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What to Ask Pharmacy Tech Schools
Once you have determined whether you want to attain a degree or a certificate, and if you prefer to enroll in an online school or go to classes on campus, you can start to target your school options. There are numerous pharmacy technician colleges to pick from in the Thousand Oaks CA area and throughout the United States, so you must develop a list of qualifying questions so that you can compare colleges and technical schools. As we addressed in our introduction, you will undoubtedly first start looking for colleges that are within both your financial budget and driving distance from your Thousand Oaks home. If you are able to relocate or are have decided to enroll in an online pharmacy tech college, then location may not be important. But there are many other issues that you should consider so that you may effectively compare colleges. The following questions will help you to gather that information and help you to make your final choice.
Is the Pharmacy Technician College Accredited? Most pharmacy tech programs and trade schools have acquired a regional or national accreditation. Among the most highly regarded accrediting organizations is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Programs earning accreditation from the ASHP have been screened and certified to provide a complete quality education. Online programs may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals solely with distance or online learning. Don't forget to confirm that the certificate or degree program as well as the school you select are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education sanctioned accrediting agency. Besides helping ensure that you receive a quality education, it might help in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not offered for non-accredited schools. Also, certification might require that the program of training is accredited. And many Thousand Oaks CA employers 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 pharmacies desire that the technicians they hire be certified. The pharmacy tech college should prepare its students to pass the PTCB or the NHA examination. Students planning on obtaining NHA certification will also need 1 year of professional experience. This condition can be fulfilled by entering a school sponsored internship program.
Does the School Offer Internship Programs? As we just covered, the NHA mandates a year of professional experience for certification, which can be satisfied through an internship program. Perhaps the best way to acquire practical clinical experience as a pharmacy technician 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 a great way to meet the requirement. Find out if the schools have a working relationship with Thousand Oaks CA area pharmacies, hospitals, or clinics for internship programs.
Does the School Provide Job Placement Help? Securing that initial position in Thousand Oaks CA upon graduation, particularly with no prior experience, can be a challenging endeavor without any assistance. Find out if the colleges you are reviewing have job assistance programs. If so, find out what their job placement rates are. A high job placement rate is an indicator that the school has an excellent reputation within the field generating appeal for its graduates. It also indicates that it has a substantial network of pharmacy relationships where it can refer graduates.
Where is the School Located? For a lot of students, the school they select will have to be within driving distance of their Thousand Oaks CA residence. Students who have decided to attend online classes naturally will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. Something to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges typically charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges generally charge a higher tuition for 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 back of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the schools you are reviewing 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 final decision. This will also give you a chance to speak with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program as well.
Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to verify that the pharmacy tech school you ultimately select can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you choose to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Thousand Oaks CA area, confirm that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an option and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.