Pharmacy Experience Questions!

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I have a question regarding experience when applying to pharmacy school.
Do you think that it will be ok if you have volunteered at the hospital, and a nursing home, but have not had any pharmacy experience?

I am trying to volunteer at a hospital, and will get hired, but will not be working at the pharamcy at the hospital. So i was debating whether I should also go and apply to a few pharamacy's. Will the school regard volunteering at the hosital as experience? Thanks
 
I would work at the pharmacy. I think they want us to have experience in pharmaceutical field, not in medical field because we want to be pharmacists, not medical doctors. I am not sure, but that's what I think. Good luck.

Can a pharmacy assistant make money? Does anybody know? :laugh: I guess not?
 
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Any kind of work experience is beneficial for your application to pharmacy school. However, pharmacy experience will grant you a LOR from the pharmacist and will make your personal statement and interview much more presentable to adcoms. Many pharmacy schools recommend applicants to gain some experience prior to applying. Apply to as many retail pharmacies in your area as possible because now that the spring semester is over students will be looking for work. Good luck.
 
sammi345 said:
I have a question regarding experience when applying to pharmacy school.
Do you think that it will be ok if you have volunteered at the hospital, and a nursing home, but have not had any pharmacy experience?

I am trying to volunteer at a hospital, and will get hired, but will not be working at the pharamcy at the hospital. So i was debating whether I should also go and apply to a few pharamacy's. Will the school regard volunteering at the hosital as experience? Thanks
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It would be very preferable to volunteer at the pharmacy. I'm sure that if you explained that you are interested in the career, then they could work things out for you. But if not, then medical/clinical experience is still good. If anything, it adds to your resume. I volunteered for a summer as a Radiology Dept. volunteer before I went into the pharmacy.

If you can work at a pharmacy (paid job) at retail or clinical, then that can go towards experience.
 
I think that you definitely should work at a pharmacy...the admissions committee may ask how you know for sure that pharmacy is really what you want to do if you have never worked in one before!!!!
 
Start in the hospital but make sure the volunteer coordinator knows very clearly that you want transferred to the pharmacy when a spot opens. Also, if you have time to work even a few hours a week go apply at every pharmacy you are interested in. The importance of pharmacy experience is not only that it helps you know very clearly what you are getting into but also (as has been said) it paves the way for LOR. I really don't see how else you'd get a LOR from a pharmacist unless you were working with one. In my case I'll be familiar with 2 pharmacists (possibly even 3 later down the road) so feel that will help me a lot. I love that I can get to know them and hopefully take some wisdom from them and also hopefully get a LOR from each later. :thumbup:
 
they may ask why not a nurse?...why not a PA?, why not a doctor?...how can you say with absolute certainty if you have never experienced it?
 
is it enough to job shadow pharmacists to get into pharm school?

GPA - 3.5
PCAT - not taken yet
plenty of leadership, volunteering activities
 
The way I see it you could work at CVS and have nothing to do with the pharmacy. Even at independent pharmacies its the same way. When you actually shadow then you are getting experience because you get to see what the pharmacist is doing and he can explain stuff to you as well. Where I shadow I just don't see him counting pills, but he describes the different classes of medications, how insurance companies suck, how drug companies suck, and the financial details of owning a pharmacy.


I suppose the best thing is to become a pharmacy tech. But in terms of just working in a pharmacy versus shadowing, it seems like you can gain much more from shadowing. Plus, when you shadow, typically you don't get paid and therefore it shows greater interest.
 
how long do people typically shawdow...how long have you been shawdowing?
 
does pharmacy school use rolling admission? does univ of iowa use rolling admissions?
 
My school actually requires a minimum of 80 hours of shadowing/pharm tech experience before they will allow you to sit for the first day of class. I agree that you will probably learn more about what it is to be a pharmacist by shadowing because when you are a tech, you really have to focus on being a tech since that is what you are being paid for.
 
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Becoming a pharmacy technician is, bar none, the best experience you will ever get in retail pharmacy. Shadowing is not a more comprehensive experience - in my technician job I get to see what they do everyday and even do some of the things they do (fill prescription, deal with insurance companies, etc.) If I want to learn something from them, I'll ask and they will gladly tell me. Now retail pharmacy turned me off from applying to pharmacy school (no offense to you who have, are, or plan on going that route - its a very noble profession that takes a special kind of person to do). I'm mostly happy I had to experience because I feel like it will make a much more empathetic physician and less of an ignoramus when dealing with other pharmacists (I've seen and heard many doctors act inappropriately condescending towards pharmacists - all the while I've seen pharmacists save patients from the doctor or doctors staff literally kill the patient).

