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Questions to Ask Pharmacy Tech Colleges
After you have determined whether you would like to obtain a certificate or degree, 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 numerous pharmacist tech schools to select from in the Grass Valley CA area and throughout the Country, so you need to create a list of qualifying questions so that you can contrast community colleges and technical 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 Grass Valley residence. If you are able to relocate or are have decided to enroll in an online pharmacy tech program, then location may not be significant. But there are a number of other factors that you need to take into consideration in order to adequately compare schools. The questions below will assist you in collecting that information and help you to make your ultimate selection.
Is the Pharmacy Technician Program Accredited? Most pharmacist tech programs and trade schools have obtained a national or regional accreditation. One of the most highly regarded accrediting agencies is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Colleges earning accreditation from the ASHP have been screened and certified to provide a complete quality education. Online schools may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals only with online or distance education. Make sure to check that the degree or certificate program together with the school you select are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Along with helping ensure that you get a quality education, it might help in securing financial assistance or student loans, which are often not accessible for non-accredited colleges. Also, certification might require that the training program is accredited. And many Grass Valley CA employers will only hire entry level employees that have graduated from an accredited program.
Does the College Ready You for Certification? Certification is not required in every state, but a number of pharmacies prefer that the techs they hire be certified. The pharmacy tech program needs to ready its students to pass the PTCB or the NHA examination. Students planning on obtaining NHA certification will additionally need one year of professional experience. This condition can be met by entering a college sponsored internship program.
Does the School Provide Internship Programs? As we just discussed, the NHA mandates a year of experience for certification, which may be fulfilled with an internship program. Perhaps the best way to obtain practical clinical experience as a pharmacy technician is to train out in the field. Most pharmacy technician certificate or degree programs also require clinical training in order to graduate and an internship is an excellent way to satisfy the requirement. Ask if the programs have a working relationship with Grass Valley CA area pharmacies, hospitals, or clinics for internship programs.
Does the College Offer Job Placement Help? Securing that initial position in Grass Valley CA upon graduation, particularly with no experience, can be a challenging undertaking without any help. Ask if the colleges you are researching have job placement programs. If they do, ask what their job placement rates are. A higher job placement rate is an indication that the college has a good reputation within the profession generating demand for its graduates. It also signifies that it has a sizable network of pharmacy relationships where it can place graduates.
Where is the College Located? For a number of students, the college they decide on will have to be within travelling distance of their Grass Valley CA residence. Students who have opted to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. Something to consider is that if you choose 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 typically charge a higher tuition for those students that live outside of their districts.
How Large are the Classes ? 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 undoubtedly want a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the colleges you are reviewing what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse 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 need to confirm that the pharmacist technician program you ultimately choose can furnish the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you opt to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Grass Valley CA area, make certain that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would have to enroll in. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family obligations.