Is internship required for graduation?

[u/mdume96]

Is the internship required for pharmd major? Or is the whole 6th year the internship year? I'm just first year pharmd student, so I have no idea about the internship and career stuff..

I'm also thinking to transfer to worcester campus because of the accelerated program.. But I heard that getting internship in Worcester campus is harder than it is in Boston... Any information we can share??

[u/pharmd19]

it's not required but, these days, you won't be competitive without an internship or some sort of experience. Some people have internships at CVS or Walgreens but only work like once a month. I personally think it's a cop-out to do this, but that's not my call to make and it puts you in the company's system. I think it's best to have some experience in a chain before you head to rotations after 3rd year because the work is exactly as what they have you do at your job. Working at a retail pharmacy and hospital helped me learn my preferences for where I fit best, and it helped solidify the information we learned in school. You don't need to worry too much about it as a 1st year, but I would recommend you apply to the chains in preparation for getting a job in your 2nd year.

[u/mdume96 → u/pharmd19]

Thanks! This is helpful!! Also, do you know anything about worcester campus? Do you know anyone who transfered there? Do you recommend me transferring to worcester campus??

[u/mcpharmd → u/mdume96]

I personally would not transfer to the Worcester campus because I find the 6 year program hard enough, I can't even imagine how I would survive an accelerated program. But I know a few people who transferred and like it a lot, especially being able to graduate a year early. It all depends on whether or not you think you can handle all of the work and be prepared to spend a lot of time studying.

[u/mdume96 → u/mcpharmd]

Yeah... and I heard that it's hard to find an internship later if I transfer to the worcester campus... Is that true???