But apply to a local pharmacy in your area and you will learn a lot of very important stuff that will greatly enhance both your understanding of pharmacy practice and even general knowledge (sig codes, very basic pharmacology, drug names, and the reality of the insurance choas) that will put you ahead of classmates in school.

Its also a good measure of whether you want to go pursue retail pharmacy or not as well. In my case it was no but I know plenty of people who went the opposite way and don't regret it for a second.
 
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I'm guessing it depends on if the school you are applying to has an emphasis on clinical versus retail pharmacy. For my school it really doesn't matter where you shadow/get experience so long as you get the required amount.
 
having trouble finding pharm experiences here. no pharm tech job available, volunteer positions in pharmacy is ALWAYS filled, local compounding/hospital pharmacist wont let me shadow...at this rate im not going to be able to find any pharm experiences AT ALL. im gonna work on getting stellar grades, 3.5+ gpa and 90+ PCAT and i know some people have gotten into pharm schools with no pharm experience, but what else did you possess that you think helped you get admitted?
 
Volunteer at a local outpatient center, hospital, health department, etc. Even though it is not specifically pharmacy, it is an outlet for you to work with healthcare professionals and have exposure to commonly used medicines, procedures, and techniques. Grades, good PCAT, and some sort of community service/previous work experience should make you competitive for an interview, at which point you'll be able to express your interest in pharmacy. They should be impressed that you did not just give up once you found you'd be unable to shadow a pharmacist, but instead found creative resources to prepare yourself. My two cents only.
 
You are not the only one..
I have no pharmacy experience either
but i am gonna apply to UNC, wingate, and campbll
 
I cross my fingers that you will get accepted! :love:
 
You could also join pharmacy clubs and get an officer position, that way, you may get some experience pertaining to pharmacy and it shows that you have some leadership position as well, which is never a bad thing.
 
most schools would like you to have some pharmacy experience so that you can get a feel of the actual field of pharmacy...but those schools may not "require" you to have experience...just give a strong PS about what makes you want to go into the field, why you would stay in the field, and what you do with your PharmD...hope this helps.
 
I'm not trying to be rude but how does one know they want to be a pharmacist with no pharmacy experience?
 
Similiar problem here.. not many positions available for pharmacy technicians. The local hospital only hires certified applicants. I am scheduled to take the exam late next month and then we'll see if there are any openings left.
 
triplerox said:
having trouble finding pharm experiences here. no pharm tech job available, volunteer positions in pharmacy is ALWAYS filled, local compounding/hospital pharmacist wont let me shadow...at this rate im not going to be able to find any pharm experiences AT ALL. im gonna work on getting stellar grades, 3.5+ gpa and 90+ PCAT and i know some people have gotten into pharm schools with no pharm experience, but what else did you possess that you think helped you get admitted?
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I got into USC without any pharmacy experience. I took technician classes at CC to get the background info, took med chem to get the chem background and paid attention when my daughter was in the NICU and getting pharmaceutical intervention. I also got info on what options were available in pharmacy, which ones I thought seemed interesting. That way, even though I had no experience I could at least relay that I had a pretty good idea what I was getting my self into. I think it helped in the interview.
 
TTUMike said:
I'm not trying to be rude but how does one know they want to be a pharmacist with no pharmacy experience?
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There are many career resources out there that describes the profession well enough. Pharmacy experience such as a pharm tech is valuble of course but one can compensate with research.

triplerox said:
having trouble finding pharm experiences here. no pharm tech job available, volunteer positions in pharmacy is ALWAYS filled, local compounding/hospital pharmacist wont let me shadow...at this rate im not going to be able to find any pharm experiences AT ALL. im gonna work on getting stellar grades, 3.5+ gpa and 90+ PCAT and i know some people have gotten into pharm schools with no pharm experience, but what else did you possess that you think helped you get admitted?
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Your stats look good. You have a good shot at getting multiple interviews assuming the rest of the application is solid. That being said, I kicked ass during my interviews and wrote a down-to-earth personal statement. I also had a number of extracurriculars and lab positions that rationalized my lack of experience. I think the key to convincing the adcoms sitting across from you on that fateful interview day is to show that you've done adequate research on the profession coupled with good reasons for pursuing pharmacy. Rattling off a bunch of random "buzz word" characteristics (I like science, etc) establishes a generic attitude applicable to other health care professions and makes you appear to be going through the motions.
 
I see thanks for the help.

