Slow or busy store for retail APPE ?

[aldolase]

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I have an option to choose my 4th year retail rotation at either a low volume grocery store (<100/day) or busier chain pharmacies.

Pros of grocery chain:

Low volume, so more chance to practice get comfortable with running the pharmacy.

Con's:
Grocery store doesn't hire as much as CVS/Walgreen's so rotation is probably not a way into the company.

Being a slow store wouldn't prepare me for high pressure, fast paced CVS/Walgreen's stores.

Pros of high volume: better prepared for fast paced environment which would likely be the future job.

Chains more likely to hire so rotation would be an interview of sort.

Con's: preceptor wouldnt have much time in a busy store to really teach.

Might end up counting pills all day or running drive thru if due to store being high volume.

What would you pick ? Is this a good assessment ?

 

[Jibby321]

Slow store. I think there is more time to learn than a busy store will you will be filling all day more than likely.

 

[cozypark]

Busy store if you are doing intern on your own already. (Cause they don't really have any time to teach u)

You will be out of school soon, and if you want retail job, then it is better to get used to face paced pharmacy.
I see lots of new grads at my store and I can tell the difference - someone with fast retail pharmacy chain works much much better compared to someone with independent/grocery pharmacy experience.
It is about how to handle all stresses and how to stay calm no matter what.

Plus, they might hire you after graduation if they like you.

Go with fast paced pharmacy.

 

[aldolase]

Slow store. I think there is more time to learn than a busy store will you will be filling all day more than likely.

Yeah, don't wanna fill all day.

 

[aldolase]

Busy store if you are doing intern on your own already. (Cause they don't really have any time to teach u)

You will be out of school soon, and if you want retail job, then it is better to get used to face paced pharmacy.
I see lots of new grads at my store and I can tell the difference - someone with fast retail pharmacy chain works much much better compared to someone with independent/grocery pharmacy experience.
It is about how to handle all stresses and how to stay calm no matter what.

Plus, they might hire you after graduation if they like you.

Go with fast paced pharmacy.

Thank you! Would be awesome if get a good store with a balance of tech and pharmacist duties. I am concerned about just counting pills all day long.

 

[Eichhoernchen]

Slow store! Any day! You learn so much more and you aren't used as free labor. At least not as much as other places. Ultimately, it is up to you and it is your learning experience, but if you are going to pay for APPE, I would get the most learning benefits out of it.

 

[mustang sally]

If you want to do retail when you graduate, pick the busy store.

If you see yourself doing something else after graduation, go with the slower store.

 

[Dr Wario]

Well if you pick a slow store I hope what happened to me does not happen to you. I was at a very very slow grocery pharmacy and one of their slightly busier locations had a pharmacist sick call so our store had to close so that the rph could open the busier store. The manager of the store had me sit at a table outside of the pharmacy at the smaller store and direct customers to the open location for about 6 hours.

 

[El Trombopag]

APPEs are a pretty big deal with regard to future job prospects. Based on how you phrased the post, it sounds like your goals are to transition into community/retail after graduation. Having the ability to work a fast paced pharmacy -- or at least being able to interview about it and having a reference to back it up -- will make your resume/CV stronger than talking about 'how much you learned' in the little mom and pop. That's not to say there isn't a lot to learn at a slower pharmacy. I had a pretty slow retail APPE where I ran the immunization clinic -- great experience, great interview material. However, I would argue that when it comes to interviews, it's more important to convince employers that you can run the meat grinder in the middle of a tornado and an earthquake and keep smiling the whole time. If there isn't something specific and compelling for the slower site, it may be a tough sell.

Remember, you're paying tuition to be there -- it's important to get the most out of each and every one of these precious APPEs.

 

[Sparda29]

You wanna learn how to be a pharmacist or do you want to learn how to be a prescription filling machine?

 

[Dr Wario]

You wanna learn how to be a pharmacist or do you want to learn how to be a prescription filling machine?

Let's be honest, for most, #1 = #2

 

[sakigt]

Are you assuming the grocery store is slow, or is it?

My APPE was at the busiest grocery store in the district. Some room for teaching but not far behind my busy CVS I summer interned at....

Anyway I did that store exactly because its hard to get a job there. They liked me and she told her district manager to hire me after graduation (she wasnt the sort to say that about anyone). I declined anyway, PT hours were not possible so i wasnt interested.