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What to Ask Pharmacy Technician Colleges
Once you have determined whether you wish to attain a certificate or degree, and if you prefer to enroll in an online college or go to classes on campus, you can begin to narrow your school options. There are numerous pharmacist tech programs to select from in the Daphne AL area and throughout the USA, so you should develop a list of qualifying questions so that you can contrast colleges and technical schools. As we addressed in our introduction, you will most likely initially look for schools that are within both your financial resources and commuting distance from your Daphne residence. If you are willing to relocate or are going to enroll in an online pharmacy tech college, then location may not be important. But there are several other factors that you must consider in order to adequately compare colleges. The questions below will assist you to gather that information and help you to make your final choice.
Is the Pharmacy Technician College Accredited? Most pharmacist technician colleges and vocational schools have obtained a regional or national accreditation. Among the most respected accrediting organizations is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Programs earning accreditation from the ASHP have been evaluated and verified to furnish a comprehensive quality education. Online schools may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals only with online or distance learning. Make sure to confirm that the degree or certificate program together with the school you choose are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides helping make sure that you obtain a superior education, it might help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited colleges. Also, certification may mandate that the program of training is accredited. And a number of Daphne AL employers will only hire entry level employees that have earned a degree from an accredited school.
Does the College Prepare You for Certification? Certification is not required in all states, but many pharmacies desire that the technicians they hire are certified. The pharmacist technician school should ready its students to pass the NHA or the PTCB exam. Students interested in obtaining NHA certification will also need 1 year of job experience. This qualification may be satisfied by participating in a school sponsored internship program.
Does the School Offer Internship Programs? As we previously covered, the NHA mandates a year of professional experience for certification, which may be satisfied through an internship program. Perhaps the best way to acquire practical clinical experience as a pharmacy technician is to train out in the field. Most pharmacy tech certificate or degree programs also require clinical training in order to graduate and an internship is an excellent way to meet the requirement. Ask if the colleges have associations with Daphne AL area pharmacies, hospitals, or clinics for internship programs.
Does the College Give Job Placement Help? Getting that first position in Daphne AL upon graduation, especially with no experience, can be a challenging endeavor without some support. Ask if the colleges you are considering have job assistance programs. If so, find out what their job placement rates are. A high job placement rate is an indication that the school has a good reputation within the profession creating appeal for its graduates. It also signifies that it has a large network of pharmacy contacts where it can refer graduating students.
Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the college they decide on will need to be within travelling distance of their Daphne AL residence. Individuals who have decided to attend classes online obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. One thing to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.
What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit far in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will likely want a smaller class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the schools you are looking at what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program also.
Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to confirm that the pharmacist technician program you ultimately select can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you decide to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Daphne AL area, confirm that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss because of illness, work or family obligations.