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What to Ask Pharmacy Technician Schools
Once you have decided whether you wish to attain a degree or a certificate, and if you want to enroll in an online school or go to classes on campus, you can begin to narrow your school alternatives. There are numerous pharmacy tech colleges to choose from in the Marshfield WI area and throughout the USA, so you must develop a list of qualifying questions so that you can compare community colleges and technical schools. As we addressed in our introduction, you will undoubtedly initially look for schools that are within both your financial resources and driving distance from your Marshfield home. If you are able to move or are have decided to enroll in an online pharmacy tech college, then location may not be important. But there are a number of other variables that you need to consider in order to properly compare colleges. The questions below will assist you in gathering that information and help you to make your final selection.
Is the Pharmacy Technician College Accredited? The majority of pharmacy technician programs and trade schools have obtained a national or regional accreditation. Among the most respected accrediting agencies is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Colleges earning accreditation from the ASHP have been evaluated and verified to offer a complete superior education. Online colleges may additionally earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals exclusively with online or distance learning. Make sure to check that the degree or certificate program together with the college you pick are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education sanctioned accrediting agency. Besides helping make sure that you get a quality education, it can assist in securing financial aid or student loans, which are often not offered for non-accredited colleges. Also, certification might mandate that the program of training is accredited. And many Marshfield WI employers will only hire entry level employees that have graduated from an accredited program.
Does the College Prep You for Certification? Certification is not required in all states, but numerous pharmacies prefer that the techs they employ are certified. The pharmacist technician program should prepare its students to pass the NHA or the PTCB examination. Students planning on obtaining NHA certification will additionally need 1 year of work experience. This requirement may be met by participating in a college sponsored internship program.
Does the School Provide Internship Programs? As we previously discussed, the NHA mandates a year of professional experience for certification, which may be satisfied through an internship program. One of the best ways to acquire hands on clinical experience as a pharmacy technician is to train out in the field. Most pharmacy technician degree or certificate programs also require practical training in order to graduate and an internship is a great way to satisfy the requirement. Find out if the schools have associations with Marshfield WI area pharmacies, clinics, or hospitals for internship programs.
Does the School Offer Job Placement Help? Securing that first job in Marshfield WI upon graduation, particularly with no prior experience, can be a challenging endeavor without some assistance. Ask if the schools you are considering have job assistance programs. If so, find out what their job placement rates are. A high job placement rate is an indication that the college has a good reputation within the profession creating demand for its graduates. It also means that it has a sizable network of employer contacts where it can refer graduating students.
Where is the School Located? For a lot of students, the school they pick will have to be within travelling distance of their Marshfield WI residence. Those who have opted to attend classes online obviously will not have to trouble themselves with the location of the campus. However, the availability of local internships will be of importance. Something to bear in mind is that if you choose to enroll in a school that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition to those students that live outside of their districts.
What are the Class Sizes ? Unless you are the type of student that likes to sit way in the rear of class or hide in the crowd, you will probably want a small class size. Smaller classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the colleges you are looking at what the average teacher to student ratio is for their classrooms. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you a chance to converse with a few of the instructors and students to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacist technician program also.
Can the School Accommodate your Schedule? And finally you must verify that the pharmacy technician college you finally select can provide the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you choose to continue working while you attend classes. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Marshfield WI area, make certain that they are offered. 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 have to enroll in. Also, find out what the procedure is for making up any classes that you might miss as a result of work, illness or family obligations.