A community of 30,000 US Transcriptionist serving Medical Transcription Industry

Do you have to go to school to work as a Pharm Tech? - leaving MT

Posted: Jan 04, 2011

I am considering leaving the MT profession to become a Pharmacy Tech. I thought about going to school to be a rad tech but I am 40 and need to be making an income while I go to school and I just don't know if I can hack working and school fulltime. How do you do it? Anyway, I thought maybe a pharmacy tech certificate program would work better and I could get started working faster. My question is.....do you have to go to school to be a pharmacy tech or just pass the state certification test? Has anyone taken any of the online courses for this or should I go to a campus (which is so far & gas prices are awful). All I know is that the MT profession is not paying my bills so I have to do something. Any advice? Thanks

D - A

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Different states have different rules. See message. - RoadRunnerMT

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What state are you in? You can find out the info online. Where I am, school is not required and certificate is not required either but has to be gotten within a year of your employment hiring. Anyone can sign up to test but I've heard the test is pretty hard if you have not worked in the field before. There is a practice exam you can buy though. My daughter took the school and the test and could not pass the test. Said it was nothing they learned in school and was mostly as the above poster said about calculating formulas, knowing generics versus brands, normal dosages, etc.

You sound like me . . . - nn

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I have been taking my pre-req courses for the Rad Tech program to apply this February, but they only accept 25 students each year and use a weighted criteria sheet to determine who gets in. They say at least 60 people apply each year, so I am looking at a backup plan. Where I live, you can have your pharmacy tech certificate in 2 semesters. I thought maybe I could work as a pharmacy tech while I am waiting to get into the Rad Tech program and then could work while I went through school. You are not too old. I am 38 and starting over. I graduated in 1992 with my associate degree in secretarial science and have been typing for the last 18 years. I think you would have a better chance at getting a job as a pharmacy tech with schooling. Most schools help you find a job once you complete the program (at least our schools do). That is a big help.

I considered Rad Tech - leaving MT

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I considered going to school to become a Rad Tech but there are not any local schools offering it. I also heard that once you complete your pre-reqs you are put on a waiting list for the rad tech program. I also considered pharmacy tech, medical coding, or medical assistant programs which give you a certificate when completed, but I just do not know how employers feel about a "certificate" versus an associates degree in any subject. I know that the MT profession is so wishy-washy and unstable. You never know if there is work available when you log on for your shift and then you sit at your computer all day waiting and maybe get 300 lines. This does not pay my bills. I need something stable. I have to do something soon too

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