- Do what you are passionate about!
- Any opportunity is a good opportunity
- If you are interested in research, reach out to professors with your same interests
- Try everything, even if you think it doesn’t interest you at all. I didn’t realize I liked research until I got in the lab and had the experience
- Start planning the order and times that you want to start each of these experiences; four years seems like a long time, but it’s not once you start to put everything you need to in perspective. Shadowing, volunteering, becoming a pharmacy tech, and research are all extremely important, make sure to leave adequate time for each. Good Luck!
- Make sure to try everything before you decide what you want to do with your career. Even if you think you like something, it may not be exactly what you think and you should certainly evaluate your options before choosing a career.
- Get involved early. The more involved you are, the easier it is to learn about yourself and what career path you would like to pursue (it also sets you up as a high quality candidate when you do make a decision).
- Have professional clothing ready and be cheerful and attentive.
- Don’t freak out about getting a technician job because stores are always looking for technicians. Start volunteering in the medical center freshman year so you can work your way up to getting a spot in the pharmacy.
- Try to do 3 pharmacy related things a semester if you aren’t already a pharmacy tech. I am required to do 30 hours of pharmacy involvement each semester, so that pushes me to get involved in a wide variety of things, but I believe I would still do these thing without the requirement.
How Helpful Did Students Find Their Shadowing, Volunteer, Pharmacy Tech and Other Experiences?
