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What to Ask Pharmacy Tech Programs
Once you have determined whether you want to attain a degree or a certificate, and if you want 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 pharmacy technician colleges to choose from in the Jonesboro AR area and throughout the United States, so you must create a list of qualifying questions so that you can contrast colleges and vocational schools. As we addressed in our introduction, you will most likely initially look for colleges that are within both your financial resources and driving distance from your Jonesboro residence. If you are willing to relocate or are have decided to enroll in an online pharmacy tech college, then location may not be important. But there are several other issues that you must take into consideration in order to adequately compare colleges. The questions below will assist you in gathering that information and help you to make your ultimate choice.
Is the Pharmacy Tech Program Accredited? Many pharmacy tech programs and trade schools have acquired a national or regional accreditation. One of the most highly regarded accrediting organizations is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Programs earning accreditation from the ASHP have been evaluated and verified to provide a complete superior education. Online colleges may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals exclusively with online or distance education. Don't forget to check that the degree or certificate program in addition to the college you pick are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Besides helping guarantee that you get a quality education, it might assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not accessible for non-accredited colleges. Also, certification may require that the training program is accredited. And many Jonesboro AR 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 numerous pharmacies prefer that the techs they employ are certified. The pharmacy tech program needs to prep its students to pass the NHA or the PTCB exam. Students interested in obtaining NHA certification will additionally need one year of job experience. This qualification may be fulfilled by participating in a college sponsored internship program.
Does the School Offer Internship Programs? As we just covered, the NHA requires one year of professional experience for certification, which may be met with an internship program. One of the best ways to get hands on clinical experience as a pharmacy technician is to train out in the field. Most pharmacy technician certificate or degree programs also require practical training in order to graduate and an internship is an excellent way to fulfill the requirement. Find out if the colleges have associations with Jonesboro AR area pharmacies, hospitals, or clinics for internship programs.
Does the School Offer Job Placement Help? Securing that initial position in Jonesboro AR upon graduation, particularly with no professional experience, can be a challenging undertaking without any support. Ask if the schools you are researching have job placement programs. If they do, find out what their job placement rates are. A high job placement rate is an indicator that the college has an excellent reputation within the field creating appeal for its graduates. It also means that it has a large network of pharmacy contacts where it can refer graduating students.
Where is the College Located? For many students, the college they choose will need to be within travelling distance of their Jonesboro AR residence. Those who have opted to attend online classes naturally will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of concern. Something to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges normally charge a higher tuition for those students that don't reside within their districts.
What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the type of student that prefers to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the colleges you are researching what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate decision. This will also give you a chance to converse with some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.
Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the pharmacist tech program you finally pick can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you choose to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Jonesboro AR area, check that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, find out what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies.