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Points to Ask Pharmacy Technician Colleges
After you have decided whether you want to attain a certificate or degree, and if you want to enroll in an online college or go to classes on campus, you can begin to target your school alternatives. There are a large number of pharmacist tech programs to select from in the West Hills CA area and throughout the USA, so you must create a list of qualifying questions so that you can contrast 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 driving distance from your West Hills home. If you are able to relocate or are going to enroll in an online pharmacy tech program, then location may not be critical. But there are several other issues that you should consider in order to adequately compare colleges. The questions below will help you in gathering that information and help you to make your final choice.
Is the Pharmacy Technician School Accredited? The majority of pharmacy tech colleges and vocational schools have acquired a national or regional accreditation. Among 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 furnish a complete superior education. Online programs may additionally receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals solely with online or distance learning. Be sure to confirm that the certificate or degree program as well as the school you choose are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting organization. In addition to helping make sure that you get a quality education, it can assist in getting financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not offered for non-accredited colleges. Also, certification may require that the training program is accredited. And a number of West Hills CA employers 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 all states, but many employers prefer that the techs they employ are certified. The pharmacy tech school should ready its students to pass the PTCB or the NHA exam. Students interested in obtaining NHA certification will also need one year of job experience. This qualification can be fulfilled by taking part in a college sponsored internship program.
Does the School Sponsor Internship Programs? As we just discussed, the NHA requires one year of professional experience for certification, which can be satisfied by means of an internship program. Perhaps the best way to get practical clinical experience as a pharmacy technician is to train out in the field. Most pharmacy technician degree or certificate programs also require clinical training prior to graduation and an internship is a great way to fulfill the requirement. Find out if the programs have a working relationship with West Hills CA area pharmacies, clinics, or hospitals for internship programs.
Does the School Give Job Placement Help? Getting that first job in West Hills CA upon graduation, particularly with no prior experience, can be a daunting undertaking without some assistance. Ask if the colleges you are reviewing have job placement programs. If so, ask what their job placement rates are. A high job placement rate is an indication that the college has a good reputation within the profession generating demand for its graduates. It also indicates that it has a substantial network of pharmacy relationships where it can refer graduating students.
Where is the Program Located? For many students, the college they pick will need to be within commuting distance of their West Hills CA home. Those who have decided to attend classes online obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. One thing to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a program that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might need to pay a higher tuition. State colleges normally 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 Size are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that likes to sit far in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a smaller class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the colleges you are reviewing what the typical 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 an opportunity to converse with several of the students and instructors 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 program you ultimately choose can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the West Hills CA area, make sure that they are offered. If you can only attend part-time, find out if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to carry. Also, ask what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss because of illness, work or family obligations.