Where to Volunteer?

[vornskr1030]

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Just wondering, which would be a better first-time exposure to pharmacy: volunteering at a retail pharmacy or at a hospital? I'm thinking about applying for this volunteer program held at an Elephant Pharmacy nearby, but I'm not sure if it'd be more helpful to volunteer at an actual hospital or even just shadow a clinical pharmacist a few times. (I've just started looking into pharmacy, so I'm trying to a get an idea about what the field is like.)

 

[DownonthePharm]

I've heard that you learn more at the hospital, because you arent dealing with insurance billings and you make IVs and fill drug carts, and they are more hospitable 😀 to volunteering. But I think most pharmacy graduates end up working in retail at least for a while, so you might want to know what thats all about.

 

[jky007]

personally, i was lucky and landed my first pharmacy experience in a hospital.. i definitely recommend it! i work in a more community/retail setting now, and when comparing the two, i had much more responsibilities in the hospital pharmacy. you're exposed to more there instead of just patients dropping off prescriptions/refills and asking about insurance. i think there are more opportunities to learn in the hospital setting, though both are different. i would go for a hospital position first if you have the choice! 🙂

 

[vornskr1030]

Thanks for the advice! I was told the competition for the retail volunteering was pretty tough, so I guess I'll try to get something at a hospital if it doesn't work out. (By the way, how do I go about doing that? just call them?)

 

[OSURxgirl]

Actually, most retail pharmacy chains aren't allowed to take volunteers.

 

[Minghoo]

Just wondering, which would be a better first-time exposure to pharmacy: volunteering at a retail pharmacy or at a hospital? I'm thinking about applying for this volunteer program held at an Elephant Pharmacy nearby, but I'm not sure if it'd be more helpful to volunteer at an actual hospital or even just shadow a clinical pharmacist a few times. (I've just started looking into pharmacy, so I'm trying to a get an idea about what the field is like.)

Yea I was working in a hospital doing clinical research and I volunteered at the hospital inpatient pharmacy. It's a really good experience...very busy and you get a lot of exposure to various fields. I don't think most places allow you to shadow clinical pharmacists but I could be wrong.

Where city do you live in?

 

[vornskr1030]

Yea I was working in a hospital doing clinical research and I volunteered at the hospital inpatient pharmacy. It's a really good experience...very busy and you get a lot of exposure to various fields. I don't think most places allow you to shadow clinical pharmacists but I could be wrong.

Where city do you live in?

I'm at UC Berkeley right now. I notice that's where you went as well (University of Berkeley? hehe). Did you go to Alta Bates or something?

I had originally wanted to go into Elephant Pharmacy to shadow a pharmacist, but I was told that it would intrude on patient privacy. But they told me about their volunteer program that I could try to apply for. I think it's run by Berkeley students or something, I'm not really sure. When I asked about what sort of duties are involved, it sounded pretty clerical to me (restocking, answering phones, etc), but I guess you have to start somewhere...