The reason i want to go into pharmacy is because ive always liked learning about drugs. im into weight lifting so ive always taken an interest in reading about how supplement X works and etc. and also growing up, ive had to go to pharmacy a lot because i was prescribed medicine by the physicians and it seems the pharmacist gets a lot of patient interaction, more so than the physicians whom i go to. in addition, the lifestyle of pharmacist is without a doubt great, along with the nice pay and strong job security.

that pretty much summed up why i want to go into pharmacy. i plan on saying something like that if asked Why Pharmacist? in an interview. is that good? or are there stuff that i should/shouldnt say.

thanks for the help :thumbup:
 
triplerox said:
I see thanks for the help.

The reason i want to go into pharmacy is because ive always liked learning about drugs. im into weight lifting so ive always taken an interest in reading about how supplement X works and etc. and also growing up, ive had to go to pharmacy a lot because i was prescribed medicine by the physicians and it seems the pharmacist gets a lot of patient interaction, more so than the physicians whom i go to. in addition, the lifestyle of pharmacist is without a doubt great, along with the nice pay and strong job security.

that pretty much summed up why i want to go into pharmacy. i plan on saying something like that if asked Why Pharmacist? in an interview. is that good? or are there stuff that i should/shouldnt say.

thanks for the help :thumbup:
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I think your reasoning for becoming a pharmacist is pretty good, although most people seem to advise against giving salary or lifestyle as reasons during the interview. I would recommend getting some kind of health care experience (even if it's not pharmacy related) that you could then tie into your personal statement and/or interview. That would probably strengthen your argument a lot.

I got into pharmacy school with very little pharm experience at the time that I had my interview. My interviewers really hit hard on the question of "why pharmacy?" I ended up getting in off the waitlist. The rest of my application was pretty strong, so I think either my interview or lack of experience was what ended up getting me waitlisted.
 
Im attending pharmacy school in the fall and I was accepted in my number 2 and number 3 choices without having any pharmacy experience. However, I did have unique volunteer experiences and worked in a hospital as a radiology tech aide. I also dealt with the same challenges you are having now and I recommend that you join a pre-pharmacy club and do other volunteer activities even if they are not pharmacy related in order to keep your application strong in addition to having good grades, recommendations, and pcat scores
 
Hi, I am a freshman in college and I would like to get some pharmacy experience soon. My question is, would it look better to pharmacy schools if I worked in a pharmacy instead of volunteered at one? I ask because I think I would rather volunteer than work at one while I am in school. Thanks.
 
Most schools will take either type of experience. They want to see that you've invested some time into understanding the profession, so that could mean either volunteering or working as a tech or clerk in a pharmacy. Shadowing is also a good way to find out about pharmacy. Good luck!
 
I would have to say that working is going to be more beneficial than volunteering simply because you will have more opportunity to learn the profession. However, I never volunteered in the pharmacy so my opinion may be biased. I would suggest doing whatever you think would allow you the most opportunity to learn.
 
I am also a freshmen and starting the Pharmacy program in University of Colorado at Denver. I would suggest you to go to school and get your certification, or maybe your state may require you to register or get a license, for pharmacy Technician. It could be vocational school or you can do the 12 week course like I did and it does helps prepare for the PTCE (pharmacy tech certification exam). I just took the PTCE last week and I can tell you right now that 12 week course helped me a lot in the exam. The pharmacist at Safeway told me a couple days ago to apply the job after the results come in on September 8th.
 
I agree that working in a pharmacy would probably give you more experience in the field than volunteering. However, getting any pharm experience is just fine. You can always just start out with volunteering, and pursue a job when you have more time over the summer or something.
 
Thanks. I think I will do what fenixtnlfan said and volunteer during the year and work during the summer.
 
Just be aware that during the summer your competition is higher because that's the typical time that people are out looking for jobs. It might do you some good to apply for jobs a few months prior to summer so perhaps you beat the rush of fellow students trying to find jobs.

I would definitely say get some work experience if you can though, it has helped me tremendously and I haven't even applied yet. It's helped me understand more about how a pharmacy works and what pharmacists do. It's made me a slight cynic :rolleyes: about people with their sudafed and narcotics. BUT :laugh: I do enjoy my job and know it's the right direction for me. It hasn't been perfect but it's been good and steady. I think for me the hardest parts of working in a pharmacy are: crazy customers (literally) and the drama that goes on when you have 6 people working together day after day after day. :laugh:

Anyway, point is... get work experience if you can, even if you only work 10 hours/week that would be great and apply before the summer rush.
 
