Summer Internship Standards?

[Amicable Angora]

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What are normal things to expect, benefits wise, from student pharmacist summer internships?

For example, I am looking at some hospital opportunities, and am not sure if housing should be provided? Or if there should be a certain expectation for salary, experiences, etc?

Anyone able to offer some insight? Or for any pharmacy internships in general. What makes a good/bad internship? Thanks.

 

[Its Z]

Why should any employer spend the time, money, and resources to have know nothing intern hang out in the pharmacy for 3 months? If you can answer this then I may provide an insight.

 

[PharmEcon]

What are normal things to expect, benefits wise, from student pharmacist summer internships?

For example, I am looking at some hospital opportunities, and am not sure if housing should be provided? Or if there should be a certain expectation for salary, experiences, etc?

Anyone able to offer some insight? Or for any pharmacy internships in general. What makes a good/bad internship? Thanks.

Pick based on 1) what internships you get offered 2) the reputation of the internship 3) what you can learn there.

Forget benefits/pay- take what they offer, you have no leverage anyway.

 

[Amicable Angora]

Why should any employer spend the time, money, and resources to have know nothing intern hang out in the pharmacy for 3 months? If you can answer this then I may provide an insight.

#1 Because you do provide free slave labor in the form of menial chores, or manual labor, fetching drinks and snacks, etc.
#2 Because it's a long term way of scouting for talent and acquiring a person whose work you are familiar with in the future to work with you.

 

[Amicable Angora]

Pick based on 1) what internships you get offered 2) the reputation of the internship 3) what you can learn there.

Forget benefits/pay- take what they offer, you have no leverage anyway.

Is there a recommendation about determining the reputation? And is it safe to assume that most of these internships offer very little in terms of compensation?

 

[Its Z]

If u can get a summer internship, great. If not, get an intern/ tech job and work like your life depends on it.

Volunteer free if u must.

 

[Amicable Angora]

If u can get a summer internship, great. If not, get an intern/ tech job and work like your life depends on it.

Volunteer free if u must.

Mind elaborating more? Why such a strong sense of urgency?

 

[Rockinacoustic]

Mind elaborating more? Why such a strong sense of urgency?

See reason #2 on your 2nd post.

If you don't do it, other students will.

 

[Its Z]

See reason #2 on your 2nd post.

If you don't do it, other students will.

Smart man.

 

[Amicable Angora]

Hmmm... makes sense then. Any other advice?

 

[Carboxide]

#1 Because you do provide free slave labor in the form of menial chores, or manual labor, fetching drinks and snacks, etc.
#2 Because it's a long term way of scouting for talent and acquiring a person whose work you are familiar with in the future to work with you.

Lol. Not really. I have had several internships with everything from an independent community pharmacy to one of the largest pharmaceutical companies. If you are fetching drinks and snacks it's probably not a good internship. If it is in a pharmacy, you will likely start out doing tech work. And it's NOT FREE- YOU GET PAID.

Time to get a grip, honey. What do you think pharmacy interns do??

 

[Amicable Angora]

Lol. Not really. I have had several internships with everything from an independent community pharmacy to one of the largest pharmaceutical companies. If you are fetching drinks and snacks it's probably not a good internship. If it is in a pharmacy, you will likely start out doing tech work. And it's NOT FREE- YOU GET PAID.

Time to get a grip, honey. What do you think pharmacy interns do??

I'm ignorant, please let me know more (seriously).

 

[positivesign]

If u can get a summer internship, great. If not, get an intern/ tech job and work like your life depends on it.

Volunteer free if u must.

Since you have ton of hiring experience, may I ask, "what qualities you WISH your interns had?" What little things are they missing when they show up for a shift, etc? While students/interns think they are doing their best, from the employer's stand point of view, I'm pretty sure there's a different story.

 

[positivesign]

I'm ignorant, please let me know more (seriously).

I think there is a general misunderstanding with the word "internship." While undergrad internships generally don't pay you and try you out for a couple of weeks during summer, pharmacy internships are different. Remember how pharmacy students get "licensed" ? Pharmacy interns are licensed individuals who can do anything under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. "Anything" will vary depending on your setting as well as how much your supervisor feels comfortable with you. When the word "internship" is involved in pharmacy, at least it means you're employed with them. It's meant to be a part-time/per diem employment until the student graduates.
Note: Certain internships do only last just for the summer and they are meant to be special training. Some retail companies do it, Pharma companies, managed care orgs, etc.

Many hospitals around my area only hire 1st years so the students give 3 fully committed years of labor. Basically, first 2 years of internship will be the employer investing a lot of time/resources on their interns just to train them. It all starts with the pharmacy technician duties. Making sure correct meds are delivered to correct patient in an acceptable amount of time. Making IV products. You will be asked to "troubleshoot" a lot of med delivery issues. i.e. nurses calling "where are my meds?" When the interns become 3, 4th year students, supervisors will expect them to do some clinical work and contribute that way.

If you get a retail (community) internship, you are asked to do a little bit more than technician duties. By law, there are certain things that techs can't do while interns are allowed. Retail pharmacies can be very busy in general, and you'll be asked to help your pharmacist out by getting verbal orders from doctors, transferring/getting copies from other pharmacies, and COUNSELING patients. I find counseling to be the most rewarding part of being an intern 🙂