Wanting to be a hospital pharmacist without pharm tech experience?

[nosafezone]

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Hi, I am a spoiled brat. I will be graduating next year and be a pharmacist in my mid 20's. I have only worked as a retail pharm tech for a couple months during my 2nd year, and I didn't like it so I did not work nor think about what I want to do until 4th year hits me on the head. Now I feel that I want to be a hospital pharmacist. I tried applying for a couple places for a hospital pharm tech job in the wonderfully saturated area, and cannot find one, not to mention one that can accommodate my rotation schedule.

A lot of new pharmacists with experience as a hospital pharm tech still find it difficult at first to adjust. So I am pretty screwed. I mean, I can take IV training courses to familirize myself with the process, and I do spend 2 months working with the hospital pharm techs during my 3rd year, but I know that is just not going to cut it.

I do want to do a residency someday but not right out of school, because even if I get accepted I still get killed when I do my staffing requirements, plus I don't think I can put up with the residency stress. So now I have the double whammy, no pharm tech experience and no residency, and my chance of getting a job is very slim.

I truly feel like I have done digging my own grave. I mean, I can move to whatever there is a job available, but I do want to have some hospital experience on my resume, and I cannot find any solution to it. It is starting to take a toll on me as I cannot focus on my duties on my rotations (and most of them are very demanding), which further potentiates the problem.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Right now I just want to feel a little better and finish my last school year and worry for things when things come. But I just cannot help it...

 

[Priapism321]

Hi, I am a spoiled brat. I will be graduating next year and be a pharmacist in my mid 20's. I have only worked as a retail pharm tech for a couple months during my 2nd year, and I didn't like it so I did not work nor think about what I want to do until 4th year hits me on the head. Now I feel that I want to be a hospital pharmacist. I tried applying for a couple places for a hospital pharm tech job in the wonderfully saturated area, and cannot find one, not to mention one that can accommodate my rotation schedule.

A lot of new pharmacists with experience as a hospital pharm tech still find it difficult at first to adjust. So I am pretty screwed. I mean, I can take IV training courses to familirize myself with the process, and I do spend 2 months working with the hospital pharm techs during my 3rd year, but I know that is just not going to cut it.

I do want to do a residency someday but not right out of school, because even if I get accepted I still get killed when I do my staffing requirements, plus I don't think I can put up with the residency stress. So now I have the double whammy, no pharm tech experience and no residency, and my chance of getting a job is very slim.

I truly feel like I have done digging my own grave. I mean, I can move to whatever there is a job available, but I do want to have some hospital experience on my resume, and I cannot find any solution to it. It is starting to take a toll on me as I cannot focus on my duties on my rotations (and most of them are very demanding), which further potentiates the problem.

Any advise would be greatly appreciated. Right now I just want to feel a little better and finish my last school year and worry for things when things come. But I just cannot help it...

My advice would be to just drop out now...

 

[scoobygrl79]

lol...
"hi, I am a spoiled brat"...that was cute. This is a tough break, maybe you can still wedge in a little bit of hospital pharm tech job experience before next year if you keep applying. Good luck!

 

[Old Timer]

You have several options. Make a list of the pros and cons of each and decide what you want to do. Remember there are short term and long term benefits, don't just think sort term:

• Drop out
• Get a job in retail
• Do a residency
• Volunteer at a local hospital in order to get your foot in the door
• Move to an area where there is demand

I'm sure there are others..... If you are smart enough to get into pharmacy school and smart enough to get through pharmacy school, apply some of those brain cells to solving your problem. Nobody here can decide for you.

 

[PharmerJ]

Don't you spend some portion of your rotations in hospital pharmacy? A lot of hospitals will allow you to volunteer, at least in my area they have been very accommodating. It can be very risky when you start pharmacy school with no experience only to find out you hate it. You said you didn't like retail after two months. What makes you think you'll like hospital? I'm not trying to be mean I'm just being honest. I got really fed up with retail and tried hospital only to realize I hate it more. 🙁 I don't like being in a dark, dingy basement and have zero patient interaction. Clinical positions in hospitals are different but the staffing stuff seems pretty boring to me.

I've decided to do a residency (or at least apply and cross my fingers!) because I know I'm not going to be satisfied long term in retail or hospital staffing. I'd suggest you really rethink the residency thing unless you just know you can't deal with the workload. But it's a long term investment.

If you really think you would like hospital staffing call every hospital in a 50 mile radius and see if you can volunteer. Good luck.

 

[type b pharmD]

why the hell would you drop out after 3.5 years and like $120,000

 

[Pharmachic]

How did you go through pharmacy school without working at least during the summers??? Does your state not require a certain number of hours to sit for your boards? In my state, we have to work 500 hrs when school's not in session, i.e. during school breaks. The other hrs come from rotations and IPPE requiremens.

 

[jonniii]

If you are set on working as an inpatient pharmacist after you graduate and don't want to do a residency, you may need to bite the bullet & work in an area that is not as saturated to start with, then be in the position to choose after you get experience under your belt. The job market is tight--you are right that it would have been best to have gotten some IV experience as a tech longer-term during pharmacy school. It would have positioned you better for an inpatient role open to new grads.

If you aren't willing to bite the bullet, it is worth looking into doing a residency.

Agree. I was with rite aid as an intern. I joined a major trauma center after graduation. But I had a lot of clinical rotations though...

So my advice... try get as many hospital rotations as you can, and look for jobs in small community hospitals in small towns. Like those with 200 beds or so. Or consider residency.

 

[jonniii]

How did you go through pharmacy school without working at least during the summers??? Does your state not require a certain number of hours to sit for your boards? In my state, we have to work 500 hrs when school's not in session, i.e. during school breaks. The other hrs come from rotations and IPPE requiremens.

I know at least one pharmacy school MCP in worcester does not require internship before rotations. It an accelerated program.