Pharmacy Intern, what to expect?

[PharmD2Be48]

So I would like to pursue an intern position when I begin pharmacy school to better my chances getting a job when I graduate, however I was unable to find information about interning. What are their hours like? Weekends? Nights? Summers? Every day? Bi-monthly? I would really like some info so I can evaluate if I can hold down an intern position while in Pharm school. Thanks!

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[ADN1226]

For hospitals - depends, some vary regarding requirements

For me, I was scheduled for only every other weekend (16hrs) so 8hr/week technically, any shift which includes nights (they're not bad at all!). This was year-round, also required to do 1 summer and 1 winter holiday. I can always pick up shifts if I wanted during the year or during breaks.

Some hospitals around my area only scheduled students during the day/evening weekend shifts and a few only scheduled nights.

Most of my fellow interns only worked the weekends and picked up shifts if we wanted, so working during the school year wasn't time consuming.

 

[pharm B]

There is no blanket answer. It all depends on what company you work for. My hospital internship last year had a big clinical focus, and each week was charted out for me as far as what department or area I would be focusing on. Friends of mine at a different system were initially seen as tech labor until they carved out the intern role for themselves.

The hospitals in my area primarily hire only summer interns, but some students managed to create year-long projects that would benefit the hospital, so they stayed on during the school year. I think in retail you might have a better chance at scoring a year-long gig.

Edit: Moved to pre-pharmacy