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Questions to Ask Pharmacy Technician Schools
After you have decided whether you want to earn a degree or a certificate, 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 a large number of pharmacy tech schools to pick from in the Wauwatosa WI area and throughout the USA, so you need to develop a list of qualifying questions so that you can compare colleges and technical schools. As we covered in our introduction, you will undoubtedly first start looking for colleges that are within both your financial budget and driving distance from your Wauwatosa home. If you are willing to move or are going to enroll in an online pharmacy tech program, then location may not be important. But there are a number of other variables that you must take into consideration in order to properly compare programs. 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 pharmacy technician colleges and trade schools have earned a national or regional 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 screened and certified to offer a complete quality education. Online programs may also earn accreditation from the Distance Education and Training Council, which deals exclusively with distance or online education. Make sure to check that the certificate or degree program together with the college you select are accredited by a U.S. Department of Education sanctioned accrediting agency. In addition to helping make sure that you obtain a superior education, it can help in getting financial assistance or student loans, which are frequently not accessible for non-accredited colleges. Also, certification might require that the program of training is accredited. And many Wauwatosa WI pharmacies will only hire entry level employees that have earned a degree from an accredited school.
Does the Program Prepare You for Certification? Certification is not required in all states, but numerous pharmacies desire that the technicians they employ be certified. The pharmacist technician school needs to ready its students to pass the PTCB or the NHA examination. Students interested in obtaining NHA certification will additionally need one year of job experience. This qualification may be met by taking part in a college sponsored internship program.
Does the College Provide Internship Programs? As we just covered, the NHA requires a year of experience for certification, which can be fulfilled by means of an internship program. One of the best ways to get 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 fulfill the requirement. Ask if the programs have a working relationship with Wauwatosa WI area pharmacies, clinics, or hospitals for internship programs.
Does the College Give Job Placement Help? Getting that first job in Wauwatosa WI upon graduation, especially with no professional experience, can be a difficult undertaking without some assistance. Find out if the schools you are looking at have job assistance programs. If they do, ask what their job placement rates are. A high job placement rate is an indicator that the school has a good reputation within the field generating demand for its graduates. It also signifies that it has a sizable network of pharmacy contacts where it can refer graduates.
Where is the College Located? For many students, the school they choose will need to be within commuting distance of their Wauwatosa 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 area internships will be of concern. One thing 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 may be required to pay a higher tuition. State colleges usually charge higher tuitions for out of state residents. And community colleges usually charge a higher tuition for those students that don't reside within their districts.
How Big are the Classes ? Unless you are the type of person that prefers to sit far in the rear of the classroom or hide in the crowd, you will undoubtedly want a smaller class size. Small classes enable more individual participation and personalized instruction. Ask the colleges you are looking at what the average student to teacher ratio is for their classes. If practical you may want to sit in on one or more classes before making your final determination. This will also give you a chance to talk with several of the students and instructors to get their perspectives regarding the pharmacy technician program also.
Can the College Accommodate your Schedule? And last you need to verify that the pharmacist technician program you ultimately pick can offer the class schedule you need. This is especially important if you choose to continue working while attending classes. If you need to schedule evening or weekend classes in the Wauwatosa WI area, confirm that they are offered. If you can only enroll on a part-time basis, verify if that is an option and how many credit hours or courses you would need to enroll in. Also, learn what the procedure is for making up any classes that you may miss because of illness, work or family emergencies.