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What to Ask Pharmacy Tech Colleges
After you have decided whether you want to earn a degree or a certificate, and if you want to enroll in an online school or attend classes on campus, you can begin to target your school alternatives. There are a large number of pharmacist tech programs to choose from in the Bentonville AR area and throughout the USA, so you must develop a list of qualifying questions so that you can contrast colleges and trade schools. As we covered in our introduction, you will probably first start looking for schools that are within both your financial budget and commuting distance from your Bentonville home. If you are willing to relocate or are going to enroll in an online pharmacy tech school, then location may not be critical. But there are a number of other factors that you must consider so that you may properly compare schools. The following questions will help you to gather that information and help you to make your final selection.
Is the Pharmacy Tech Program Accredited? Many pharmacy technician colleges and trade schools have earned a regional or national accreditation. Among the most highly regarded accrediting organizations is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Schools earning accreditation from the ASHP have been evaluated and verified to offer a complete quality education. Online programs may additionally obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals exclusively with distance or online learning. Make sure to verify that the certificate or degree program together with the school you pick are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education sanctioned accrediting agency. Along with helping ensure that you obtain a superior education, it can assist in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited colleges. Also, certification may require that the training program is accredited. And many Bentonville AR employers will only hire entry level employees that have graduated from an accredited program.
Does the College Prepare You for Certification? Certification is not required in every state, but many employers desire that the technicians they employ be certified. The pharmacy tech school should ready its students to pass the PTCB or the NHA examination. Students planning on obtaining NHA certification will additionally need one year of professional experience. This qualification can be met by entering a college sponsored internship program.
Does the College Provide Internship Programs? As we previously discussed, the NHA requires one year of job experience for certification, which can be satisfied by means of an internship program. Perhaps the best way to acquire hands on clinical experience as a pharmacy tech is to work out in the field. Most pharmacy tech degree or certificate programs also require clinical training prior to graduation and an internship is a great way to meet the requirement. Find out if the colleges have associations with Bentonville AR area pharmacies, hospitals, or clinics for internship programs.
Does the College Give Job Placement Assistance? Getting that first job in Bentonville AR upon graduation, particularly with no prior experience, can be a daunting task without any help. Ask if the colleges you are researching have job assistance programs. If so, find out what their job placement rates are. A high job placement rate is an indicator that the school has an excellent reputation within the field creating appeal for its graduates. It also signifies that it has a sizable network of pharmacy relationships where it can place graduating students.
Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the college they choose will need to be within travelling distance of their Bentonville AR residence. Individuals who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. One thing to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.
What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of person that likes to sit far in the rear of the classroom or get lost in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the schools you are looking at what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to talk with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program also.
Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the pharmacist technician school you finally select can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you opt to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Bentonville AR area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family emergencies.