Questions on sitting/studying for the BCACP Exam

[Ice04242]

Hey everyone! I have looked upon the posts on this board every since I was about to take the NAPLEX in 2016 so I appreciate all the help!

This is my first time ever posting so I hope I can get some help of my own!

I work in an ambulatory care pharmacy doing the pharmacy's MTM's, giving vaccinations, talking directly with doctors here and there and giving recommendations, and of course filling prescriptions. I believe I will have enough experience to sit for this exam in the next year to year & 1/2.

I was just wondering what exactly the " ACCP material" consists of. I have seen a lot of posts about people studying it or taking the ASHP review course and when I go to the ACCP store there is a million things you can buy. Can anyone tell me exactly what it is I'm looking for? I've also seen something about the VA sessions? can anyone elaborate on these?

I was also wondering how long everyone spends studying for this exam.

Overall I am hoping to get this certification to get a job in a clinic when my girlfriend graduates with her FNP in the next year and we move somewhere else, as I have no desire to work in a chain pharmacy and finding a good job at an independent is hard. I've always wanted to work hand in hand with physicians and maybe have a CPA but I didn't have the money or time to be able to do a residency out of school. I have been debating between this and the BCPS, anyone have opinions on if one over the other will help me accomplish this goal? I appreciate any and all feedback, and thanks again!

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[diepsteven]

Hey everyone! I have looked upon the posts on this board every since I was about to take the NAPLEX in 2016 so I appreciate all the help!

This is my first time ever posting so I hope I can get some help of my own!

I work in an ambulatory care pharmacy doing the pharmacy's MTM's, giving vaccinations, talking directly with doctors here and there and giving recommendations, and of course filling prescriptions. I believe I will have enough experience to sit for this exam in the next year to year & 1/2.

I was just wondering what exactly the " ACCP material" consists of. I have seen a lot of posts about people studying it or taking the ASHP review course and when I go to the ACCP store there is a million things you can buy. Can anyone tell me exactly what it is I'm looking for? I've also seen something about the VA sessions? can anyone elaborate on these?

I was also wondering how long everyone spends studying for this exam.

Overall I am hoping to get this certification to get a job in a clinic when my girlfriend graduates with her FNP in the next year and we move somewhere else, as I have no desire to work in a chain pharmacy and finding a good job at an independent is hard. I've always wanted to work hand in hand with physicians and maybe have a CPA but I didn't have the money or time to be able to do a residency out of school. I have been debating between this and the BCPS, anyone have opinions on if one over the other will help me accomplish this goal? I appreciate any and all feedback, and thanks again!

The two main resources that I have heard colleagues mention are ACCP and High Yield Med Reviews when preparing for BCACP. I personally used ACCP. High Yield has an option to purchase a question bank, which I heard was useful. ACCP provides CE's with their package, but no "question bank".

You'll want to get this package if you opt to go with ACCP:
Updates in Therapeutics®: Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Preparatory Review and Recertification Course, 2018 Edition
(sorry, silly rules prevent me from posting actual link)
I'm not familiar with the "VA Session" that you mentioned. Hopefully someone else can shine some light on that.

I spent about 4 weeks studying for the exam, which probably wasn't enough. Check back in a couple of months to see if it was. Ha.
Without a residency with core Ambulatory Care rotations, I would only venture to say that having this certification would definitely help in regards to you interviewing for an Amb Care position. If you know you want to be in an outpatient clinic managing chronic disease states, I would definitely opt for BCACP over BCPS. BCPS has its merits, but is considered more general; if you're sure about your career trajectory, BCACP is the way to go.

Hope that helps buddy!

 

[Ice04242]

The two main resources that I have heard colleagues mention are ACCP and High Yield Med Reviews when preparing for BCACP. I personally used ACCP. High Yield has an option to purchase a question bank, which I heard was useful. ACCP provides CE's with their package, but no "question bank".

You'll want to get this package if you opt to go with ACCP:
Updates in Therapeutics®: Ambulatory Care Pharmacy Preparatory Review and Recertification Course, 2018 Edition
(sorry, silly rules prevent me from posting actual link)
I'm not familiar with the "VA Session" that you mentioned. Hopefully someone else can shine some light on that.

I spent about 4 weeks studying for the exam, which probably wasn't enough. Check back in a couple of months to see if it was. Ha.
Without a residency with core Ambulatory Care rotations, I would only venture to say that having this certification would definitely help in regards to you interviewing for an Amb Care position. If you know you want to be in an outpatient clinic managing chronic disease states, I would definitely opt for BCACP over BCPS. BCPS has its merits, but is considered more general; if you're sure about your career trajectory, BCACP is the way to go.

