Working Experiences as a Pharmacist Intern

[bamby]

Hi Sheyla,
pleas can you help me with getting att and h1bvisa. Please can you write to me to beautbamby@hotmail.com
thanks a lot

[rodrigy]

Originally Posted by Shiela82

Hey Leo thanks for replying and for the advice.
You know I think of myself as fairly smart,capable and academically successful but I was made to look kinda dumb out there.
And hey I do think pharmacy is a service business and I want to make customers happy but I also expect help and support in doing what is consider I'm totally capable of.
I know that it was an experience that I had to go thru and i hope to learn from it.
I've heard that there's a book on a Pharmacist's Working Life at Amazon wonder if you or anyone else read it.
Its great that you have a good boss. I've promised myself that I'll always be good to my interns if I make it thru this!!

I also made a list of my activities and a list of bullet points to help me thru them-desperate times call for desperate measures.Wonder if anyone else out there did anything like this?
Good luck to you in your quest and anyone else out there who has anything else to add please reply-it going to help everyone else.
Thanks again for writing Leoplex.

I use to work as a pharmacy tech for 6 years in different class of pharmacy: retail, IV, mail order, nursing home. I know there is many techs traing to get over the interns, but Interns has to lern fast a soon they get working in any kind of pharmacy in special retail "chain pharmacy", That's the key point. Now I am an intern and there is not any technician or person who could give me a hard time. Just try to be fast learning and accure, also follow the manual than the State Board of pharmacy sent to do it. There is many things than has to be than done.

[rishna]

This thread is so Informative. I am planning to start my Intership in a Hospital. I use to volunteer there Intially.
What do you think about working as a Intern in a Hospital. What are the responsibilities and Is it hard working in a hospital comapred to retail.
Share your Experiences.

Thanks

[rusty]

This thread is fantastic as we really need to share our experiences so that we can be stronger to face all the challenges.How did you guys master the computer system and the third party rejects and the pre approvals.There is just too much to absorb and master that I don't know what to concentrate on.I'm only talking as a technician at this stage.After how many weeks do you think it becomes easier?Right now I feel I have an overview of all that goes on but am not good at any one thing.I find that people are very sympathetic when they realise that I am a pharmacist but that I have to start at the bottom all over again as a tech.This is how I feel when the oral hygienist at the dental rooms tells me that she was a dentist in her country.We as pharmacists are still so lucky.In their case they have to apply to get into dental school and we know that is like an impossibility for a foreigner.

[ramutha]

Hi,
Even I find it difficult to master the third party rejects , approvals,insurance carriers.How do you actually master it? Kindly respond.Thanks in advance.

[rodrigy]

Hi cyber, I read you quote about you internship experience and I want to say something: It doesn't matter where you are in USA if anybody and a workplace they call you as derrogative name, or does offensive actions, as drawing in a peace of paper: that's unethycal actions & unprofessional workplace looks like they also commited descrimination you can call 1-800 number an complain about it, that's federal law and apply to any State in the USA. The place can be sue for those actions.
Equal opportunity employment Commission here is the web site:
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/qanda.html
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-relig_ethnic.html

[rodrigy]

Hi cyber, I read you quote about you internship experience and I want to say something: It doesn't matter where you are in USA if anybody and a workplace they call you as derrogative name, or does offensive actions, as drawing in a peace of paper: that's unethycal actions & unprofessional workplace looks like they also commited descrimination you can call 1-800 number an complain about it, that's federal law and apply to any State in the USA. The place can be sue for those actions.
Equal opportunity employment Commission here is the web site:
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/qanda.html
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-relig_ethnic.html

[rodrigy]

Originally Posted by 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.

Hi cyber, I read you quote about you internship experience and I want to say something: It doesn't matter where you are in USA if anybody and a workplace they call you as derrogative name, or does offensive actions, as drawing in a peace of paper: that's unethycal actions & unprofessional workplace looks like they also commited descrimination you can call 1-800 number an complain about it, that's federal law and apply to any State in the USA. The place can be sue for those actions.
Equal opportunity employment Commission here is the web site:
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/qanda.html
http://www.eeoc.gov/facts/fs-relig_ethnic.html

[rusty]

I started working as a tech.with the intention of doing my internship in a store.The pharmacist had told me that he would be my preceptor and that all my tech hours would most likely be included.I work a couple of hours a day so my inshernship was going to be a very long one so i was not concerned about pay.Shortly after i started,I noticed that that pharmacist was nowhere around and everyday there is a new floater.It turned out that he left or got fired,nobody is speaking about it.Now ,the company is reviewing all his actions and have said that it is not their company policy to train foreign graduates for 2080 hours.They don't have the budget for it and that they cannot pay me tech's rates and claim that I am an intern as they could be violating a labour law.However,if the health board of Florida says that tech's hours do count,then they might be forced to review my situation.
I do not want to mention any names here but the guy who is in charge at this company is not amenable to compromise and I think that since he was once a foreign graduate himself ,it is such a shame that he has forgotten the plight of someone who is trying their best under the cicumstances.