Externship

What is an externship?

An externship is a chance to continue your learning in a hands-on environment. It is an important step toward becoming a professional in your chosen field and will allow you to put into practice all that you have learned in the classroom. Even though you are in the work field you are still considered a student of The Pharmacy Professionals. You will be working under the guidance of a pharmacist/pharmacy technician trainer to gain actual hands-on experience. Your trainer will provide you with an orientation to the policies and workflow of the company. This is your chance to move from the role of a student into the role of a professional.

Externship Guidelines

• Pre-Requisites: Students are required to submit the following pre-requisites by the end of the program: 

Eligibility: An eligible student is one who has:

• turned in the required pre-requisites
• met all financial obligations/ complete with all payments. Students with an outstanding balance will not be placed into an extern site until they are paid in full
• complied with all policies and procedures including attendance and conduct
• guidelines
• Drug test and background check
• Students externship agreement signed

Process

Before a student is placed at a pharmacy site, the externship coordinator will need to receive all the proper documents from the student. The documents needed are the externship agreement located on the bottom of this page, a copy of  their drug screening and background check, and lastly the students externship preference list. The pharmacies placed on the externship preference sheet are not guaranteed.The externship coordinator has up to 180 business days to place a student after the completion of class time and upon receiving all externship documents. If the student has a limited or challenged schedule then the externship coordinator has 180 business days to place the student, the same length of time applies to students with background issues.

We can be reached through email at [email protected]

Please note the following when going to your externship:

• Once a site is established for a student and the student denies the site for whatever reason, it is the responsibility of the student to find their own site. NO EXCEPTIONS We do take into consideration the students preferences, but our ultimate goal is to get the student placed in a pharmacy so that the student can begin their hands on externship.
• You should treat your externship like a job- be dependable and punctual, respectful and helpful, remembering that we are guests in the facility.
• You should be in uniform with a name badge at all times.
• It is of the upmost importance to maintain professionalism at all times. You must be prepared, well rested, well groomed, and ready to provide excellent support and customer service to your externship site.
• Personal Hygiene must be kept up at all times, NO EXCEPTIONS.
• Take your time sheets with you daily. The sheets are provided to you by the externship coordinator. They must be filled out on a weekly basis and be faxed to your externship coordinator weekly. Time sheets must be signed by your supervisor prior to being faxed. Time sheets with no supervisor signature will not be accepted. If time sheets are not accepted every week, those hours for the week become void and do not count.
• Routine visits will be made to your externship site by the externship coordinator to evaluate your performance and receive feedback from your supervisor.
• You must give advance notice to The Pharmacy Professionals and your externship coordinator for any absence or late arrival. You must also contact the site, just as if it were your job and give them adequate notice of your absence or tardiness. Excessive tardiness is unacceptable and also grounds for termination. Only one excused absence is acceptable, anything exceeding that will result in student termination from the program. If there is no communication to the externship coordinator of an absence, or if the student is a no call/no show the student will be instantly terminated from the program. NO EXCEPTIONS! ALL STUDENTS ARE ONLY ALLOWED ONE ABSENCE. ANYTHING EXCEEDING ONE ABSENCE WILL RESULT IN THE STUDENT BEING DROPPED.
• If you experience any difficulty at your externship, you must contact the externship coordinator immediately. DO NOT WALK OFF OF YOUR SITE FOR ANY REASON, MAINTAIN PROFESSIONALISM AND FINISH OUTYOUR DAY. We will assist you in fixing the issue and if needed we will switch your site.
• Externship host sites have the right to dismiss students for any reason without recourse. The Pharmacy Professionals will NOT place students again unless the student completes a professionalism class, sign a contract and pay a fee of $250.00 if the student gets dismissed a 2nd time, they will be terminated from our program. 

Externship Completion

The externship is graded on a pass/fail basis and is based on the evaluation given by the externship site. This is the most important part of your education. It gives you an opportunity to show the skills you have learned over the past 15 weeks and a chance to develop great professional relationships. This is your time to shine and possibly attain your new place of employment. Good Luck!

Please download the forms below, sign them and email them to Program Director Sonia Ruiz at [email protected] Without these documents we will NOT move forward with externship placement until they are received.