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What to Ask Pharmacy Tech Schools
After you have decided whether you would like to attain a certificate or degree, and if you prefer to enroll in an online program or attend classes on campus, you can begin to narrow your school alternatives. There are many pharmacy tech schools to choose from in the Greenfield WI area and throughout the Country, so you should develop a list of qualifying questions so that you can contrast community colleges and technical schools. As we discussed in our introduction, you will most likely first start looking for schools that are within both your financial resources and commuting distance from your Greenfield home. If you are able to relocate or are going to enroll in an online pharmacy tech school, then location may not be significant. But there are a number of other issues that you need to take into consideration in order to properly compare colleges. The questions below will help you in collecting that information and help you to make your ultimate choice.
Is the Pharmacy Technician Program Accredited? Many pharmacy technician colleges and trade schools have acquired a regional or national accreditation. Among the most respected accrediting organizations is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Schools earning accreditation from the ASHP have been evaluated and verified to provide a complete quality education. Online programs may additionally earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals exclusively with online or distance education. Be sure to confirm that the certificate or degree program in addition to the school you pick are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education sanctioned accrediting agency. In addition to helping ensure that you get a quality education, it may help in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Also, certification might mandate that the program of training is accredited. And many Greenfield WI employers will only hire entry level employees that have earned a degree from an accredited school.
Does the College Prepare You for Certification? Certification is not required in every state, but numerous pharmacies prefer that the technicians they hire be certified. The pharmacist technician program needs to prepare its students to pass the NHA or the PTCB examination. Students interested in obtaining NHA certification will also need 1 year of professional experience. This requirement can be satisfied by entering a college sponsored internship program.
Does the College Provide Internship Programs? As we just covered, the NHA requires 1 year of job experience for certification, which can be fulfilled through an internship program. Perhaps the best way to obtain hands on clinical experience as a pharmacy tech is to work out in the field. Most pharmacy technician degree or certificate programs also require clinical training prior to graduation and an internship is an excellent way to satisfy the requirement. Ask if the colleges have a working relationship with Greenfield WI area pharmacies, hospitals, or clinics for internship programs.
Does the School Offer Job Placement Help? Getting that first position in Greenfield WI upon graduation, particularly with no experience, can be a challenging endeavor without any assistance. Ask if the schools you are researching have job placement programs. If they do, ask what their job placement rates are. A higher job placement rate is an indicator that the college has an excellent reputation within the field creating appeal for its graduates. It also means that it has a large network of pharmacy contacts where it can place graduates.
Where is the School Located? For a number of students, the college they pick will have to be within driving distance of their Greenfield WI residence. Students who have opted to attend classes online obviously will not have to concern themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of area internships will be of importance. Something to bear in mind is that if you decide to enroll in a school that is out of state or perhaps out of your local area, you may be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges typically charge a higher tuition to those students that don't reside within their districts.
How Large are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that likes to sit way in the back of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a smaller class size. Smaller classes allow for more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the schools you are looking at what the typical teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may prefer to monitor one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you an opportunity to converse with some of the students and instructors to get their opinions regarding the pharmacy tech program as well.
Can the Program Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must confirm that the pharmacy technician school you ultimately choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially essential if you decide to continue working while you attend classes. If you must schedule evening or weekend classes in the Greenfield WI area, make certain that they are available. If you can only attend part-time, verify if that is an alternative 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 work, illness or family obligations.