Working Experiences as a Pharmacist Intern

[rxcapsule]

working as a pharmacy intern is really challenging. i worked in the first as a technician, then when i passed my FPGEE, i was working as an intern. the transition from technician to intern was really hard. you're co-technician before still treat you as one and same with the pharmacists. they just gave me additional responsibility as compared to being a tech. i know all there is to know abt the tech jobs but not as a pharmacist. although, i like the people i worked with it's just hard. so i have to look for another job.
God bless on all who are into intern position.

[eastern_01]

Hi Shiela82,
When I came to this country I had the same problem that you are going through right now... it forced me to find a job somewhere in industry.. and after 6 yrs I am now back into retail... I am currently considered Foreign Grad intern.. I am working with both type of ppl (supportive and not supportive)... I think thats how our business is.. I have just taken my NAPLEX ( last week) ..and waiting for my result... hopefully i will cross this hurdle... But I will say to all those who are going thro' this that don't give up..the current chain pharmacy is so busy that I have the responsibility to do all jobs except final check...But my first job was discouraging which forced me to quit the field which one should never do no matter what so ever...

Good luck to all

[cyber]

I have similar situation with you ramalla76. I felt I was discriminated and I felt like an outcast during my internship. I prayed hard for strength inside my car at the parking lot before going inside the pharmacy. I cried when I got home from work and wished my hours were completed. I used to work as an intern in a small town with very few number of people from my country. My workmates were bunch of "ignorant hicks". For me, I meant it as people that are not cultured. My former workmates were the kind of people whose lives revolved around themselves and the small town they live in since they were born. My pharmacy manager was young and newly graduate who had a very poor managerial skills, poor pharmaceutical skills, and poor quality service to customers. This boss of mine was very conniving with the technicians attitude. There was a time, one of the tech drew a picture of a "poop" and posted it in the wall inside the pharmacy. The manager did nothing. One day, I was given a cut-out picture of aliens from other planets. I was shocked and made me think what do they think of me? Is this a joke? I told them it was not funny. My boss called me by a nickname "shorty" because I am only 4"11. My whole internship at this workplace was a bad nightmare.The only thing I gained from my internship was the manager's signature when I completed my hours and the patients that were generous in giving their smiles and appreciation each time I helped them. What makes me fortunate is , I had very good work background/experience from hospitals at both inpatient and outpatient pharmacy settings for over 10 years. I had worked with very professional and excellent US registered pharmacists in the past, when I was a pharmacy technician in one of the US territories. I always hated my internship expercience. I am glad it is over and I am out of that place.
Each one of us have different stories to tell about our experiences as an intern. Whether it is bad, good, happy and sad, it is what it is. I can only look forward and when I finally work as pharmacists, I will not treat interns like I was treated and will try my very best to be an efficient, thorough and people oriented pharmacist. Thanks for sharing your experiences and I wish us all the best of luck in our career.

I have read and article somewhere about the majority of local interns do not end up working in the same workplace where they were working as an intern. There were so many reasons mentioned. One is the kind of respect you get from your coworkers. I cannot recall the other reasons. I wish I could find the article to share it with you all. Personally, I agree to find another job once you gained your licensure. BUt this is not always true with most of us who signed contracts with most companies. I would advise to read the fine print in your contract very carefully and seek for professional advice before you sign anything. You maybe happy to land on a job and earn dollars but then the consequence of that, you will be stuck with it for couple years and somewhere where you really dont want to be. So be careful when you get a job offer. The quality of your life and respect for yourself is important too.

[afibadu]

my advice to everyone is never ever sink to their level. treat every one with dignity and respect no matter what.... it is due to ignorance and stereotyping.. when I started working my preceptor was short tempered and disrespectful towards me but I ignored him and told myslef that I would never let the people I worked with determine how I felt, I told myself that I would be a good intern and I worked hard towards it.. he practically told me that he self taught himself everything. and so i decided that i would learn most of the computer systems myself, i observed what everyone one did and lo and behold i gained his respect and others too..
no matter what sow respect and you will reap it. and do not let anyone let u feel bad...........

[Shiela82]

Thanks to each and everyone of you for taking the time to share your experiences.

I am sure that this list will help me and many a beatendown and discouraged intern when they are going through tough times.

And to others who are reading this do share your thoughts too-it helps us all and is cathartic too.

[naplex_74]

Hi all,
I have a few questions regarding internship.

