Pharm Tech vs. Volunteer

[AntiviralsRule]

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Here's my dilemma. I'm a nontraditional, 36-year-old pre-pharm student working as an editor for a major newspaper Web site. I make good money there. I'm taking my pharmacy pre-requisites as I go, averaging 2-3 classes per quarter.

My problem is this: I'm debating whether I should quit my editing job and take a pharm tech job (taking a 50% pay cut) or keep my editing job and just volunteer a few hours as a tech or a shadower. I don't have my certification yet, but I will soon.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Will AdComs favor someone who works full-time as a pharm tech versus someone who volunteers a few hours a week and keeps another full-time job?

My stats are fairly weak right now -- 3.1 GPA as an undergrad in the early '90s, but I have yet to take most of the pharm prereqs so I hope to increase my GPA substantially.

 

[omnione]

I got into three schools without any pharmacy experience, but I had an average GPA for entering students and a really high PCAT. More pertinent to you, I also had to help my family (Asian/Vietnamese household culture thing) with a part-time lab position (10-15 hours).

The key reason why pharmacy schools are high on pharmacy experience is because they want to be sure the applicant won't be a bust during pharmacy school and in the pharmacy setting because he/she didn't know what the profession entailed. So, it is important to have much experience as possible, but having a long-term pharm tech position doesn't ensure immediate entrance into pharmacy school.

So, the quality of your pharmacy experience is balanced with the number of hours spent in one. Sure, it's better to have 100 hours in pharm tech versus 2 via shadowing. But the difference between 500 hours and 400 hours is nominal because both situations have given the candidate enough exposure to be considered "pharmacy knowledgeable". The answer to your question depends on the relative quality between how beneficial and extensive that volunteer position is to a full blown pharm tech position.

The key question is: "How many hours total do you plan to volunteer as a pharm tech?" You may be able to get enough via volunteering so that you don't have to quit your job. Many schools understand that non-traditional applicants have extenuating circumstances.

Overall, pharmacy tech experience is a great asset to have but it doesn't guarantee admission or put non-experienced applicants in a unrecoverable disadvantage.

 

[binghamkid]

Here's my dilemma. I'm a nontraditional, 36-year-old pre-pharm student working as an editor for a major newspaper Web site. I make good money there. I'm taking my pharmacy pre-requisites as I go, averaging 2-3 classes per quarter.

My problem is this: I'm debating whether I should quit my editing job and take a pharm tech job (taking a 50% pay cut) or keep my editing job and just volunteer a few hours as a tech or a shadower. I don't have my certification yet, but I will soon.

Does anyone have any suggestions? Will AdComs favor someone who works full-time as a pharm tech versus someone who volunteers a few hours a week and keeps another full-time job?

My stats are fairly weak right now -- 3.1 GPA as an undergrad in the early '90s, but I have yet to take most of the pharm prereqs so I hope to increase my GPA substantially.

Because you are a non-traditional applicant, they will put less emphasis on your undergrad GPA from the early 90s and instead focus on your recent accomplishments as well as your LORs from your current job and classes. You will do fine just getting the certification if you want to just take the exam and not work. You should volunteer a few hours a week or so so that you can get a feel for the career and have something to talk about in your application.

 

[AntiviralsRule]

Excellent advice, guys, thanks! I'll see how much volunteering time I can get. If it's not much or none at all, I may just go the pharm tech route. Of course, if I don't get into pharmacy school, I've lost my editing job, but, hey, it's worth it to get my shot at a PharmD! 🙂