I'm pre-pharm and have worked in a pharmacy (CVS/Walmart) off and on since 2005. It has been such a big help! I was told by a pharmacist that working in the enviroment before applying to pharm school looks better on your application. HTH :)
 
PharmD321 said:
I am also a freshmen and starting the Pharmacy program in University of Colorado at Denver. I would suggest you to go to school and get your certification, or maybe your state may require you to register or get a license, for pharmacy Technician. It could be vocational school or you can do the 12 week course like I did and it does helps prepare for the PTCE (pharmacy tech certification exam). I just took the PTCE last week and I can tell you right now that 12 week course helped me a lot in the exam. The pharmacist at Safeway told me a couple days ago to apply the job after the results come in on September 8th.
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What was the PTCE test like? I am scheduled to take it next month.
 
So I'm a junior and need to start looking to gain pharmacy experience before I start applying. It would be ideal to get a pharm tech job/shadow a pharmacist and whatnot but I'm not able to find any places that hire. I've tried all the CVS, Walgreens, Win Dixxie, Sweetbay for a regular position but nobody is hiring at the moment. Would it be better to get certified first and then apply AS a pharm tech or just apply for a regular position and move up to pharm tech?

And if I'm not getting any opportunities, what else can I really do to gain pharmacy experience?

Thanks!
 
In 12th grade, I found my city's free clinic. I volunteered there doing normal stuff for a few months, and then they let me move into their pharmacy where I feel I got some awesome experience. I tried getting a volunteer position at a hospital but I guess they are nervous about letting "kids" around the medications and just did busy work / read a book.

On a side note, I started working at a large chain and overheard my boss saying he wasn't allowed to hire minors. Check your state's law regarding whether or not minors can work in a pharmacy.
 
kickingofthedee said:
So I'm a junior and need to start looking to gain pharmacy experience before I start applying. It would be ideal to get a pharm tech job/shadow a pharmacist and whatnot but I'm not able to find any places that hire. I've tried all the CVS, Walgreens, Win Dixxie, Sweetbay for a regular position but nobody is hiring at the moment. Would it be better to get certified first and then apply AS a pharm tech or just apply for a regular position and move up to pharm tech?

And if I'm not getting any opportunities, what else can I really do to gain pharmacy experience?

Thanks!
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If the companies in your area are not hiring - I would definitely go the volunteer route (as long as money isn't a major concern). Volunteering at an inpatient pharmacy for 3 months earned me a spot in the pharmacy. It was my 'in' - from there my lack of a technician did not matter.

All things equal - having your license will certainly help you get a job (and maintain it in the future).

~above~
 
Pharmacies will always be more inclined to hire you if you are already Certified as a Pharmacy Technician! So if you have time for it, I say go ahead and do it while still looking around for a job to make you more appealing.
 
Thank you for all the responses, didn't know where else to ask this! Anyways I guess I'll try calling pharmacies and some hospitals so see if they have volunteer opportunities for pharmacies.

As for getting PTCB certified, if I do get certified and have no prior experience will places still be willing to hire me?

Once again, thanks!
 
I can't say for sure, but they will definitely be more willing to hire you than if you had no experience and weren't certified! Good luck.:)
 
I have been trying for a very long time (about a year) to find a place to get pharmacy experience. I tried my local pharmacy and they won't let me shadow, volunteer or work, I tried rite aid and cvs and the same thing goes for them! I applied to volunteer at a couple hospitals and they said they needed volunteers elsewhere in the hospital so I would never be working at the pharmacy there. I'm having such horrible luck. I really don't understand why I cannot volunteer or shadow! I asked rite aid if I could shadow a pharmacist and they said absolutely NOT unless you are currently IN PHARMACY SCHOOL!! So...I need pharmacy experience to get into pharmacy school...but I can't go anywhere to get any experience unless I have already had the experience previously or I am going to pharmacy school already! I really really could use some advice! Thanks!!!
 
All these people saying that it is easy for certified techs to get a job, that is not true.

One proof was that over the summer, before I got my PTCB certificate, there was a new Safeway opening so the pharmacist working there really needed only one tech. She wanted me to be the one and work full time. I had to tell her I can work over the summer full time but I can't work full time during school. She got upset because I needed full time all year round so that I will get to know everyones name and so on (small farm town and about 10-20 miles away from my house), but I wanted to get an education so I can actually deal with the patients in a pharmacy just like her and not be a tech for the rest of my life.

