Hello,
I'm studying to be a CPhT and I'll be able to graduate/work before I enter college in September to help pay for tuition and other expenses.
I was wondering if working as a CPhT is manageable while being a full time student at university. There's plenty of CVS and private pharmacies near my school, I've already checked out one that has a pharmacy.
also, will this be beneficial towards the long-run? How big of a factor do Pharmacy schools put into having experience in the pharmacy field?
edit: I'm unclear about this whole pharmacy school situation, are people getting their B.S. in a four-year AND then applying out to pharmacy school? Or is it 2 years, then apply to a pre-pharm program?
thanks--
also, will this be beneficial towards the long-run? How big of a factor do Pharmacy schools put into having experience in the pharmacy field?
Depends on the school, but many schools would like you to have experience in the field before applying. Look at it this way: Person A has no experience in the field of pharmacy, Person B has some experience in the field of pharmacy by working as a pharm tech or volunteer. Which person do YOU think the SCHOOL will think is more serious about becoming a pharmacist. In addition, a lot of schools require a letter of recommendation from a pharmacist as part of the application process.
In addition, I think gaining experience in the field would be great because it gives you an idea of the type of pharmacy you want to go into. Maybe you'll love retail, or maybe you'll hate it and want to do something else.
Edit: also try not to overstress yourself, if you feel you can't handle the workload then DO NOT work during the school year, save that for summer or something instead. There are also many places that accept volunteer positions that only need to volunteer a few hours a week
edit: I'm unclear about this whole pharmacy school situation, are people getting their B.S. in a four-year AND then applying out to pharmacy school? Or is it 2 years, then apply to a pre-pharm program?
A pre-pharmacy program
typically means that you enroll from HS and enter the college program. You complete a list of courses as pre-requisites and as long as you meet GPA and complete their application/interview process correctly you'll continue through to pharm school without needing to get a degree in undergrad. However, the caveat to this is that if you do poorly in undergrad and don't meet your requirements, you are either forced to get a degree you may not want or to drop out of the program. The advantage of the program is to get you out of grad school earlier.
On the other hand, getting a BS first then applying to pharmacy school gives you more flexibility. You will be able to, in my opinion, find work more easily with a BS under your belt and can work while applying to pharm school n such. Getting a BS means that you dont have to choose your pharm school right then and there, it means you can ultimately 'decide' (depending on your grades) what pharm school you want to go to. Downfall? More time spent in undergrad and grad and more money spent.
Be very careful if you decide to go through with the pre-pharm program. Look at your flexibility to get out of the program, if your school's credits will be easily transferable to another institution or will fit the pre-reqs of another institution. Going off what I've seen from my pre-pharm program, the people who applied to other pharm schools out of the program had a much harder time and ended up doing more work.
Edit: There are a lot of Pharm Schools that require a BS...so don't enter a pre-pharm program and just drop halfway through because you want to go to another pharm school. You'll either need to get the BS or complete the program.
