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Pharmacy Experience Questions!
Started by tryinghard
Hi all,
To those who are applying or have already begun your career in pharmacy,
how important was pharm experience for your entry into pharm school?
I am a bioengineering graduate student and have already received my MS. (may 2007). However, due to the fact that I am changing career paths now, I do not have any pharmacy related experience. (and I am applying for Fall 2008)
Does not having any pharmacy related experience shoot my application out? I realize that I can get like a clerk-job or volunteer at a local hospital now, but it's a little late... The only work experience I have had has all been in research as an RA.
any advice?
To those who are applying or have already begun your career in pharmacy,
how important was pharm experience for your entry into pharm school?
I am a bioengineering graduate student and have already received my MS. (may 2007). However, due to the fact that I am changing career paths now, I do not have any pharmacy related experience. (and I am applying for Fall 2008)
Does not having any pharmacy related experience shoot my application out? I realize that I can get like a clerk-job or volunteer at a local hospital now, but it's a little late... The only work experience I have had has all been in research as an RA.
any advice?
I've been wondering this myself. Right now I'm just focusing on getting my bachelors at my parents' advice, and happen to be fufilling the pre-reqs by classes that are required for my major.
How would it look to graduate with a BA, and then work 6-8 months as a pharmacy technician full time?
How would it look to graduate with a BA, and then work 6-8 months as a pharmacy technician full time?
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I'm currently applying for a job position as service clerk in retail stores. I'm planning to attempt to get certified after i get the position to become a pharm tech. Is that a good idea? Should I call or apply online? If i call, who do i ask for? What do i say?
Or should i just volunteer at a hospital instead and then get pham tech certified?
Or should i just volunteer at a hospital instead and then get pham tech certified?
I would say that anything pharmacy related will help your application. But there are plenty of students that got in without the experience. Having experience also helps you when you actually get to pharmacy school and there's practice labs.
how hard to get into ccp..can you plz give me tips as this is my aim school
It would probably be easier to get hired if/when you get your certification. You can apply now, and work on getting certified at the same time.
The way I got my pharm tech job was that I worked as a regular cashier at Rite Aid, and talked to the pharmacists alot. The minute an opening came up, I was offered it. Lucky for me, it was within a month 🙂
So best advice is, don't wait last minute to get a retail tech job, in hopes of boosting your application. You have to plan early!
It's easier to volunteer at the hospital, as long as you follow a few hospital guidelines. Volunteer positions usually includes a bit of training and TB test. Just call up the pharmacy (not the volunteer office, they are clueless about this stuff at times) and ask for the assistant director, or the director him/herself.
What a great post! I have been thinking the same thing but I wasn't completely sure how to go about it even though I read the FAQ.
I am busting my butt working full time and taking 8 hours (Calculus and Chemistry I)...I currently spend my entire Saturday and Sunday reading and keeping up with my classes. Do you guys volunteer more than one day a week? Would one 8 hour Saturday each week be ok, you think?
Sorry, I know I probably just need to ask my inpatient pharmacy and talk to them. I just want to know what kind of hours you guys do because I like to be very informed about everything. 🙂 TIA!
I am busting my butt working full time and taking 8 hours (Calculus and Chemistry I)...I currently spend my entire Saturday and Sunday reading and keeping up with my classes. Do you guys volunteer more than one day a week? Would one 8 hour Saturday each week be ok, you think?
Sorry, I know I probably just need to ask my inpatient pharmacy and talk to them. I just want to know what kind of hours you guys do because I like to be very informed about everything. 🙂 TIA!
I didn't have any experience, but I did have 3 Pharm Tech classes covering Pharmacology, Calcs, and Pharmacy Practice. I also had medicinal chemistry and was registered for the PTCE by the time I had my 2nd interview and passed by the time I got my 3rd. So while having no experience didn't keep me out, I tried to compensate by being as educated as I could be in terms of Pharmacy related education.
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In this case, while my application is already being sent in (hopefully within the next 1-2 weeks) would you guys recommend that I...
