The process of becoming a pharmacist in the United States can be lengthy. The following is a sample scenario of the process.

January - Apply for the Foreign Pharmacy Graduate Equivalency Examination AND Test of English as a Foreign Language & Test of Spoken English OR TOEFLiBT

February to June - Study for the FPGEE, take the English exams

August to December - Receive your exam results, receive your FPGEC certification

January - Apply for a state intern license

February to March - Prepare for the filing of the H-1B visa

April 1 - Have your H-1B visa petition filed

May to October - Once your visa is approved, make preparations to move to the U.S.

Early October - Enter the U.S., apply for the Social Security Number

Late October/early November - Begin employment

Social Security Administration - www.ssa.gov

Q: Does it really only take this long to get into the US and work?

A: It varies. Factors such as your personal situation, length of time it takes to obtain the certification, intern license, and coordinating that with the visa quota can shorten or lengthen this process.