others. Even if it doesn't help, it certainly won't hurt or send the wrong signals!