1. Get a clerk job at my neighborhood retail pharmacy.
-or-
2. Start pharm tech school which will go from Oct. to April.
Keep in mind that I still need to take some prereq classes in the Spring semester. I'm also anxious about the fact that I cannot use either of these experiences on my app since I'm starting so late. However, I can mention these in the interview, which I hope will boost my chances.
Your thoughts?
1. Get a clerk job at my neighborhood retail pharmacy.
-or-
2. Start pharm tech school which will go from Oct. to April.
Keep in mind that I still need to take some prereq classes in the Spring semester. I'm also anxious about the fact that I cannot use either of these experiences on my app since I'm starting so late. However, I can mention these in the interview, which I hope will boost my chances.
Your thoughts?
i see. how hard is the test to become certified? From what i gathered in the forum, most people seem to say that it's easy and it's something that i can study for by myself. is that true? So should i work as a clerk while trying to study to become certified at the same time?
The job will look better than the classes. The job gives you real world experience, however limited. The classes give you knowledge, but generally no practical experience (unless they provide some OJT at the end of the course.)
I had zero pharmacy experience before I started pharmacy school. Even till the end of the first year of pharmacy school!
At least in my situation, there must have been a philosophy that 'we could teach him what he needs to know about pharmacy', and there are 4 years to gain more than enough experience in pharmacy. I believe this to be true. If you have earned your MS in biomedical engineering, I don't think there will be any question for you, either.
However, there is something to be said for someone who spent years in the pharmacies as a technician before starting pharmacy school. I find such students to be very astute and at ease in the more experiential and practical aspects of the classes, as well as behind the counter.
If I had to do it over again, I'd have been a pharmacy technician back in college. But, probably like you, I didn't know I wanted to be a pharmacist through school. I made that decision with only a month or two to spare...
I don't think you should have to go out of your way to do pharm tech school at this point. But you may wish to clerk in a pharmacy and see how it operates even from that standpoint. At any interview or any update point, you could then say that you are currently working in a pharmacy.
At least in my situation, there must have been a philosophy that 'we could teach him what he needs to know about pharmacy', and there are 4 years to gain more than enough experience in pharmacy. I believe this to be true. If you have earned your MS in biomedical engineering, I don't think there will be any question for you, either.
However, there is something to be said for someone who spent years in the pharmacies as a technician before starting pharmacy school. I find such students to be very astute and at ease in the more experiential and practical aspects of the classes, as well as behind the counter.
If I had to do it over again, I'd have been a pharmacy technician back in college. But, probably like you, I didn't know I wanted to be a pharmacist through school. I made that decision with only a month or two to spare...
I don't think you should have to go out of your way to do pharm tech school at this point. But you may wish to clerk in a pharmacy and see how it operates even from that standpoint. At any interview or any update point, you could then say that you are currently working in a pharmacy.
i volunteer one 3 hour day a week, and i have learned a lot already!! 🙂 i plan on studying and taking the ptce soon too!
i see, wher edo you volunteer at?
what do you guys think about research experience? will it help? i have one right now but because i want to attempt to apply to pharmacy school my jnr year, i need to take multiple science courses to meet the prerequisites so i dont know if i have enough time for it. right now i have no extracurricular activitie sunder my belt and im going to be a sohpmore.😡
From what I've seen not many pre-pharm students do research. It's more important to get pharm experience than do research. But don't just up and quit your research job especially if you've made a committment to it. I enjoy doing research and I like seeing how my classes relate to what I am doing in the lab. Most of my LORs are coming from my PIs.
Oh wow...one 3 hour day a week!? I can probably handle that! That definitely makes me feel more encouraged to get that started asap. I'm applying next fall so I really should start soon.
i see, i guess i'll stick to it! i'm trying hard to find a position in a pharmacy though, i just applied online to all the retail pharmacy store around my area last week. if i dont receive any calls by then, i'm just going to call them directly. when i call what should i ask them? should i ask them to allow me to speak directly to the pharmacy manager? or just directly ask them if they have a pharmacy clerk position available? and if all else fail, i'll just volunteer in hospital!
I am a Pharmacy Technician, and I got my National Certification without taking any classes. I bought a book and studied for about a month, got a good knowledge of Brand and Generic names of drugs and done REALLY WELL (not to brag 🙂) On my certification test. It really not all that difficult of material..
