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What to Ask Pharmacy Technician Colleges
Once you have decided whether you wish to attain a degree or a certificate, and if you prefer to enroll in an online program or attend classes on campus, you can begin to target your school options. There are many pharmacy tech colleges to choose from in the Brookfield WI area and throughout the USA, so you should develop a list of qualifying questions so that you can contrast community colleges and vocational schools. As we addressed in our introduction, you will probably first start looking for schools that are within both your financial resources and commuting distance from your Brookfield residence. If you are willing to move or are going to enroll in an online pharmacy tech college, then location may not be significant. But there are many other factors that you should take into consideration in order to adequately compare programs. The questions below will help you to gather that information and help you to make your ultimate decision.
Is the Pharmacy Technician School Accredited? The majority of pharmacy technician colleges and vocational schools have acquired a regional or national accreditation. Among the most highly regarded accrediting organizations is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Schools earning accreditation from the ASHP have been evaluated and certified to provide a complete superior education. Online programs may also receive accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals only with distance or online learning. Be sure to verify that the degree or certificate program together with the school you choose are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education sanctioned accrediting organization. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain a superior education, it can assist in acquiring financial aid or student loans, which are frequently not offered for non-accredited schools. Also, certification may require that the training program is accredited. And a number of Brookfield WI pharmacies will only hire entry level employees that have earned a degree from an accredited school.
Does the Program Ready You for Certification? Certification is not mandated in every state, but many employers desire that the technicians they employ be certified. The pharmacy technician school should prep its students to pass the PTCB or the NHA examination. Students planning on obtaining NHA certification will additionally need 1 year of work experience. This requirement can be fulfilled by entering a college sponsored internship program.
Does the College Provide Internship Programs? As we previously covered, the NHA requires one year of experience for certification, which can be fulfilled 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 degree or certificate programs also require clinical training prior to graduation and an internship is an excellent way to meet the requirement. Check if the programs have a working relationship with Brookfield WI area pharmacies, hospitals, or clinics for internship programs.
Does the College Provide Job Placement Help? Getting that initial job in Brookfield WI upon graduation, especially with no prior experience, can be a daunting task without some help. Ask if the schools you are looking at have job assistance programs. If so, find out what their job placement rates are. A high job placement rate is an indicator that the college has a good reputation within the profession generating demand for its graduates. It also indicates that it has a sizable network of pharmacy relationships where it can refer graduating students.
Where is the School Located? For many students, the school they choose will have to be within travelling distance of their Brookfield WI home. Individuals 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 consider is that if you choose to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required 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 student that prefers to sit way in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly prefer a smaller class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the colleges you are reviewing what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to monitor one or more classes before making your ultimate determination. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with a few of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacist technician program also.
Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you need to confirm that the pharmacist tech college you ultimately choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly essential if you opt to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Brookfield WI area, make sure that they are available. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, check if that is an alternative and how many courses or credit hours you would need to enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss as a result of work, illness or family obligations.