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lara · 10-03-2007, 03:49 AM

Hello!
Dear friends, who got through your internship already, please share your experience with us, people who is just looking for one and who is very worried how it's going to be as an intern in USA pharmacy. Please let us know what kind of job you were doing, what did you start from. Do pharmacists try to help you or were not helpful at all. Just a little suggestion from you, guys, can make somebody's life so much easier, just think about it, how helpful you could be for other people and God will help you with something else.
The best forum is FPGEE forum, from my point of view, when we still were all equal and worried as everyone else.
Does or did anybody do their intership in hospital pharmacy, if yes, what you were doing there. If you were in retail, what exactly were you responsobilities in there? Just a little clue. Did you struugle with anything. Did they quiz you? Anything...
Thank you.

Orwa · 10-03-2007, 07:00 PM

I support You lara.
I wish every foreign pharmacist remembers first time he/she started his/her job, and think how a small advice can change the direction of their life at that time.
SO, please try to help us.
Important questions:
Can I do my full internship in a hospital?
What does the intern so in the hospital?
Is is better to have your internship in a Pharmacy or in a hospital?
Is it hard in general to find a good internship program?
Is it better to work in a busy Pharmacy?

chim · 10-04-2007, 10:39 PM

Yeah... foreign pharmacist must do many adjustments like weather, culture, working environments etc. For those who are still applying for H1-B visa, can anyone post some procedures to start with? Good employers?

Orwa · 10-13-2007, 03:53 PM

Please answer the questions and I will be very thankful?

Hadi · 10-13-2007, 06:25 PM

I did all my internship in a hospital as a volunteer though i have the green card and donot need any sponsoring. I worked as a technician for some time before getting my certificate in a retail setting and i didnot like it at all in retail. I see that most of the internship in a retail is mostly technician work.

The hospital was so good experience for me, i got a lot of experience in data entry in the inpatient pharmacy and the out patient pharmacy in the hospital is the same as retail pharmacy.
I did a lot of rounding in intensive care units to see what medications patients are using what need to be stopped based on their lab values, how to adjust insulin, warfarin, heparin, and so on. That was so much fun, a lot of interaction with doctors and nurses. Some doctors explain so much that helped me a lot to have in depth understanding in a lot of things.
I got a lot of training in the IV room that prepares parentrals to the hospitals like TPNs and so on.
Also i was trained in the narcotic room that gives you a lot of experience on the law and regulation for the narcotics and lock up medications.

For me i live in Florida and the internship hours here is so long and i didnot find place in retail to offer a good pay rate for most of the internship hours, they offered technician or slightly higher than technician rate for most of internship and really good rate in the last 500 hours.
So i sacrificed what i consider very low rate since i donot need any sponsoring in order to get a good experience that is far better than the technician experience you get in a retail setting.

For me i cannot stand the whole day on my feet in retail, not to mention having to deal with very rude patients. In hospitals you SIT on nice desk most of the day and your interaction is only with nurses and doctors, sometimes the nurses are grumpy but not for sure as bad as the patients.

The point is that the pay rate of hospitals is a little bit lower than retail BUT the full time in the hospital is only 32 hours not 40. For me as a female that is very convenient so i can work only 4 not 5 days a week so i have some time for my kids, or you can work in the hospital as full time employee and part time in a retail to compensate for the lower rate of hospitals and that way you can mostly get the nice environment of the hospital setting.

Afterall guys that is only my opinion based on my experience and my needs.

Hope that helped Orwa.

Pharmnj · 10-13-2007, 09:59 PM

Hi,Hadi

Thank you for telling us your experiences.

I am planning to apply for internship license in Florida as soon as I get my SSN.
But I have a problem that my TOEFL score is expired and over 2years.
I have heard that you can still apply for internship license with expired score of TOEFL. I passed FPGEE, TOEFL( 2years ago), TSE(45,last year).

I have been wondering if you need to submit your TOEFL score again to take NAPLEX after you finish your 500 internship hours. If you don't need to, it would be a good news because my TOEFL score is already expired ,and TSE will be expired by the time I finish my 500 hour intership.

Please reply, Hadi

Thank you.

Orwa · 10-14-2007, 10:51 AM

Thank you to tell us about your experience in a hospital?
I want to ask you what is the difference between foriegn pharmacist and a PharmD in the hospital?
Is there a big difference?
Thank you a lot for your cooperation

Hadi · 10-14-2007, 03:36 PM

Actually Orwa there should be no difference between foreign pharmacist and PharmD.
Foreign pharmacist is supposed to be a graduate of 5 year pharmacy school and the internship experience inside the united states that is a total of almost 6 years.
Also PharmD is a graduate of a 5 years of classes in a pharmacy school and a 1 year of rotation which is something similar to internship but the places they do the internship or they name it rotation should be in places approved by the college they graduated from. They should do rotation in retail, hospitals and some states require industry.
From my experience i can see that a foreign pharmacist has always some doubts around him until he proves himeself.

Good luck to everybody.

Orwa · 10-14-2007, 05:35 PM

Hadi, I am very thankful for your valuable information.
I have only one question?
In the hospital, is there any kind of specialization? I mean like specialization in chemotherapy or Antidiabetic drugs?
Sorry to waste your time and thank you again I will not forget your help.

Pharmnj · 10-14-2007, 05:52 PM

Hi, Hadi

Please reply my questions if you have time.
I would really appreciate it.

Thank you.