When I got certified in September, I applied everywhere (My school hospital, more hospitals, costco, safeway again, walgreens, walmart, etc....) and no one was either hiring or just plain don't like me because I have no experience.:mad:

EDIT:

J207: Dude the demand for pharmacy techs is so low, like anyone can get the tech job and anybody would do that instead of being the bag boy or other crappy jobs. so try to find new stores opening up and then get the job as fast as you can before the other people come.
 
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PharmD321 said:
All these people saying that it is easy for certified techs to get a job, that is not true.

One proof was that over the summer, before I got my PTCB certificate, there was a new Safeway opening so the pharmacist working there really needed only one tech. She wanted me to be the one and work full time. I had to tell her I can work over the summer full time but I can't work full time during school. She got upset because I needed full time all year round so that I will get to know everyones name and so on (small farm town and about 10-20 miles away from my house), but I wanted to get an education so I can actually deal with the patients in a pharmacy just like her and not be a tech for the rest of my life.

When I got certified in September, I applied everywhere (My school hospital, more hospitals, costco, safeway again, walgreens, walmart, etc....) and no one was either hiring or just plain don't like me because I have no experience.:mad:

J207: Dude the demand for pharmacy techs is way too high so try to find new stores opening up and then get the job as fast as you can before the other people come.
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If there's a high demand, shouldn't there be a lot of jobs available?

Minors are not allowed to work in a pharmacy. We actually had a front store worker who came to the pharmacy and started working, was pretty damn good so we decided to keep his age a secret.
 
It really depends on the location. In places where new pharmacies are built, there will be a lot of openings for pharmacy tech and clerk jobs. But for a place inflated with private pharmacy tech schools, there will almost be no chance of finding a tech job unless you know someone in the company. Tech schools supply retail pharmacy stores with their interns who are required to earn certain amount of pharmacy hours for free. Most of the good interns usually get the new positions after they graduate from tech school.

I agree that one can possibly find a hospital tech job by volunteering there first. You'll have to stay consistent, trustworthy, and make your presence known.

Its either you volunteer or go to a tech school. For me, I rather pass the PTCE on my own and volunteer than pay a tech school thousands of dollars so the school can set me up with a internship or set me up with a job.
 
Sparda29 said:
If there's a high demand, shouldn't there be a lot of jobs available?

Minors are not allowed to work in a pharmacy. We actually had a front store worker who came to the pharmacy and started working, was pretty damn good so we decided to keep his age a secret.
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LOL haha, I made a mistake, I guess I am not good in economics. Thanks for telling me about it and I meant that the demand is way too low for any store in my city to hire me.

how the hell did a minor get a job in a pharmacy? what do you mean that he is good? like is he a good cashier or what?

Transformer said:
It really depends on the location. In places where new pharmacies are built, there will be a lot of openings for pharmacy tech and clerk jobs. But for a place inflated with private pharmacy tech schools, there will almost be no chance of finding a tech job unless you know someone in the company. Tech schools supply retail pharmacy stores with their interns who are required to earn certain amount of pharmacy hours for free. Most of the good interns usually get the new positions after they graduate from tech school.

I agree that one can possibly find a hospital tech job by volunteering there first. You'll have to stay consistent, trustworthy, and make your presence known.

Its either you volunteer or go to a tech school. For me, I rather pass the PTCE on my own and volunteer than pay a tech school thousands of dollars so the school can set me up with a internship or set me up with a job.
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Ya I agree with you but my school wasn't 'thousands of dollars.' It was 800 bucks and it helped me pass the exam first try. Plus the teacher used to be a pharmacist, so wouldn't you like to be taught by a pharmacist? Also, the tech school I went, I know the director there and she had a 3 ring binder notebook filled with jobs, I should email her and see if she has any part time jobs available.

By the way, even if I try to volunteer, it is a hard job to get here in denver. I asked walgreens down the street from my house and the pharmacist manager obviously had too many people working in his pharmacy (about 5-10 ladies!) so he didn't even consider looking in my resume. I looked in my school's page and they don't have any jobs available except like office work (paid around 8-10 bucks an hour) which I think would be very boring.
 
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I think it depends on luck. When I was looking for a pharm technician position in June of 2007, I walked into the Target where I currently work, asked the pharmacist if they were hiring, and basically got hired on the spot.
Have things changed so dramatically over the past year? Maybe it also depends on state. I'm in New York, am not certified and hadn't had prior pharmacy experience before Target.
Our manager pharmacist always says that it's better not to have experience when starting to work at a pharmacy because it's easier to teach someone than it is to have them break old habits.
Try your local Target!
 
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