What kind of volunteering or job looks good?

[daysinnnc]

What kind of volunteering or job looks good on the pharmacy application?

I heard if you shadow a pharamacist, it looks very good on application or if you are some type of lab assistant..
Give me some ideas on what to do ???

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[fmbzp5]

What kind of volunteering or job looks good on the pharmacy application?

I heard if you shadow a pharamacist, it looks very good on application or if you are some type of lab assistant..
Give me some ideas on what to do ???

I volunteer for a medical mission group and that seemed to go over very well. That is not an option for everyone I know but if you do pharmacy, an outside volunteer that helps the poor in a healthcare way to me appears to be looked upon very favorably.

 

[shaun009]

My focus is on geriatric pharmacy so I volunteered where I worked for several years. It was a retirement center and I volunteered in the assisted living unit with a group of elderly ladies. During my interview, I stressed that I'm pursuing pharmacy because of the emphasis that I can place on geriatrics. Make it relevant to your studies.

 

[nerv12345]

the best thing that looks good is working or volunteering at a pharmacy

the 2nd best would be volunteering or working at a hospital or a free clinic or something like that

and i think the 3rd would be to do research in a laboratory at a university or for a company

..in my opinion

i have a question for anybody viewing this thread (i don't think it's necessary for me to start a new thread):

i've recently begun volunteering at a pharmacy and am applying for pharmacy school for fall 2008...i will probably be able to get a letter of a recommendation from the pharmacist, but will my "lack of prolonged experience" affect my chances of getting in?

 

[bear729]

If you are applying for Fall 2008 I think you will get plenty of experience, especially so you can say in your interview that you actually spent time in a pharmacy and liked it.

where are you volunteering? Does anyone know if retail places like Walgreens take volunteers? What about hospitals? Also, any tips in the Seattle area would be much appreciated!

 

[Farmercyst]

If you are applying for Fall 2008 I think you will get plenty of experience, especially so you can say in your interview that you actually spent time in a pharmacy and liked it.

where are you volunteering? Does anyone know if retail places like Walgreens take volunteers? What about hospitals? Also, any tips in the Seattle area would be much appreciated!

I haven't ever heard of a hospital turning down a volunteer. You may not be able to volunteer in a pharmacy, but anything is better than nothing. Corporations may allow you to shadow, but there's not much in terms of inexperienced volunteer work that can be done in a Walgreens/CVS. You might be able to at an independent pharmacy, maybe some clerk type work, but anything you could volunteer for at Walgreens probably means you've got enough experience to get paid for it.

 

[nerv12345]

thx for the reply bear. i've started volunteering at a private pharmacy

corporations are extremely strict when it comes to people who would like to volunteer. your best best would be to go in and try to volunteer at a private pharmacist because they are more open to students coming in to volunteer and stuff. if not, try and find a job at a corporate owned pharmacy


i personally know a pharmacist that manages some of the CVS pharmacies and he said that they don't really allow volunteers beause of all the legal ramifications of a volunteer working at that pharmacy but not being part of the staff, etc.

 

[hexane]

Volunteering in the different areas of pharmacy not only looks good, but it gives you something to talk about during your interview. Places like retail and hospital look nice but a lot of people do that. Also try to volunteer at places like research, administration, and government like with a lobbyist for pharmacy. That would make you look like your interested in learning about all the different aspects of pharmacy, instead of just the mainstream aspects.

Plus, getting a letter of rec from someone in a powerful administration or government position can really help.

 

[moldovanits]

does it look good if i work at the braille institute with blind people. community service.

 

[PHARMD101]

Any form of volunteering in a community setting will ring your interviewer's bells! They like to hear that you care and are helpful to the needy - that is the concept of pharmacy - a dedication to be a caring, helpful, healthcare professional.

You can work as a clerk in a community pharmacy and learn about the erratic behavior of some customers - an interesting learning experience.

I recommend anyone choosing pharmacy as a career should become a pharmacy technician first to get a better handle on drug names and dosages and in the same time view the pharmacist's role from a different angle. At least you can find out if you really want to become a pharmacist.

