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Points to Ask Pharmacy Technician Schools
Once you have decided whether you would like to attain a certificate or degree, and if you want to enroll in an online program or attend classes on campus, you can start to target your school options. There are many pharmacist tech programs to choose from in the Oak Creek WI area and throughout the United States, so you should develop a list of qualifying questions so that you can compare community colleges and vocational schools. As we covered in our introduction, you will probably first start looking for schools that are within both your financial resources and driving distance from your Oak Creek home. If you are able to move or are have decided to enroll in an online pharmacy tech school, then location may not be critical. But there are many other factors that you must take into consideration in order to adequately compare colleges. The following questions will help you in collecting that information and help you to make your ultimate decision.
Is the Pharmacy Technician College Accredited? Many pharmacist technician colleges and vocational schools have obtained a national or regional accreditation. Among the most respected accrediting organizations is the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP). Colleges earning accreditation from the ASHP have been evaluated and verified to offer a comprehensive quality education. Online schools may additionally obtain accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals only with online or distance education. Make sure to confirm that the degree or certificate program together with the school you select are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education acknowledged accrediting agency. Along with helping guarantee that you obtain a quality education, it may help in getting financial aid or student loans, which are often not available for non-accredited schools. Also, certification might require that the training program is accredited. And a number of Oak Creek WI employers will only hire entry level employees that have earned a degree from an accredited school.
Does the College Ready You for Certification? Certification is not mandated in every state, but many pharmacies desire that the techs they hire are certified. The pharmacy technician college needs to prepare its students to pass the PTCB or the NHA exam. Students planning on obtaining NHA certification will also need one year of professional experience. This condition can be met by entering a college sponsored internship program.
Does the School Offer Internship Programs? As we previously discussed, the NHA requires a year of 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 tech is to work out in the field. Most pharmacy technician degree or certificate programs also require practical training in order to graduate and an internship is an excellent way to meet the requirement. Ask if the programs have a working relationship with Oak Creek WI area pharmacies, hospitals, or clinics for internship programs.
Does the School Provide Job Placement Assistance? Getting that initial position in Oak Creek WI after graduation, especially with no prior experience, can be a difficult endeavor without some assistance. Find out if the schools you are considering have job placement programs. If so, find out what their job placement rates are. A higher job placement rate is an indicator that the school has an excellent reputation within the profession creating appeal for its graduates. It also signifies that it has a substantial network of pharmacy relationships where it can refer graduates.
Where is the Program Located? For a lot of students, the college they decide on will need to be within driving distance of their Oak Creek WI home. Students who have decided 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 concern. One thing to consider is that if you decide to enroll in a college that is out of state or even out of your local area, you might have to pay a higher tuition. State colleges generally charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges often charge a higher tuition to those students that don't reside within their districts.
How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the sort of student that prefers to sit far in the back of class or hide in the crowd, you will likely want a smaller class size. Small classes permit more individual participation and one-on-one instruction. Ask the colleges you are considering what the typical student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may prefer to sit in on one or more classes before making your final decision. This will also give you a chance to converse with some 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 pharmacy tech college you finally choose can offer the class schedule you need. This is particularly crucial if you opt to continue working while attending school. If you need to schedule night or weekend classes in the Oak Creek WI area, check that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, find out if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, learn what the protocol is for making up any classes that you may miss because of work, illness or family obligations.