Hope that helps buddy!

Hey man! Thanks for the response I greatly appreciate it. Would you mind elaborating on what your background is and why you decided to take the BCACP exam? I'd definitely appreciate an update after the exam just to see how it was and such. I'm 100% positive that where I'd love to go is an outpatient clinic managing chronic disease states. I love interacting with both patients and doctors on a personal basis and being able to spend more time with them/make a greater impact in their care, its pretty much my dream job right now.

 

[diepsteven]

Hey man! Thanks for the response I greatly appreciate it. Would you mind elaborating on what your background is and why you decided to take the BCACP exam? I'd definitely appreciate an update after the exam just to see how it was and such. I'm 100% positive that where I'd love to go is an outpatient clinic managing chronic disease states. I love interacting with both patients and doctors on a personal basis and being able to spend more time with them/make a greater impact in their care, its pretty much my dream job right now.

Hah, I'm hoping for the best. It sounds like Am Care is definitely somewhere you want to be! I currently practice as an Am Care Pharmacist, so I decided to get board certified as one. I have colleagues that still decided to go with BCPS instead, to stay versatile in their credentials. Hope this helps!

 

[Ice04242]

So I have gotten to a point where I believe I am able to start my track to take this exam! I've been working to support to get my girlfriend through NP school and I think now is the time I should start studying for this exam. I am still weary that getting my BCACP certification alone isn't going to be enough to land me a ambulatory care job, but its the only bet I have now; can't really go back into residency lol. Its been 8 months since I originally posted this article so I wanted to see if anyone else had any input?

 

[evani01]

Hi there! I’m sitting for the exam in May. Been studying a little each day for months now (have a one year old sooo it’s quite difficult to devote the time). I work in am care the last four years; no residency. I’m just looking for job security even though I really don’t think these exams show that you are a qualified pharmacist BUT having it will get your name through the resume pre-screening process!

 

[Ice04242]

Hi there! I’m sitting for the exam in May. Been studying a little each day for months now (have a one year old sooo it’s quite difficult to devote the time). I work in am care the last four years; no residency. I’m just looking for job security even though I really don’t think these exams show that you are a qualified pharmacist BUT having it will get your name through the resume pre-screening process!

Hey Evani! What kind of ambulatory care setting do you work in and did you find it hard to get the job without a residency? I just saw a job posting for an ambulatory care job in a big city near me and it says "Successful completion of an ASHP accredited PGY1 and/or PGY2 pharmacy residency may be required." I'm just super discouraged that I won't even get an interview for it without one. Do you have any advice?

Some background on me: I basically had a rotation that made me feel like my life as a resident would be absolutely miserable for a year so I chose not to follow that path, but looking back I kinda wish I had. It seems like there's not really a lot you can do to prove to others you have what it takes for a "residency required" job nowah days without it; and its not like you can really just go back and do it now. I've been trying to expand the clinical practice in my current position but most of the amb-care opportunities in retail require a local hospital collaboration and they aren't too keen on the idea.

 

[evani01]

Hey Evani! What kind of ambulatory care setting do you work in and did you find it hard to get the job without a residency? I just saw a job posting for an ambulatory care job in a big city near me and it says "Successful completion of an ASHP accredited PGY1 and/or PGY2 pharmacy residency may be required." I'm just super discouraged that I won't even get an interview for it without one. Do you have any advice?

Some background on me: I basically had a rotation that made me feel like my life as a resident would be absolutely miserable for a year so I chose not to follow that path, but looking back I kinda wish I had. It seems like there's not really a lot you can do to prove to others you have what it takes for a "residency required" job nowah days without it; and its not like you can really just go back and do it now. I've been trying to expand the clinical practice in my current position but most of the amb-care opportunities in retail require a local hospital collaboration and they aren't too keen on the idea.

Hi there! I work for a hospital system that is pretty advanced with our MTM services. We have a collaborative practice that allows us to function at the top of our licenses. Right out of school I worked in retail for about six months before I applied and got the position in ambulatory care about five years ago. The hospital system I work for trains the pharmacists pretty extensively, and the training is the same whether you have a residency or not. Obviously having one is beneficial, but not crucial. After all, it all depends on where and how much effort you put into a residency; I feel as the management understands and realizes that there are just as capable pharmacists without a residency. However, when applying I feel like you need to have something that sets you apart from other pharmacists. I had a bachelors degree before pharmacy school and had a lot of work experience.