A key component of your pharmacy school application is gaining a variety extracurricular experiences inside and outside of the field, as well as involved in your community. This experience is gained through shadowing, health care volunteering and/or patient care experiences, and community engagement. Explore the ways to get experience in and out of the field before you attend pharmacy school on this page.
Check out some of these resource guides to get some ideas before exploring further:
Direct Patient Care Experience
Most competitive applicants for pharmacy school have some kind of direct experience in the field or direct patient care experience. Obtaining your pharmacy technician certification can help you achieve this experience. It can help you to get a job in the pharmacy field and gain valuable experience. It can also open doors for shadowing opportunities and is a good option to explore if you are considering applying to pharmacy school.
Obtaining Pharmacy Technician Certification
Beginning in January 2020, candidates must complete a PTCB (Pharmacy Technician Certification Board)-Recognized Education/Training Program OR equivalent work experience in order to be eligible to become a Certified Pharmacy Technician. To be eligible for the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam, a candidate must complete one of the following two pathways:
Pathway 1:
1) Take a course via a PTCB-Recognized Education/Training Program (or completion within 60 days). Candidates choose from more than 1,400 recognized programs.
2) Take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) via the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB).
- PTCB has a national certification program that enables pharmacy technicians to work more effectively with pharmacists to offer safe and effective patient care and service. PTCB administers a nationally accredited certification examination for pharmacy technicians which tests knowledge in all practice settings.
3) Once you pass your exam, apply for your Pharmacy Technician Certification through PTCB.
4) Don't forget! Apply to become a Registered Pharmacy Technician in the state of Texas
- Application for Texas State Pharmacy Technician Registration Application. Complete this if you are certified by Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB), complete the online application link above to register as a Pharmacy Technician in Texas.
Pathway 2:
- Submit equivalent work experience as a Pharmacy Technician in order to be eligible to become a Certified Pharmacy Technician.
- Take the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam (PTCE) via the Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTBC).
- PTCB has a national certification program that enables pharmacy technicians to work more effectively with pharmacists to offer safe and effective patient care and service. PTCB administers a nationally accredited certification examination for pharmacy technicians which tests knowledge in all practice settings.
- Once you pass your exam, apply for your Pharmacy Technician Certification through PTCB.
- Don't forget! Apply to become a Registered Pharmacy Technician in the state of Texas.
- Application for Texas State Pharmacy Technician Registration. Complete this if you are certified by Pharmacy Technician Certification Board (PTCB) to register as a Pharmacy Technician in Texas.
Volunteering
Competitive applicants will have both health care related volunteering and general community engagement volunteering in their application. They both serve different purposes. Health care volunteering allows you to learn about the health care system as a whole and what it means to be a part of that system. Whether you are volunteering in a hospital gift shop supporting patient families or taking vitals at a walk-in clinic, these experiences are vital to understand the multiple roles that make up the health care system. General volunteering shows your dedication and involvement in your community, as health care professionals ultimately serve the community they work in.
Check out some of the opportunities below for recommendations to get started. This isn't an exhaustive list, and we encourage you to do your own research in your local community.
Healthcare Volunteering Opportunities
Healthcare volunteering opportunities do not have to be strictly pharmacy-related to be relevant. However, we do encourage you to find pharmacy experiences where available, especially if you do not have any direct pharmacy experience yet.
- Ascension Texas Foundations - Various Austin metropolitan area volunteer sites, including but not limited to Dell Children's Medical Center, Dell Seton Medical Center, and Ascension Seton Medical Center. Requires a 6-month commitment.
- St. David's Medical Center
- St. David's North Austin Medical Center
- St. David's South Austin Medical Center
- People's Community Clinic
- CommUnity Care Services
- Austin Volunteer Healthcare Clinic
- US Dept of Veterans Affairs - Student Volunteer Program
- University Health Services
Community Volunteering Resources
Austin Volunteering Opportunities
This is not an exhaustive list of opportunities in Austin. Please do additional research if there is a community or cause that you would like to support through your volunteering efforts.
- Volunteer Match - Volunteer Opportunity search function, filterable by location
- Do512 - Volunteering in Austin
- Austin Partners in Education
- Central Texas Food Bank
- Habitat for Humanity (Austin)
- Inside Books Project