1.If we want to find internship in a LTC or companies like Kaiser or United HC how should we approch them?

2.If we choose to work in a 24hour retail are we given night shifts also as interns?

3.How's the interview process what kind of questions are asked?Is it very technical?

I would really appreciate ur help.

Thanks.

[Rx_enthu]

hi i just really happy that afterall we got some stage or place where we can share our feeling and experience which we passed thru. I m queting here first time and infact i m not a intern but i m taking fpgee in this dec and i have a tech lic . I m right now working in a very well known pharmacy chain since last 8 months . let me tell u abt my exp , actually that not that bad but sometimes I feel vey bad when Pharmacist is giving some wrong consultation to pat and at the same time u r present over there , U have a very good knowledge abt that thing but u cannot speak even a single word............u know that feels really bad and u cannot argue at pharmacist studied from so called """Universities""" of America.
They have impression that students from all other country are not that brilliant...but this is just to let them know that ...english is not our 1st or even 2nd language and we studied Pharmacy degree in 4 yr (infact 3 &1/2 yr) which is equal to ur 5 yr study and that to with so many subject which u dont know at all (like Pharmacognocy)
But there is no meaning of all thing , the onlyy thing i m typing this here is to express my feeling and i m sure that u guys have the same feeling.
but we can do only one thing as god is with us we have to pass thru this hard time and show them our talents after getting lic.
b'coz none of them have guts to go foreign country and study in a foreign language and pass exams and get a good position in society but we have those capability
Thanks and best of luck guys just write here r u agree with me or not??????????????????????

[shrekfiona]

hi there ,
well u were lucky that u were expected to do jobs pertaining to that of pharmacist well during my internship i was expected to clean the toilets and clean the shelves with a duster so it was a good exp i would say in a few months i might get an offer as a PIC (mangaer which si wht its called in some states) so all that exp helped me in understanding how to use the tech help the best possible ways and since i have done it before i myself can do it and set up an example to the techs and interns that this could be one of my expectations as a manager or PIC that is how atleast i would look at it
i would like to qote onething pls folks remember we (all international students or phamracist) are sometime or other need to think that we might be thought to be a second class and we should be open to outperform others which can put us in much better psoition when compared with the US grads pharm D well once again this is just my opinion and way of thinking (its always good to take things in a positive light rather tahn the other way round it surely helps u in long run )
and not to forget by saying so pls do not think that i am being biased or blah blah... i totally understand ur concerns and ur situation but this is how we can outshine and show our true caliber of managing diff attributes connected with the retail pharmacy this can give u more oppurtunity to develop ur relations with the patients and when u are licensed u have already done ur ground work that ur patients trust u and u donn have to work hard on that part of it and as far as NAPLEX goes trust me it will surely help u u might think it might now but on personla exp. i can tell u that it will help u in things like drug drug interactions or drug-food interactions or drug-OTC interactions and on ur communication skills esp ppl like us (foreign grads ) are very very poor on this part of retail pharmacist duty so my friend be positiv eand and tek it in ur stride and i am sure that u will be a great pharmacist right form the day u get licensed
so cheer upa nd good luk and iwill keep u in my prayers its goign tobe great after u get u licensed trust me
good luck

[seesu]

Thanks you guys for posting this thread.
I'm starting my internship at a small pharmacy that I have been working for over six months as a cashier. I've just got my intern license two weeks ago. The owner, a pharmacist, couldn't affort paying me as an intern pharmacist so I'm looking for a new job but in the mean time he's giving me the hours. The first two months of my work as a pharmacy cashier here was so terrible as I knew nothing about a pharmacy and I also had communication problem. I have to deal with phone calls from customers and doctor offices. They also have home medical supplies that I need to work on helping customers, billing them through medicare and medical. It took me over three months to be able to feel more comfortable at working. My boss was so horrible, very demand and impolite. He can yell at whoever made any kind of mistake very easily, even in front of customers. I told myself everyday to be patient if I want to learn. If I haven't had support from my family I don't think I could make it through these days. Now I hope for my next job that I can learn more as an intern pharmacist.

I also have one question to you guy who is doing internship in CA. How often do we need to submit an internship hour affidavit to the board? Do we need to submit to the board monthly or we can just submit at the end of each preceptor site??

Thanks again

[bamby]

hi
please can you help me with h1b visa and how to get the permission for pharmacxist intern for california, thanks