REALLY UNIQUE QUESTIONS (lie)

[sadface]

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I have been creeping around the forums some, and didn't notice a thread already talking about this, so here goes.

I am interested in working as a pharmacy tech while I finish my senior year of undergrad (and probably for my year off), and I read that some people just buy a book and take the certification test after studying it? Should I do this if I am serious about working as a tech for a year? I do need more affirmation that I want to be a pharmacist
(Also any suggestions for which book? XD)

Additionally how do people decide which pharmacy schools to apply to? I'm currently afraid of the big price tag for out of state schools, but it seems most people bite the bullet on that, so I should probably apply a few more places..

Thank you 😍

 

[twizzlers713]

Unless you're in CA, I wouldn't worry about getting certified. Either way, it's an easy test and you'll learn most of what you would be tested on just through working. As for picking a school, that's just a personal thing, with location, cost, etc. like how you picked the school you're at now

 

[Digsbe]

I was just recently accepted to pharmacy school. I worked as a pharmacy tech but I was never certified. Unless your state requires you to become certified I personally wouldn't do it just starting out as a tech. See if your employer will send you to be certified and pay for the test.

 

[sadface]

Thanks for the advice. I have applied for a couple hospital pharm tech positions in my city (it is competitive for employment here due to many universities and a pharm school) but I think the high pay/competition was holding me back, not certification I guess 🙂 I'll have to try walgreens etc.

 

[headortail]

Additionally how do people decide which pharmacy schools to apply to? I'm currently afraid of the big price tag for out of state schools, but it seems most people bite the bullet on that, so I should probably apply a few more places..

Personally, I applied to a few schools that were in-state that I knew a little bit about their programs (California) so that was a no-brainer, and as for the out-of-state, I went off the ranking list 😉 Ranking shouldn't matter too much, but honestly, I'm from California so there's no way I would know which is a good school in Pennsylvania for example... Then from that pool, whichever schools that I got interview invites from, I would evaluate their curricula, the feel for the school of whether it's a good fit for me, tuition, and location. I also applied to the ones I heard good things about from friends (Nova, Midwestern).

I don't think it's necessary to be licensed as a tech to work part-time (and mostly to get experience), unless your prospective employer specifically says so. If it's full-time and semi-permanent, and you live in CA, then it would be necessary. In my case, I think they even liked it that I wasn't licensed at the time because I got paid less and they could schedule me for more hours. 😛

 

[xtsukiyox]

... and I read that some people just buy a book and take the certification test after studying it?

Yep, that's what I did. Well, I didn't buy the book.

(Also any suggestions for which book? XD)

I used the one the local library had for free. OK, I paid late fees. When I showed up for the test, it was the same book the people who had taken prep classes had paid for. It was kind of a terribad book, but it gave me what I needed.

 

[sadface]

Thank you for the advice all!

Do many people get in without working as a pharmacy tech or having little volunteer experience? I'm trying to jam in whatever I can between now and the next application cycle but I don't know how much I'll have time for or if I'll find a tech job :S