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What to Ask Pharmacy Technician Colleges
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 go to classes on campus, you can start to narrow your school options. There are a large number of pharmacy tech colleges to pick from in the East San Gabriel CA area and throughout the USA, so you must develop a list of qualifying questions so that you can compare community colleges and technical schools. As we covered in our introduction, you will probably first start looking for colleges that are within both your financial resources and commuting distance from your East San Gabriel residence. If you are able to move or are going to enroll in an online pharmacy tech college, then location may not be significant. But there are many other factors that you need to consider in order to effectively compare colleges. The following questions will help you in collecting that information and help you to make your final selection.
Is the Pharmacy Tech Program Accredited? Many pharmacist technician colleges and vocational schools have earned a national or regional accreditation. One of 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 colleges may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals only with online or distance education. Be sure to check that the certificate or degree program as well as the school you pick are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education sanctioned accrediting organization. In addition to helping guarantee that you receive a quality education, it may help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not available for non-accredited schools. Also, certification may require that the training program is accredited. And a number of East San Gabriel CA pharmacies 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 pharmacies desire that the techs they employ are certified. The pharmacy technician school needs to prep its students to pass the PTCB or the NHA exam. Students planning on obtaining NHA certification will also need one year of professional experience. This qualification may be fulfilled by participating in a school sponsored internship program.
Does the College Sponsor Internship Programs? As we just covered, the NHA requires 1 year of job experience for certification, which may be fulfilled through an internship program. One of the best ways to acquire practical clinical experience as a pharmacy tech is to train 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 fulfill the requirement. Check if the schools have a working relationship with East San Gabriel CA area pharmacies, hospitals, or clinics for internship programs.
Does the School Give Job Placement Assistance? Finding that first position in East San Gabriel CA upon graduation, particularly with no professional experience, can be a daunting undertaking without any assistance. Find out if the colleges you are considering have job placement programs. If so, find out what their job placement rates are. A high job placement rate is an indicator that the school has a good reputation within the field creating appeal for its graduates. It also means that it has a substantial network of pharmacy contacts where it can refer graduating students.
Where is the College Located? For many students, the school they pick will need to be within travelling distance of their East San Gabriel CA home. Those who have chosen to attend online classes naturally will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.
How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of student that likes to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a smaller class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the schools you are considering what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with several of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program also.
Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the pharmacist tech college you finally choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you decide to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the East San Gabriel CA area, verify 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 enroll in. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of illness, work or family emergencies.