Not Volunteering-a disadvantage?

[MissBella]

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Hi,
I've been volunteering in a pharmacy for a year now, but I've recently stopped volunteering b/c I'm taking on a second job in a lab. Would it be a disadvantage for me on paper if I'm not volunteering in the pharmacy at the time I'm applying? I'm planning to take the PTCB this August, and if I were to pass the exam, it will take a couple of months before I become fully certified. Is there a way for me to put this on the application to show I'm in the process of getting certified? Thanks you'all.

 

[ageldred]

In my opinion I think you'll be ok with stopping the volunteering. Everyone has bills to pay so adcoms should be understanding as to why you took on a paying job, plus it's a lab job so that should look good too. You were there for a year so that shows you were committed and not just trying to get a minimum of volunteering hours. As for how to say you're applying for the PTCE perhaps on the supplemental apps there will be a slot but I don't see that on Pharmcas unless I am blind (the app is not editable now so I can't really tell...maybe others could help out). Good luck MissBella.

Hi,
I've been volunteering in a pharmacy for a year now, but I've recently stopped volunteering b/c I'm taking on a second job in a lab. Would it be a disadvantage for me on paper if I'm not volunteering in the pharmacy at the time I'm applying? I'm planning to take the PTCB this August, and if I were to pass the exam, it will take a couple of months before I become fully certified. Is there a way for me to put this on the application to show I'm in the process of getting certified? Thanks you'all.

 

[Farmercyst]

In my opinion I think you'll be ok with stopping the volunteering. Everyone has bills to pay so adcoms should be understanding as to why you took on a paying job, plus it's a lab job so that should look good too. You were there for a year so that shows you were committed and not just trying to get a minimum of volunteering hours. As for how to say you're applying for the PTCE perhaps on the supplemental apps there will be a slot but I don't see that on Pharmcas unless I am blind (the app is not editable now so I can't really tell...maybe others could help out). Good luck MissBella.

I agree. The fact that you've volunteered at all will be a positive note on your application, granted the longer the better, and the more recent the better, but still if you've got 3 mos+, and the fact that by August it will have been only 3-4 months ago won't make that big of a difference. Especially if by that time you're PTCB certified.

 

[daoismz]

it doesn't really matter if you volunteer a long time or a short time in a pharmacy, but you had better get something out of it. If you volunteer every week for 4 hours, do your stuff and go home (for the entire year) and learned absolutely nothing about what a pharmacist does OR what the pharmacy environment is like, then it's pointless (and the one year of volunteering was just a waste).

But like the person above me said, just looking at your application, it's better to have pharmacy experience than none.

 

[StringTheorist]

it would be ok if you stopped, they'll see that ur involved with something else at the time. also, once you have experience, thats all that matters... that you had it.

 

[MissBella]

Thanks guys/gals for the replies. I did learn a lot from the compounding pharmacy where I volunteered. I even got a job offer from the place. It's just that the schedule was not flexible with school and the pay was not as good as working in the lab. I do think I have good reasons to stop volunteering. I just hope I won't be looked over just b/c I'm not currently volunteering/involving in a pharmacy.