When I started getting interested in pharmacy school, there wasn’t a lot of college bloggers who were in pharmacy school or loads of guides on the internet for students like me. I had to learn a lot of information on how to apply, gain pharmacy experience, and how to network like a crazy person. I needed up doing quite well, but I would love to make the future a lot easier for the upcoming students. Gaining pharmacy experience is really easy and simple, but sometimes the most simple of tasks can be hard for others. So in this post, I break it down exactly how you can gain pharmacy experience besides just working at a pharmacy.
There are 5 main ways to gain the experience that you need that also allows you to network, which is always a key concept. Those 5 ways are working, volunteering, interviewing, jobshadowing, and attending meetings or pharmacy-related conferences.
Become a Pharmacy Technician
There are two types of pharmacy technicians: registered and certified. Registered is exactly what it sounds like. Being a registered pharmacy technician means that you went into your local board of pharmacy office, signed a few papers, and now are able to work in a pharmacy legally. This type doesn’t have any formal training besides the one that is learned on the job. Certified pharmacy technician is when you actually go to school to become a certified and take a national test called the PTCB. Depending on your state, some states allows you to work in pharmacy with only being registered while others require you to be certified.
I actually have a cool story to tell you all! So the high school that I graduated from had a technical school close by that they allowed high school students to take classes there. I ended up taking the pharmacy technician course, taking the PTCB, and becoming certified right after high school.
But regardless of what you get being able to work in a pharmacy is the best way to gain pharmacy experience and get paid for it.
Volunteer
Volunteering is also a great way to gain pharmacy experience as well as network with some really awesome people. Some of your local hospitals and the free medical clinic will gladly take on volunteers and teach you the ropes around the pharmacy. You just have to ask and you shall receive for this kind of experience.
Be sure though when you are volunteering to document your hours and any important people you might’ve met while volunteering. These will be really important for when you apply for pharmacy school and you need documentation or recommendation letters.
Jobshadow
It’s very similar to volunteering except you’re an observer and you’re only there for the day. The great part of jobshadowing a local pharmacist or a specialty pharmacy is that you get to experience different types of pharmacy and ask as many questions as you can think of. A lot of people don’t know all of the different fields that pharmacists can go into, such as nuclear pharmacy, veterinary pharmacy, compounding, infectious diseases, board of pharmacy, and so many more.
Conduct an Interview
An interview is when you get the chance to ask more in-depth questions as well as make a real connection with a pharmacy teacher or pharmacists. It sounds like a scary experience, but it’s really not. You get the chance to speak to someone who’s been there done that and is willing to help you learn everything you want to. Take that advantage and get your notepad out. It’s also a great way to network, the thing that everyone keep saying throughout your career. Have a set of questions ready for the interview then tailor any further questions based off of their responses to the previous questions.
[bctt tweet=”Conducting an interview is like interviewing your future job. So ask away!” username=”uniquelymickie”]
Attend a pharmacy-related conference or pharmacy meeting
If you have a pharmacy program nearby, then some of the pharmacy school clubs allow pre-pharmacy students to participate in meetings as well as volunteer with the group. This is a great way to gain pharmacy experience as well as get the chance to meet pharmacy students in the program. You’ll also get to learn more about pharmacy as a profession and nitty-gritty of what a PharmD degree can do for your career.
What is your favorite way to gain pharmacy experience or funny story that you have working with a pharmacist?
You may also enjoy: How to Ace Your Pharmacy or Medical School Interview, 8 Questions to Ask During Your Pharmacy School Interview, and 3 Study Tips to Ace the PCAT