And as for retail or hospital. You should try to get experiece in both. As well as both independent and chain retail pharmacies.
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I am a Pharmacy Technician, and I got my National Certification without taking any classes. I bought a book and studied for about a month, got a good knowledge of Brand and Generic names of drugs and done REALLY WELL (not to brag 🙂) On my certification test. It really not all that difficult of material..
And as for retail or hospital. You should try to get experiece in both. As well as both independent and chain retail pharmacies.
hey thanks for the tips. i plan on applying next year as soon as i finish the prereqs. I am currently going to be a sophmore so ill be applying when im a junior. this leaves me roughly a little bit more than a year to get my extracurricular stuff. right now im trying to find a job as a clerk in a pharmacy first, before i take the pcte, or should i just get it then look for a job as pharm tech?
Hi!
I know that pharmacy experience is really important, but all I've ever had was volunteer/internship experiences in a pharmacy. I've never actually been hired to work as a pharmacy clerk (I found it really hard to get hired because there are so many pharmacy students).
I only recently found out about getting a tech license after discovering this forum through Google (what a find!). But I am planning to study for the PCAT soon...so I was thinking if I should delay the PCAT studying or study for the license test? Or should I study for the PCAT first and then the license test afterwards? I'm going to be a third year already this coming Fall (old!).
So far, my experience is two years volunteer in a hospital pharmacy in high school (not recent!). Last year I interned at an outpatient pharmacy once a week for a few hours for a few months. That's about it. I don't really know the pharmacist really well because there seems to be a lot of different pharmacists rotating around, so I see different ones. I'm just really worried about experience because I feel like my gpa is really horrible (I think it's 2.9 or something, I havn't calculated my pre-pharm GPA yet).
Thanks for reading, sorry I didn't realize this thing would get so long. I just wanted to be thorough!
OH wait, one last question: does experience at a clinic count? Like clinical research? Those positions seem easier to obtain than like a pharmacy position due to high volume of interest.
I know that pharmacy experience is really important, but all I've ever had was volunteer/internship experiences in a pharmacy. I've never actually been hired to work as a pharmacy clerk (I found it really hard to get hired because there are so many pharmacy students).
I only recently found out about getting a tech license after discovering this forum through Google (what a find!). But I am planning to study for the PCAT soon...so I was thinking if I should delay the PCAT studying or study for the license test? Or should I study for the PCAT first and then the license test afterwards? I'm going to be a third year already this coming Fall (old!).
So far, my experience is two years volunteer in a hospital pharmacy in high school (not recent!). Last year I interned at an outpatient pharmacy once a week for a few hours for a few months. That's about it. I don't really know the pharmacist really well because there seems to be a lot of different pharmacists rotating around, so I see different ones. I'm just really worried about experience because I feel like my gpa is really horrible (I think it's 2.9 or something, I havn't calculated my pre-pharm GPA yet).
Thanks for reading, sorry I didn't realize this thing would get so long. I just wanted to be thorough!
OH wait, one last question: does experience at a clinic count? Like clinical research? Those positions seem easier to obtain than like a pharmacy position due to high volume of interest.
Well, if you are applying for pharm school this year you need to take the PCAT. If you are not, I would get your tech license and go that route. Getting experience will definitely help your app. That being said, your 2.9 is pretty much going into the automatic deny pile. A 3.0 is the minimum required for schools I have seen. So really work on your GPA, do well on the PCAT, and get lots of experience to get your foot in the door.
👍
With a low GPA, I think it is very important to score high on the PCAT. The test is not difficult and doable, but you really need to study for it way in advance.
I never worked as a tech or shadowed a pharmacist, nor do I plan to. After reading many posts on this forum it seems the overwhelming majority of applicants have pharmacy experience. My reason for not working at the local CVS is mostly on moral grounds. I refuse to work at a slave wage of $8 an hour.
On the plus side my GPA is 3.8 and PCAT 97. I attend community college and concede that admissions may discount my GPA, even though the stereotype is false.
Will my lack of experience hurt me dearly when applying to pharmacy schools?
