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Questions to Ask Pharmacy Tech Colleges
After you have determined whether you wish to attain a certificate or degree, and if you want to enroll in an online college or attend classes on campus, you can start to narrow your school options. There are many pharmacist technician schools to select from in the National City CA area and throughout the Country, so you must develop a list of qualifying questions so that you can contrast community colleges and trade schools. As we covered in our introduction, you will undoubtedly initially look for schools that are within both your financial resources and commuting distance from your National City home. If you are able to move or are have decided to enroll in an online pharmacy tech college, then location may not be significant. But there are several other factors that you must 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 ultimate choice.
Is the Pharmacy Tech Program Accredited? The majority of pharmacy tech colleges and vocational schools have earned a national or regional accreditation. Among the most respected accrediting organizations is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Schools earning accreditation from the ASHP have been evaluated and verified to provide a complete quality education. Online colleges may additionally obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals only with online or distance education. Be sure to verify that the certificate or degree program in addition to the college you pick are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education sanctioned accrediting agency. Along with helping ensure that you get a superior education, it may help in getting financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not accessible for non-accredited colleges. Also, certification might mandate that the program of training is accredited. And a number of National City CA pharmacies will only hire entry level employees that have earned a degree from an accredited school.
Does the School Ready You for Certification? Certification is not required in every state, but many employers prefer that the techs they hire be certified. The pharmacist technician college should ready its students to pass the NHA or the PTCB examination. Students planning on obtaining NHA certification will additionally need 1 year of job experience. This qualification may be fulfilled by taking part in a school sponsored internship program.
Does the School Offer Internship Programs? As we previously covered, the NHA mandates 1 year of job experience for certification, which may be satisfied with an internship program. One of the best ways to get practical clinical experience as a pharmacy technician 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 a great way to satisfy the requirement. Check if the schools have a working relationship with National City CA area pharmacies, clinics, or hospitals for internship programs.
Does the School Offer Job Placement Help? Finding that initial job in National City CA after graduation, especially with no professional experience, can be a daunting undertaking 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 indicator that the college has an excellent reputation within the field creating appeal for its graduates. It also signifies that it has a substantial network of employer contacts where it can place graduating students.
Where is the School Located? For many students, the college they choose will need to be within driving distance of their National City CA residence. Students 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 consider is that if you choose to enroll in a program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges frequently charge a higher tuition to those students that don't reside within their districts.
What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit way in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the schools you are considering what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with a few of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist tech program also.
Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the pharmacist technician program you finally select can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you opt to continue working while you attend school. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the National City CA area, make sure 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 enroll in. Also, ask what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.