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Questions to Ask Pharmacy Technician Programs
Once you have determined whether you would like to earn 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 numerous pharmacist technician schools to choose from in the El Dorado Hills CA area and throughout the United States, so you must create 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 driving distance from your El Dorado Hills 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 should take into consideration so that you may adequately compare schools. The questions below will assist you to gather that information and help you to make your ultimate decision.
Is the Pharmacy Technician College Accredited? Many pharmacy tech programs and trade 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). Colleges earning accreditation from the ASHP have been evaluated and certified to offer a complete superior education. Online programs may additionally obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals solely with distance or online learning. Make sure to check that the certificate or degree program together with the school you pick are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to helping ensure that you obtain a quality education, it can help in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not accessible for non-accredited colleges. Also, certification may require that the training program is accredited. And many El Dorado Hills CA employers 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 every state, but a number of pharmacies prefer that the technicians they hire are certified. The pharmacist tech school should prep its students to pass the NHA or the PTCB examination. Students planning on obtaining NHA certification will additionally need 1 year of work experience. This condition can be met by taking part in a school sponsored internship program.
Does the School Sponsor Internship Programs? As we just covered, the NHA mandates 1 year of experience for certification, which can be satisfied by means of an internship program. Perhaps the best way to acquire hands on clinical experience as a pharmacy tech is to work out in the field. Most pharmacy tech degree or certificate programs also require practical training prior to graduation and an internship is an excellent way to meet the requirement. Check if the schools have a working relationship with El Dorado Hills CA area pharmacies, clinics, or hospitals for internship programs.
Does the College Offer Job Placement Assistance? Securing that first job in El Dorado Hills CA upon graduation, especially with no experience, can be a challenging task without any help. Find out if the schools you are looking at have job assistance programs. If so, find out what their job placement rates are. A higher job placement rate is an indication that the school has an excellent reputation within the field generating demand for its graduates. It also means that it has a sizable network of pharmacy contacts where it can refer graduating students.
Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the college they choose will have to be within driving distance of their El Dorado Hills CA home. Students who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to worry 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 decide to enroll in a school 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 generally charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.
What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit far in the back of class or get lost in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a small class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the schools you are researching what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with a few of the instructors and students to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program also.
Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the pharmacy tech school you ultimately pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you opt to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the El Dorado Hills CA area, check 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 enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss due to illness, work or family emergencies.