On the plus side my GPA is 3.8 and PCAT 97. I attend community college and concede that admissions may discount my GPA, even though the stereotype is false.
Will my lack of experience hurt me dearly when applying to pharmacy schools?
get off your high horse. don't expect to get paid 50 dollars an hour as an undergrad.
besides, you shouldn't be doing it for the money you should be doing it for the experience so you know how pharmacy works...also it will get you a LOR
besides, you shouldn't be doing it for the money you should be doing it for the experience so you know how pharmacy works...also it will get you a LOR
In my class, when the teacher asked who had previous pharm experience only about half the students raised their hands. So lack of pharmacy experience, may not hurt you, especially with your stats, because you already have pretty competitive stats.
On the other hand, IMO, having any pharmacy experience, even 1 day per month, would increase your application competitiveness because it shows you know what you are getting into.
On the other hand, IMO, having any pharmacy experience, even 1 day per month, would increase your application competitiveness because it shows you know what you are getting into.
This is the same guy who said that he is only applying to the top 15 schools (as listed by US News & World Report).
M-O-O-N, that spells 'TROLL.'
I think that this might be the same guy who posted a while back about having to fight off female customers because they'd want him so badly (I forget what name he used then).
M-O-O-N, that spells 'TROLL.'
I think that this might be the same guy who posted a while back about having to fight off female customers because they'd want him so badly (I forget what name he used then).
++ troll
Plus, this question has been answered repeatedly. And I know for a fact he'll get denied from at least one top 15 school, because they do in fact require pharmacy experience prior to applying. I'm not going to say which one just to bust this dude's balls.
Plus, this question has been answered repeatedly. And I know for a fact he'll get denied from at least one top 15 school, because they do in fact require pharmacy experience prior to applying. I'm not going to say which one just to bust this dude's balls.
I'm disgusted by your attacks. 👎 How can asking legitimate questions be considered trolling? 😕
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...just out of curiosity, how much do you expect to be paid as an undergraduate student???
Shadowing a pharmacist isn't slave labor. Neither is volunteering.
Don't try to play it off. It's quite apparent that you are a troll.
His name, handsome pharm, says it all. He thinks he's better than everyone else, because he doesn't want to participate in "slave labor".
you basically offended the entire group of SDN'ers that work in pharmacies and get paid "at a slave wage of $8 an hour". so don't expect us to answer your questions without applying our opinions about you.
to answer your original question: call the colleges of pharmacy you are applying to and ask them whether lack of experience will compromise your competitiveness. we aren't the adcoms, so our answers may be skewed
Quite the opposite nerv12345. I am on the side of working men and women, especially those who are paid far less than what they deserve. Unfortunately there is not much I can do to change the system, except:
A. Refuse to work at those wages. If we joined together and in a united voice demanded $15-$20 (varied by state), the big chains would have no choice but to raise wages. And guess what? They would still be profitable!
B. Vote for politicians who support a living wage.
A. Refuse to work at those wages. If we joined together and in a united voice demanded $15-$20 (varied by state), the big chains would have no choice but to raise wages. And guess what? They would still be profitable!
B. Vote for politicians who support a living wage.
You just dont get it, do u. People work at the pharmacy and get paid "at a slave wage of $8 an hour" not solely for the money but the experience *period*
p/s and that also earns them a LOR from a pharmacist.
He won't even work for $8/hour, what makes you think he'd work for free? lol
I find it hard to believe that all pharm techs are trying to be pharmacists. I'm sure a large amount of them do want to be pharmacists, but there are a lot of pharm techs that have been working for 8+ years. Also do hospital pharm techs get paid a bit more or have increased wage with experience?
You obviously have not taken introductory economics if you seriously think a higher wage would actually provide people with a better living standard. When minimum wage goes up, so does the cost of everything else and negates the effort.
The majority of pharm techs will never become pharmacists. That doesn't mean we should look the other way while they work years in a trade that barely pays monthly rent. I don't think the "oh screw them, they should work hard in school like we did" mentality is appropriate. Many are single moms struggling to survive, with barely enough time to take care of their kids let alone go to college. Others simply can't hack Calculus and Organic Chemistry. Pharm techs should not be paid as much as full fledged d.pharms, but they deserve at least a living wage.
