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Points to Ask Pharmacy Technician Schools
After you have decided whether you would like to attain a degree or a certificate, and if you want to enroll in an online college or attend classes on campus, you can start to target your school options. There are many pharmacy tech programs to choose from in the Ceres CA area and throughout the United States, so you must create a list of qualifying questions so that you can compare colleges and vocational schools. As we covered in our introduction, you will most likely first start looking for schools that are within both your financial budget and driving distance from your Ceres residence. If you are willing to move or are have decided to enroll in an online pharmacy tech school, then location may not be critical. But there are many other issues that you should take into consideration in order to adequately compare colleges. The questions below will help you in gathering that information and help you to make your ultimate decision.
Is the Pharmacy Technician Program Accredited? Many pharmacy technician colleges and vocational schools have acquired a national or regional accreditation. Among the most highly regarded accrediting agencies is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Programs 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 education. Make sure to verify that the certificate or degree program as well as the college you select are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education sanctioned accrediting agency. In addition to helping guarantee that you obtain a superior education, it can help in getting financial aid or student loans, which are often not accessible for non-accredited schools. Also, certification may require that the program of training is accredited. And many Ceres CA pharmacies will only hire entry level employees that have earned a degree from an accredited school.
Does the Program Prepare You for Certification? Certification is not mandated in all states, but numerous employers prefer that the technicians they employ be certified. The pharmacist technician college needs to prep its students to pass the PTCB or the NHA examination. Students interested in obtaining NHA certification will also need one year of professional experience. This qualification may be satisfied by entering a college sponsored internship program.
Does the College Offer Internship Programs? As we previously discussed, the NHA requires 1 year of professional experience for certification, which can be met by means of an internship program. One of the best ways to obtain hands on clinical experience as a pharmacy tech 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 a great way to meet the requirement. Check if the schools have a working relationship with Ceres CA area pharmacies, clinics, or hospitals for internship programs.
Does the School Give Job Placement Help? Getting that initial position in Ceres CA after graduation, especially with no professional experience, can be a difficult undertaking without any support. Ask if the schools you are considering have job assistance programs. If so, find out what their job placement rates are. A higher job placement rate is an indicator that the college has an excellent reputation within the profession generating appeal for its graduates. It also means that it has a large network of pharmacy relationships where it can refer graduates.
Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the college they pick will have to be within travelling distance of their Ceres CA home. Those who have chosen to attend classes online obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required 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 are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of person that likes to sit far in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will likely prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the schools you are researching what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. 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 converse with several of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program as well.
Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you must verify that the pharmacist tech program you finally select can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Ceres CA area, make certain that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you might miss because of illness, work or family obligations.