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What to Ask Pharmacy Tech Colleges
After you have determined whether you would like to obtain a degree or a certificate, and if you prefer to enroll in an online school or go to classes on campus, you can start to narrow your school options. There are a large number of pharmacy technician schools to select from in the Dana Point CA area and throughout the United States, so you should develop a list of qualifying questions so that you can compare community colleges and vocational schools. As we discussed in our introduction, you will most likely first start looking for colleges that are within both your financial resources and commuting distance from your Dana Point residence. If you are able to relocate or are going to enroll in an online pharmacy tech college, then location may not be important. But there are many other issues that you must take into consideration in order to properly compare colleges. The following questions will assist you to gather that information and help you to make your final choice.
Is the Pharmacy Tech Program Accredited? The majority of pharmacist tech programs and vocational schools have obtained a national or regional accreditation. Among the most respected accrediting agencies is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Schools earning accreditation from the ASHP have been evaluated and certified to provide a complete superior education. Online colleges may additionally receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals solely with distance or online learning. Be sure to confirm that the certificate or degree program together with the college you select are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education sanctioned accrediting organization. Besides helping make sure that you obtain a quality education, it might help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Also, certification may require that the training program is accredited. And many Dana Point CA employers 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 employers prefer that the technicians they employ are certified. The pharmacy technician program needs to ready its students to pass the NHA or the PTCB examination. Students interested in obtaining NHA certification will additionally need one year of work experience. This qualification can be satisfied by participating in a college sponsored internship program.
Does the School Provide Internship Programs? As we previously discussed, the NHA mandates 1 year of experience for certification, which may be satisfied with an internship program. One of the best ways to acquire hands on clinical experience as a pharmacy technician 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 an excellent way to meet the requirement. Find out if the schools have associations with Dana Point CA area pharmacies, hospitals, or clinics for internship programs.
Does the College Offer Job Placement Assistance? Getting that initial job in Dana Point CA upon graduation, particularly with no experience, can be a challenging endeavor without some assistance. Find out if the schools you are considering have job assistance programs. If so, ask what their job placement rates are. A higher job placement rate is an indication that the college has an excellent reputation within the field generating demand for its graduates. It also signifies that it has a sizable network of pharmacy relationships where it can refer graduates.
Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the college they choose will need to be within commuting distance of their Dana Point CA home. Those who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to keep in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges commonly charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.
How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of student that likes to sit way in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a small class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the colleges you are looking at what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to converse with several of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program also.
Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the pharmacist technician program you ultimately choose can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you choose to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Dana Point CA area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would have to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family obligations.