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What to Ask Pharmacy Tech Colleges
After you have decided whether you want to attain a degree or a certificate, and if you prefer to enroll in an online school or attend classes on campus, you can start to narrow your school options. There are a large number of pharmacist tech schools to choose from in the Sierra Vista Southeast AZ area and throughout the United States, so you need to develop a list of qualifying questions so that you can contrast community colleges and trade schools. As we discussed in our introduction, you will probably first start looking for programs that are within both your financial budget and driving distance from your Sierra Vista Southeast home. If you are able to move or are going to enroll in an online pharmacy tech school, then location may not be important. But there are several other issues that you should take into consideration in order to effectively compare schools. The questions below will assist you to gather that information and help you to make your ultimate choice.
Is the Pharmacy Technician Program Accredited? The majority of pharmacy technician colleges and vocational schools have earned a national or regional accreditation. Among the most respected accrediting agencies is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Programs earning accreditation from the ASHP have been evaluated and verified to furnish a complete quality education. Online colleges may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals only with distance or online education. Don't forget to check that the certificate or degree program as well as the college you pick are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education sanctioned accrediting organization. Besides helping make sure that you receive a superior education, it might help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not offered for non-accredited schools. Also, certification may require that the training program is accredited. And a number of Sierra Vista Southeast AZ pharmacies will only hire entry level employees that have earned a degree from an accredited school.
Does the Program Ready You for Certification? Certification is not required in all states, but many pharmacies desire that the techs they employ are certified. The pharmacist tech program needs to ready its students to pass the NHA or the PTCB examination. Students planning on obtaining NHA certification will additionally need one year of professional experience. This condition can be met by entering a college sponsored internship program.
Does the School Offer Internship Programs? As we just covered, the NHA requires 1 year of job experience for certification, which can be fulfilled through an internship program. One of the best ways to acquire hands on clinical experience as a pharmacy tech is to train out in the field. Most pharmacy technician certificate or degree programs also require practical training prior to graduation and an internship is an excellent way to fulfill the requirement. Ask if the colleges have associations with Sierra Vista Southeast AZ area pharmacies, clinics, or hospitals for internship programs.
Does the School Provide Job Placement Assistance? Getting that first position in Sierra Vista Southeast AZ upon graduation, particularly with no experience, can be a challenging undertaking without any support. Find out if the colleges you are researching have job placement programs. If so, find out what their job placement rates are. A higher job placement rate is an indication that the college has a good reputation within the field creating appeal for its graduates. It also means that it has a sizable network of pharmacy contacts where it can place graduates.
Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the college they choose will have to be within travelling distance of their Sierra Vista Southeast AZ residence. Students who have chosen to attend classes online obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to keep 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 be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically charge a higher tuition to those students that don't reside within their districts.
What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit way in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the schools you are looking at what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you a chance to speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.
Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the pharmacy tech college you ultimately choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you decide to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Sierra Vista Southeast AZ area, make sure that they are available. 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 have to carry. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family emergencies.