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Questions to Ask Pharmacy Technician Colleges
Once you have decided whether you would like to earn a certificate or degree, and if you want to enroll in an online program or attend classes on campus, you can begin to target your school options. There are a large number of pharmacy technician programs to select from in the Daly City CA area and throughout the USA, so you must develop a list of qualifying questions so that you can contrast community colleges and trade schools. As we addressed in our introduction, you will probably first start looking for schools that are within both your financial resources and commuting distance from your Daly City residence. If you are willing to move or are going to enroll in an online pharmacy tech college, then location may not be significant. But there are a number of other factors that you need to take into consideration in order to effectively compare programs. The questions below will help you in collecting that information and help you to make your final decision.
Is the Pharmacy Technician Program Accredited? The majority of pharmacist technician colleges and trade schools have obtained 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 screened and certified to offer a complete quality education. Online programs may additionally obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals only with distance or online education. Make sure to check that the degree or certificate program as well as the school you choose are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting agency. Besides helping guarantee that you receive a superior education, it can help in getting financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Also, certification might require that the training program is accredited. And a number of Daly City CA employers will only hire entry level employees that have graduated from an accredited program.
Does the Program Ready You for Certification? Certification is not mandated in every state, but a number of employers desire that the technicians they employ be certified. The pharmacist tech college needs to ready its students to pass the NHA or the PTCB exam. Students interested in obtaining NHA certification will additionally need one year of work experience. This qualification can be satisfied by taking part in a school sponsored internship program.
Does the College Sponsor Internship Programs? As we just discussed, the NHA mandates one year of job experience for certification, which may be satisfied through an internship program. One of the best ways to acquire practical clinical experience as a pharmacy technician is to work out in the field. Most pharmacy tech degree or certificate programs also require clinical training in order to graduate and an internship is a great way to meet the requirement. Ask if the colleges have a working relationship with Daly City CA area pharmacies, hospitals, or clinics for internship programs.
Does the College Offer Job Placement Help? Securing that initial job in Daly City CA upon graduation, particularly with no prior experience, can be a challenging endeavor without any support. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have job placement programs. If they do, 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 substantial network of employer relationships where it can refer graduating students.
Where is the Program Located? For a number of students, the college they decide on will have to be within commuting distance of their Daly City CA residence. Individuals who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. 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 be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges commonly charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.
What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the schools you are considering what the average 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 determination. This will also give you a chance to speak with some of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program also.
Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the pharmacist technician program you finally choose can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you opt to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Daly City CA area, verify that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss because of illness, work or family obligations.