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Points to Ask Pharmacy Technician Schools
After you have decided whether you would like to attain a degree or a certificate, and if you prefer to enroll in an online school or attend classes on campus, you can start to target your school options. There are numerous pharmacist technician colleges to select from in the San Bernardino CA area and throughout the USA, so you should develop a list of qualifying questions so that you can compare colleges and trade schools. As we covered in our introduction, you will undoubtedly first start looking for schools that are within both your financial budget and driving distance from your San Bernardino residence. If you are willing to move or are going to enroll in an online pharmacy tech college, then location may not be critical. But there are a number of other factors that you should consider in order to adequately compare schools. The following questions will help you in collecting that information and help you to make your final selection.
Is the Pharmacy Technician School Accredited? Many pharmacist technician programs and trade schools have acquired a regional or national accreditation. One of the most respected accrediting agencies is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Programs earning accreditation from the ASHP have been evaluated and verified to provide a comprehensive quality education. Online colleges may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals solely with online or distance education. Make sure to confirm that the degree or certificate program as well as the school you pick are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education recognized accrediting organization. Along with helping ensure that you get a quality education, it may help in getting financial aid or student loans, which are often not accessible for non-accredited colleges. Also, certification might require that the program of training is accredited. And many San Bernardino CA pharmacies 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 numerous employers desire that the techs they hire are certified. The pharmacy technician program should ready its students to pass the NHA or the PTCB exam. Students interested in obtaining NHA certification will also need one year of professional experience. This qualification can be satisfied by participating in a school sponsored internship program.
Does the School Provide Internship Programs? As we previously discussed, the NHA mandates one year of job experience for certification, which may be met through an internship program. Perhaps the best way to acquire hands on 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 satisfy the requirement. Ask if the programs have a working relationship with San Bernardino CA area pharmacies, hospitals, or clinics for internship programs.
Does the College Offer Job Placement Assistance? Securing that first position in San Bernardino CA upon graduation, particularly with no experience, can be a daunting task without any assistance. Ask if the schools you are considering have job assistance programs. If they do, ask what their job placement rates are. A high 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 substantial network of employer relationships where it can place graduates.
Where is the College Located? For many students, the school they select will need to be within travelling distance of their San Bernardino CA residence. Individuals who have decided 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. One thing to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition to those students that don't reside within their districts.
What Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit way in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the schools you are researching what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with some of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.
Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the pharmacist tech college you finally select can provide the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you opt to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the San Bernardino CA area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, 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 might miss as a result of work, illness or family obligations.