10-03-2007, 03:49 AM	#1 (permalink)
lara Within my grasp! Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 111	Experience with internship Hello! Dear friends, who got through your internship already, please share your experience with us, people who is just looking for one and who is very worried how it's going to be as an intern in USA pharmacy. Please let us know what kind of job you were doing, what did you start from. Do pharmacists try to help you or were not helpful at all. Just a little suggestion from you, guys, can make somebody's life so much easier, just think about it, how helpful you could be for other people and God will help you with something else. The best forum is FPGEE forum, from my point of view, when we still were all equal and worried as everyone else. Does or did anybody do their intership in hospital pharmacy, if yes, what you were doing there. If you were in retail, what exactly were you responsobilities in there? Just a little clue. Did you struugle with anything. Did they quiz you? Anything... Thank you. _ _ _ _ SIG _ _ _ _ lara

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10-03-2007, 07:00 PM	#2 (permalink)
Orwa Eager! Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 96	I support You lara. I wish every foreign pharmacist remembers first time he/she started his/her job, and think how a small advice can change the direction of their life at that time. SO, please try to help us. Important questions: Can I do my full internship in a hospital? What does the intern so in the hospital? Is is better to have your internship in a Pharmacy or in a hospital? Is it hard in general to find a good internship program? Is it better to work in a busy Pharmacy?

10-04-2007, 10:39 PM	#3 (permalink)
chim Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: May 2007 Posts: 12	Yeah... foreign pharmacist must do many adjustments like weather, culture, working environments etc. For those who are still applying for H1-B visa, can anyone post some procedures to start with? Good employers?

10-13-2007, 03:53 PM	#4 (permalink)
Orwa Eager! Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 96	Please answer the questions and I will be very thankful?

10-13-2007, 06:25 PM	#5 (permalink)
Hadi Eager! Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 86	I did all my internship in a hospital as a volunteer though i have the green card and donot need any sponsoring. I worked as a technician for some time before getting my certificate in a retail setting and i didnot like it at all in retail. I see that most of the internship in a retail is mostly technician work. The hospital was so good experience for me, i got a lot of experience in data entry in the inpatient pharmacy and the out patient pharmacy in the hospital is the same as retail pharmacy. I did a lot of rounding in intensive care units to see what medications patients are using what need to be stopped based on their lab values, how to adjust insulin, warfarin, heparin, and so on. That was so much fun, a lot of interaction with doctors and nurses. Some doctors explain so much that helped me a lot to have in depth understanding in a lot of things. I got a lot of training in the IV room that prepares parentrals to the hospitals like TPNs and so on. Also i was trained in the narcotic room that gives you a lot of experience on the law and regulation for the narcotics and lock up medications. For me i live in Florida and the internship hours here is so long and i didnot find place in retail to offer a good pay rate for most of the internship hours, they offered technician or slightly higher than technician rate for most of internship and really good rate in the last 500 hours. So i sacrificed what i consider very low rate since i donot need any sponsoring in order to get a good experience that is far better than the technician experience you get in a retail setting. For me i cannot stand the whole day on my feet in retail, not to mention having to deal with very rude patients. In hospitals you SIT on nice desk most of the day and your interaction is only with nurses and doctors, sometimes the nurses are grumpy but not for sure as bad as the patients. The point is that the pay rate of hospitals is a little bit lower than retail BUT the full time in the hospital is only 32 hours not 40. For me as a female that is very convenient so i can work only 4 not 5 days a week so i have some time for my kids, or you can work in the hospital as full time employee and part time in a retail to compensate for the lower rate of hospitals and that way you can mostly get the nice environment of the hospital setting. Afterall guys that is only my opinion based on my experience and my needs. Hope that helped Orwa.

10-13-2007, 09:59 PM	#6 (permalink)
Pharmnj Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 11	Hi,Hadi Thank you for telling us your experiences. I am planning to apply for internship license in Florida as soon as I get my SSN. But I have a problem that my TOEFL score is expired and over 2years. I have heard that you can still apply for internship license with expired score of TOEFL. I passed FPGEE, TOEFL( 2years ago), TSE(45,last year). I have been wondering if you need to submit your TOEFL score again to take NAPLEX after you finish your 500 internship hours. If you don't need to, it would be a good news because my TOEFL score is already expired ,and TSE will be expired by the time I finish my 500 hour intership. Please reply, Hadi Thank you.

10-14-2007, 10:51 AM	#7 (permalink)
Orwa Eager! Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 96	Thank you to tell us about your experience in a hospital? I want to ask you what is the difference between foriegn pharmacist and a PharmD in the hospital? Is there a big difference? Thank you a lot for your cooperation

10-14-2007, 03:36 PM	#8 (permalink)
Hadi Eager! Join Date: May 2005 Posts: 86	Actually Orwa there should be no difference between foreign pharmacist and PharmD. Foreign pharmacist is supposed to be a graduate of 5 year pharmacy school and the internship experience inside the united states that is a total of almost 6 years. Also PharmD is a graduate of a 5 years of classes in a pharmacy school and a 1 year of rotation which is something similar to internship but the places they do the internship or they name it rotation should be in places approved by the college they graduated from. They should do rotation in retail, hospitals and some states require industry. From my experience i can see that a foreign pharmacist has always some doubts around him until he proves himeself. Good luck to everybody.

10-14-2007, 05:35 PM	#9 (permalink)
Orwa Eager! Join Date: Jul 2007 Posts: 96	Hadi, I am very thankful for your valuable information. I have only one question? In the hospital, is there any kind of specialization? I mean like specialization in chemotherapy or Antidiabetic drugs? Sorry to waste your time and thank you again I will not forget your help.

10-14-2007, 05:52 PM	#10 (permalink)
Pharmnj Trying to make mom and pop proud Join Date: Sep 2005 Posts: 11	Hi, Hadi Please reply my questions if you have time. I would really appreciate it. Thank you.

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