It Takes Just a Few Minutes to Start Your Pharmacy Tech Career Below
Questions to Ask Pharmacy Technician Colleges
After you have decided whether you want to attain a degree or a certificate, and if you prefer to enroll in an online school or attend classes on campus, you can begin to narrow your school options. There are numerous pharmacist tech colleges to pick from in the Grand Chute WI area and throughout the USA, so you should develop a list of qualifying questions so that you can compare community colleges and trade schools. As we addressed in our introduction, you will probably initially look for programs that are within both your financial budget and driving distance from your Grand Chute home. If you are willing to move or are have decided to enroll in an online pharmacy tech college, then location may not be significant. But there are several other factors that you need to consider in order to effectively compare colleges. The following questions will assist you in collecting that information and help you to make your ultimate choice.
Is the Pharmacy Technician Program Accredited? The majority of pharmacist tech programs and trade schools have earned a regional or national accreditation. Among the most respected accrediting organizations is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Programs earning accreditation from the ASHP have been screened and certified to offer a complete quality education. Online programs may also obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals only with online or distance education. Don't forget to check that the certificate or degree program in addition to the school you select are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Besides helping ensure that you get a quality education, it may assist in acquiring financial assistance or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Also, certification might require that the program of training is accredited. And a number of Grand Chute WI 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 a number of pharmacies prefer that the techs they hire are certified. The pharmacist technician college needs to prepare 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 may be fulfilled by entering a school sponsored internship program.
Does the College Provide Internship Programs? As we previously covered, the NHA requires a year of experience for certification, which may be met with an internship program. One of the best ways to acquire practical clinical experience as a pharmacy technician is to work out in the field. Most pharmacy technician degree or certificate programs also require clinical training in order to graduate and an internship is a great way to meet the requirement. Check if the schools have associations with Grand Chute WI area pharmacies, clinics, or hospitals for internship programs.
Does the College Give Job Placement Assistance? Securing that first position in Grand Chute WI upon graduation, especially with no professional experience, can be a challenging endeavor without some assistance. Ask if the colleges you are considering 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 an excellent reputation within the field generating demand for its graduates. It also means that it has a large network of employer relationships where it can place graduates.
Where is the School Located? For many students, the school they select will have to be within driving distance of their Grand Chute WI residence. Those who have chosen 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 concern. One thing to consider is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might be required 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 live outside of their districts.
How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the kind of person that prefers to sit way in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the colleges you are researching 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 ultimate decision. This will also give you an opportunity to speak with several 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 need to verify that the pharmacist technician college you finally select can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially crucial if you decide to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Grand Chute WI area, confirm that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, check if that is an alternative and how many credit hours or courses you would have to carry. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of illness, work or family obligations.