question

[Rabbit99]

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[pms_testosterone]

Yes, being a technican helps. Mostly because you become familiar with hundreds of drug names and indications at work, and don't have to spend hours memorizing them in school.

Pharmacy school is mostly memorization. As long as you study most days and don't try to leave everything until the day before an exam, you'll be OK.

 

[Rabbit99]

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[pms_testosterone]

It's really the working part that will help you. So however you want to get your license - that's up to you.

 

[Rabbit99]

Just out of curiosity, is pharmacy school or pharmacology masters harder? I think I know what qualities produce good pharmacists, but I'm not sure about pharmacologists. If anyone has information on the specific careers after a MS in pharmacology please clarify. I would assume we're required to read papers and work on certain research projects that I could be interested in. However, would it be more intellectually challenging to work as a pharmacologist?
Thanks!

 

[pms_testosterone]

Yes, it would be more challenging, @Rabbit99 , as you would need to complete a research-based thesis for the pharmacology degree. If you're interested in this path, I'd suggest looking up whether there is a pharmacologist at your local university and getting in contact with them.

You need to decide if you value patient interactions (pharmacist) or sitting in a lab doing research (pharmacologist).

 

[Rabbit99]

Thanks pms_testosterone.
What would be the best way to prep for PTCE in California ; would it be self study? I think only by going through lab courses at community college would you be able to practice doing IV, etc. instead of going straight to retail pharmacy after self studying for PTCE. The more complicated the education, the better prep for pharmacy school.

On the other hand I also think that taking some pharmacology courses at masters level can prepare you for pharmD program.

 

[pms_testosterone]

College programs are expensive, so I'd strongly consider the self-study route if you think it's workable for you. You're right that you won't get any IV experience if you self-study, but if your ultimate goal is to become a pharmacist then IV experience is not important - techs make most IVs.

Likewise, Masters-level courses in pharmacology are overkill if your goal is to become a pharmacist. Take them if you're interested, but they're going to be more detailed than what you need to know.

 

[Rabbit99]

Thanks! What about post-bacc in pharmaceutical science? they seem to go over some pharmacology, medicinal chemistry, upper division pre-pharm courses, etc. so it can make us more comfortable in pharmacy school? They're cheaper than masters, and I can have time to learn the tech material.
Of course, if I work part time as a tech and be able to self study that would help 🙂

 

[pms_testosterone]

My understanding is that post-baccs are for people who would like to bring their GPA up, and GPA doesn't seem to be a problem for you. I think your idea of taking a pharmacology course or two might be more reasonable...taking a full year, full courseload post-bacc when you don't need to is probably a bit much. However, if you know any students who've taken a pos-bacc you could ask them about whether it helped them.

 

[Rabbit99]

Does location (at a neighboring state or different areas within one state) and rotation opportunities matter for the pharmacy school you attend, in terms of future jobs?

How would attending a school that hasn't been fully accredited affect us?
Thanks!

 

[pms_testosterone]

Yes, networking is important, so I'm sure it matters where you go to school. I wouldn't be able to recommend a particular school, though.

And about accreditation, it really depends on the reason the school is not fully accredited yet. Is there some problem with the school, or is it just really new? You'd really have to look into the details.