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What to Ask Pharmacy Technician Schools
After you have decided whether you would like to earn a certificate or degree, and if you prefer to enroll in an online college or attend classes on campus, you can begin to target your school options. There are many pharmacist technician schools to pick from in the South Whittier CA area and throughout the Country, so you should develop a list of qualifying questions so that you can compare colleges and vocational schools. As we discussed in our introduction, you will most likely first start looking for programs that are within both your financial resources and driving distance from your South Whittier residence. If you are able to relocate or are going to enroll in an online pharmacy tech school, then location may not be important. But there are several other issues that you should take into consideration in order to adequately compare colleges. The following questions will assist you to gather that information and help you to make your final selection.
Is the Pharmacy Tech College Accredited? Most pharmacy tech programs and vocational schools have earned 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 screened and certified to furnish a comprehensive quality education. Online programs may additionally receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals solely with online or distance education. Be sure to confirm that the certificate or degree program in addition to the college you pick are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. In addition to helping make sure that you obtain a quality education, it might help in getting financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited colleges. Also, certification may require that the training program is accredited. And a number of South Whittier CA pharmacies will only hire entry level employees that have earned a degree from an accredited school.
Does the School Prepare You for Certification? Certification is not required in every state, but a number of employers prefer that the technicians they employ are certified. The pharmacy technician program should prep its students to pass the PTCB or the NHA exam. Students interested in obtaining NHA certification will additionally need one year of job experience. This requirement may be fulfilled by participating in a college sponsored internship program.
Does the College Offer Internship Programs? As we just covered, the NHA requires 1 year of professional experience for certification, which may be satisfied with an internship program. Perhaps the best way to obtain practical clinical experience as a pharmacy tech is to work out in the field. Most pharmacy tech certificate or degree programs also require clinical training prior to graduation and an internship is an excellent way to fulfill the requirement. Check if the programs have a working relationship with South Whittier CA area pharmacies, clinics, or hospitals for internship programs.
Does the College Give Job Placement Help? Getting that initial position in South Whittier CA upon graduation, especially with no professional experience, can be a challenging endeavor without any assistance. Find out if the colleges you are looking at have job placement programs. If so, find out what their job placement rates are. A high job placement rate is an indication that the school has an excellent reputation within the profession creating appeal for its graduates. It also means that it has a substantial network of employer relationships where it can place graduating students.
Where is the College Located? For a lot of students, the school they choose will need to be within commuting distance of their South Whittier CA residence. Students who have opted to attend online classes naturally will not have to worry themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of concern. One thing to keep in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a school 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 commonly charge a higher tuition to those students that don't reside within their districts.
What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the type of student that prefers to sit far in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a small class size. Small classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the schools you are looking at 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 a chance to converse with several of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy technician program also.
Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the pharmacy technician 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 night or weekend classes in the South Whittier CA area, verify that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would need to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss due to work, illness or family emergencies.