I’m a Single Parent- Can I Be a Pharmacy Technician?

It’s hardly a new development for a single parent to be in the market for a new job, only to find struggles because of their home and existing work commitments. In many ways, it doesn’t matter what the profession is; it will be a struggle if schooling is necessary. When it comes to pharmacy tech training, it’s no different. There are obstacles in your way if you need to take pharmacy technician training. There just isn’t any easy way around it.

That doesn’t mean you can’t make it happen

A little determination goes a long way, and if you really believe pharmacy technician training is the job for you, do your all to make sure you get in.

Your goal is to pass the Pharmacy Technician Certification Exam, giving you the credentials necessary to pursue employment in a pharmacy environment. You will most likely find the most success in that particular endeavor if you get the schooling you need to learn those skills.

A pharmacy tech training program is a good place to start. You’ll get the instruction you need to get started as a pharmacy professional, including the basics of drug interactions, how to perform pharmacy calculations, and the various medical abbreviations. You’ll also get coursework in pharmacy law and ethics, and some basic information on anatomy and physiology.

But how do you manage that when you have a family and, most likely, another job? It won’t be easy, but there are ways to make it easier.

First, many schools offer combinations of day, evening, or online coursework for actual classroom time. If you have a daytime job, you may find evening classes more convenient, since you can attend after your working hours. If you work nights or don’t have a job, daytime classes may provide a convenient way to study while your children are at school or a babysitter.

Online courses are even more convenient for many since you can more or less study on your own, and you cut down on travel time to and from class because you are attending class from your computer, usually from the comfort of your own home.

Of course, while this solves the issue of getting around work, being a parent presents a whole host of new problems, particularly if you’re a single parent. There is really no way around the sacrifice you are making to miss out on some of the time you spend with your children during the time you’re in school.

Pharmacy technician training typically takes 36 weeks to complete. While this compares favorably to, say, a 4-year university, that is still the better part of a full year to complete. This represents a rather significant amount of time you would not be spending with your children.

But again, you have options if you plan properly. Regardless of the method you choose, you must remain disciplined and stick to your established schedule (or find a way to make up for the time you miss). Here are a few ways to manage your study time while minimizing the amount of time you spend away from your children:

Manage how often you study.

Do you want to study in sessions of 2 hours, 2-3 nights per week, or do you want to study for 45 minutes each evening? The former plan will lead to evenings where you may not spend much quality time with the kids but gives you nights when you can have the whole evening. Conversely, the latter plan gives you time every day, though not as much. Choose which plan works best for you.

Study after hours

That is after your children go to bed in the evening or before they wake up in the morning. Or both. This can be a struggle if you mismatch your own internal clock with the time you choose. If you’re a morning person, consider getting up at 5 am and putting in an hour a few times per week. If you’re a night owl, wait until the kids are in bed before cracking your books.

Take advantage of extracurricular activities

Basketball or ballet practice can be dead time for you, spent sitting in a gym or studio doing virtually nothing. Use that time to get some studying done.

Use lunch breaks

Instead of hitting a restaurant with co-workers, break off on your own, grab a sandwich, and get 45 minutes of alone time with your face in your books.

Weekends are your friend

When your kids sleep in, wake up early, or use their time playing outside to get your studying done. If you usually cook a big breakfast on weekends, let the kids do cereal or frozen waffles and get some work done instead.

Whichever strategies you employ, the key is to find the proper balance for you. You will need to make certain sacrifices and be sure your life will get a lot more hectic. But understand that inconvenience is temporary, and before long, you’ll find yourself finishing up schooling and ready to get started in your new career.

Don’t let work and family commitments stop you from pursuing your dreams. In the Information Age, your educational options are expanded more than ever; it’s no longer a death sentence to your educational prospects when you are a single parent. Resources exist to help you make your own dreams come true.

If you are interested in Ayers Career College’s Pharmacy Technician program, contact us today or call 1-800-317-0131.