Were I a senator or congressman, I would also push for an law to exempt small "mom and pop" type pharmacies from income tax. They provide a valuable service to many communities are are in danger of going extinct from the encroachment of bottomless pocket mega chains.
Were I a senator or congressman, I would also push for an law to exempt small "mom and pop" type pharmacies from income tax. They provide a valuable service to many communities are are in danger of going extinct from the encroachment of bottomless pocket mega chains.
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Central banks are responsible for keeping inflation in check by controlling money supply and interest rates. If you print money (issue trillions in bonds), and lower interest rates (like we did a few days ago), inflation will explode. Wages in a larger context have a small impact on inflation. Your C+ in economics shines through today.
Visit the home of a single mom pharm tech struggling to survive. Look into her kids' eyes and tell them her mother doesn't deserve a living wage.
I don't think you can stomach it.
Visit the home of a single mom pharm tech struggling to survive. Look into her kids' eyes and tell them her mother doesn't deserve a living wage.
I don't think you can stomach it.
What does any of this have to do with you being a whiny snot who doesnt want to work as a pharm tech because you think its beneath you? Go blow your smoke up someone else's arse.
if you wanna stick it to the man...becoming a pharmacist will not get you anywhere lol
I would not want to chose a profession without having experience in some aspect of it. I don't even buy shoes without trying them on.
BTW, i know some techs who spent 12K in education and only start out making 11-12 bucks an hour.
BTW, i know some techs who spent 12K in education and only start out making 11-12 bucks an hour.
Use of the "report post" button helps us keep the forums nice and clean. 🙂
While I am not sure the OP was a troll as much as an immature kid - I can understand some of his sentiments...
Techs should be paid more - everyone could use more money - but that is not how America works. No one is forced to work as a tech - if you wanted more money, and that was what was really important to you - you could have chose another field.
Be a nurse, or a hair stylist - both make more than a pharm tech with less than 4 yrs education (2yr nurses... not the 4 or more variety).
As to experience - the question was answered by another poster - you need to contact the individual program to find out...
Just for the record - Living in the dirt (metaphorically speaking) gives you perspective - How can you know how the techs working for you feel if you never stood in their shoes???
~above~
Techs should be paid more - everyone could use more money - but that is not how America works. No one is forced to work as a tech - if you wanted more money, and that was what was really important to you - you could have chose another field.
Be a nurse, or a hair stylist - both make more than a pharm tech with less than 4 yrs education (2yr nurses... not the 4 or more variety).
As to experience - the question was answered by another poster - you need to contact the individual program to find out...
Just for the record - Living in the dirt (metaphorically speaking) gives you perspective - How can you know how the techs working for you feel if you never stood in their shoes???
~above~
Zero experience may or may not matter. It's always best to gain all the experience you could possibly gain. But many schools will still look at you if you did not have the opportunity to. If you are sufficiently interested in pharmacy and you demonstrate the character and capability (as evidenced by PCAT and pre-reqs, extra-curriculars, etc), it is usually not outlandish to think that such a student could surely learn the craft in pharmacy school.
Nevertheless, try to gain all the experience you can. Only you could make that effort, and it may help you become more familiar with the art, so it's not all theoretical for a new student (as it was for me back in my P1 year).
Nevertheless, try to gain all the experience you can. Only you could make that effort, and it may help you become more familiar with the art, so it's not all theoretical for a new student (as it was for me back in my P1 year).
If the OP really cared about pharm techs he would have volunteered. You can help them out by reducing their workload. What pharm techs do isn't really difficult and a lot of it can be learned just being around them. Volunteering gives you something for community service, you aren't paid so whenever you see a pharmacist take a break you can go and talk to them, and you don't have to dedicate as many hours. The most important of all imho is a quote by Aristotle "He who does not learn to obey can not be a great leader." Being "under" a pharm tech can help you learn how to be "above" them.
Since schools look for work experience in an applicant, I was wondering if you could help me with some places that offer work or anything related to pharmacy? Also, when during college should I do it?
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