Some people have been discouraged by the prices some institutes are charging for the Pharm Tech Course. I paid less than nine hundred dollars and completed the course in four months.

If you are in southern California pm me and I will be glad to give you further info regarding Tech schools.

Hospitals are weary about hiring pharm techs right out of school - so I recommend you volunteer in a hospital pharmacy as a pharm tech for a couple of weeks and I guarantee you will be hired, at least part-time.

Hope this helps!

 

[Aires3k]

If you are applying for Fall 2008 I think you will get plenty of experience, especially so you can say in your interview that you actually spent time in a pharmacy and liked it.

where are you volunteering? Does anyone know if retail places like Walgreens take volunteers? What about hospitals? Also, any tips in the Seattle area would be much appreciated!

i think ur decision to consider walgreens for experience may lead u n the right direction. ive recently accepted a position there as a rx tech. they have 8 week programs to train employees to sit for the national certification This should show admission guys your experience in pharmacy thus far n your career and how serious u are about pursuing pharmacy.

also they have opportunities for student employees to get scholarships for tuition. i think to get the intern thing u will need to speak with the volunteer coordinator at your college.

good luck

 

[sdn1977]

does it look good if i work at the braille institute with blind people. community service.

This is actually one of the very best suggestions I've seen on this forum. In fact, if paired with having taken a class in braille language, even better.

What is looked for is consistency - do your volunteer activites reflect your interests & areas of study?

There are other forms this could take - for example, one could be taking breadth courses in women's studies & be volunteering at a shelter for battered women & children.

One could be taking a course in political science with influence on poverty in America and be volunteering at a food bank.

Your thoughts & actions should match up & you can make a wonderful statement.

I will give you one caution though - my daughter actually satisfied her college language requirement with sign language (she went to school at one of the leading deaf research universitities) & also spoke of using sign when she was a counselor during a children's summer camp on her personal statement for medical school. However, when it came time to fill out the AMCAS application - she did not say she was fluent in sign.

She was asked about it frequently, and said she could communicate, but did not consider herself fluent. It was a good thing, because some applicants had their interview conducted in the language they stated they were fluent in. She was fortunate because she was not caught in a potential trap & was able to speak about an underserved area of medicine.

So...bottom line - don't lie!!! But, do try to be consistent in your areas of interest, whatever they are. We do know that sometimes that won't always mesh with your pharmacy exposure. But, you'll be able to tie it all together in your ps if you speak of what one poster mentioned - geriatrics & the issues associated with an aging population. It could be the illiterate, the poor, the homeless, the children, the uninsured...whomever - there are lots of special needs in our field.

Good luck!

 

[omnione]

Many of the statements are dead-on but I do want to add one thing you should consider. Some schools require that an letter of reference come from a pharmacist. I know Washington and Samford had this requirement and I didn't realize it until it was too late.

However, schools do like it if you have service volunteering where people somehow benefit so you're not doomed if you can't get extensive pharmacy experience. If you get an interview, then that would be a great opportunity to show the admissions committee that you have the qualities needed in a pharmacist even if you weren't able to get much pharmacy experience.

 

[cdpiano27]

To me, although it would be very difficult to get this job being only a 2nd or 3rd year undergrad student, would be a research position in one of the big pharmaceutical companies such as Merck, GSK, Pfizer, or even the FDA. THat would show a lot of knowledge of the profession.

But that is just ideal!!!

In fact, there are PharmD's that work for these big companies!! So just do not think that retail is the only way to get experience! Having another type of pharm experience could make you stand out in an impressive way.

 

[tantan]

If you are applying for Fall 2008 I think you will get plenty of experience, especially so you can say in your interview that you actually spent time in a pharmacy and liked it.

where are you volunteering? Does anyone know if retail places like Walgreens take volunteers? What about hospitals? Also, any tips in the Seattle area would be much appreciated!

I volunteered for two years at a hospital pharmacy, but when I asked if I can volunteer at a retail pharmacy they said no, you'd have to be a pharmtech or a cashier.