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Points to Ask Pharmacy Tech Schools
After you have decided whether you wish to attain a degree or a certificate, and if you prefer to enroll in an online college or attend classes on campus, you can begin to narrow your school alternatives. There are numerous pharmacist technician colleges to select from in the Newport Beach CA area and throughout the Country, so you should create a list of qualifying questions so that you can contrast colleges and vocational schools. As we covered in our introduction, you will probably first start looking for programs that are within both your financial resources and commuting distance from your Newport Beach residence. If you are able to relocate or are going to enroll in an online pharmacy tech college, then location may not be significant. But there are several other factors that you need to consider so that you may adequately compare colleges. The following questions will help you in gathering that information and help you to make your ultimate choice.
Is the Pharmacy Technician School Accredited? The majority of pharmacy technician colleges and trade schools have obtained a regional or national accreditation. One of the most respected accrediting agencies is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Colleges earning accreditation from the ASHP have been screened and certified to furnish a comprehensive superior education. Online schools may additionally earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals only with online or distance education. Make sure to verify that the certificate or degree program in addition to the college you choose are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Along with helping make sure that you receive a superior education, it may assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Also, certification might mandate that the training program is accredited. And a number of Newport Beach CA pharmacies will only hire entry level employees that have earned a degree from an accredited school.
Does the College Ready You for Certification? Certification is not mandated in every state, but numerous pharmacies prefer that the technicians they hire are certified. The pharmacist technician program should prep its students to pass the PTCB or the NHA examination. Students interested in obtaining NHA certification will additionally need one year of work experience. This condition can be fulfilled by taking part in a college sponsored internship program.
Does the School Provide Internship Programs? As we previously discussed, the NHA requires 1 year of professional experience for certification, which may be satisfied through an internship program. One of the best ways to obtain practical clinical experience as a pharmacy technician is to work out in the field. Most pharmacy tech certificate or degree programs also require practical training in order to graduate and an internship is a great way to satisfy the requirement. Check if the schools have associations with Newport Beach CA area pharmacies, hospitals, or clinics for internship programs.
Does the School Offer Job Placement Help? Finding that initial job in Newport Beach CA after graduation, particularly with no professional experience, can be a daunting task without some help. Find out if the colleges you are considering have job placement programs. If they do, ask what their job placement rates are. A high job placement rate is an indicator that the college has an excellent reputation within the profession creating appeal for its graduates. It also indicates that it has a large network of employer contacts where it can place graduating students.
Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the school they select will need to be within travelling distance of their Newport Beach CA residence. Those who have chosen to attend online classes obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. One thing to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally 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 likes to sit far in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably prefer a small class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the colleges you are researching 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 determination. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.
Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the pharmacist technician college you ultimately pick can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly important if you decide to continue working while you attend school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Newport Beach CA area, check that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would have to carry. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family emergencies.