Residency FAQ

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Hi folks,

Here is an updated version of the residency FAQ. If you have any suggestions on additions/deletions/clarifications, please post in this thread and I'll be sure to add them in.

Thanks!

Your friendly SDN antiparasitic.

What is a pharmacy residency?

According to the American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP), a residency is: "A pharmacy residency is an organized, directed, postgraduate training program in a defined area of pharmacy practice."

There are currently two broad types of pharmacy residencies, general practice and specialty, with both intending to produce pharmacists capable of practicing in a specific field of pharmacy.

What is a PGY-1 residency?

A PGY-1 residency, also known as a first-year or general practice residency, is typically the first year of residency completed by pharmacists and provides the resident with a broad overview of pharmacy practice in multiple specialty areas. Most PGY-1 residencies are currently institutionally (i.e., hospital) based, although PGY-1 residencies focused on outpatient or managed care practice are available.

What is a PGY-2 residency?

A PGY-2 residency, also known as a specialty residency, is a continuation of the training obtained during a PGY-1 residency and allows the resident to focus in a specialty field of interest. There are numerous types of specialty residencies, including cardiology, infectious diseases, critical care, transplantation, pediatrics, oncology, psychiatry, internal medicine and numerous others.

Why should I complete a residency?

Completing a residency is a very personal decision for each individual and depends upon their ultimate career goals. Many candidates will complete a post-graduate residency in order to advance their knowledge and ability to practice pharmacy, or to gain additional practice skills in a specialty field. Certain career paths, such as academic practice or clinical pharmacy, strongly favor applicants who have completed one or more years of post-graduate residency.

How does one get a residency position?

The only fixed requirement to obtain a residency position is the completion of a degree in pharmacy. That being said, there are many other things that a residency program looks for in a candidate. While their is no exact "formula", programs will often look at a candidate's GPA, work experience, research, leadership, community service and other aspects of a students overall portfolio.

How does one apply for a residency?

In order to apply for a residency position, most programs require that the candidate submit a Curriculum Vitae (CV) detailing the attributes mentioned above, letters of recommendation in support of the applicant and a transcript from the candidate's college of pharmacy. These materials are sent to the programs in the early winter of the year before the residency begins, and the programs will typically offer interviews to candidates between February and March of that year. Following the interview seasons, resident candidates and programs participate in the ASHP Match, a system that determines where each candidate will complete their residency.

Resources for preparing for the search for a residency can be found here.

What is the Match?

The ASHP Match is a national ranking system of candidates and residency programs, designed to allocate residents to programs in a fair and unbiased manner. Simplistically, it takes the preferences of the individual resident candidates and those of the residency programs to determine the "best" placement for each candidate. The formal definition can be found here.

Where can I find information about specific residency programs?

The American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists (ASHP) maintains an electronic database of all accredited PGY-1 and PGY-2 residency programs, available at this link. Additionally, the ACCP and Academy of Managed Care Pharmacy (AMCP) maintain directories of residency programs that may be of specific interest to their members.

I would recommend a brief overview of a typical residency structure and duties: rotations, administrative, longitudinal, research, staffing, etc. And some of the ancillary programs for some of the residencies: eg. teaching certificate, MHA/MPH, etc.

Someone was talking about residencies at my school the other day. They claimed the match is a binding agreement. Apparently, if you put a program on there that you don't really like and you matched with them, you HAVE to take the program otherwise you get banned from using the match system in the future?

Can anyone confirm this?

Originally Posted by Sparda29

Someone was talking about residencies at my school the other day. They claimed the match is a binding agreement. Apparently, if you put a program on there that you don't really like and you matched with them, you HAVE to take the program otherwise you get banned from using the match system in the future?

Can anyone confirm this?

Affirmative.

Originally Posted by Sparda29

Someone was talking about residencies at my school the other day. They claimed the match is a binding agreement. Apparently, if you put a program on there that you don't really like and you matched with them, you HAVE to take the program otherwise you get banned from using the match system in the future?

Can anyone confirm this?

I agree, it is a binding agreement.

Originally Posted by Sparda29

Someone was talking about residencies at my school the other day. They claimed the match is a binding agreement. Apparently, if you put a program on there that you don't really like and you matched with them, you HAVE to take the program otherwise you get banned from using the match system in the future?

Can anyone confirm this?

In other words, if you don't like the program then don't rank them?

Everyone says bring copies of your CV and business cards & what not to the MidYear. So what is appropriate Midyear etiquette? Do I just go to all the sites I am interested in, talk to those people there, and then whip out my CV & business card to give to them? I have never been and dont really know what to expect.

Originally Posted by Printo

Everyone says bring copies of your CV and business cards & what not to the MidYear. So what is appropriate Midyear etiquette? Do I just go to all the sites I am interested in, talk to those people there, and then whip out my CV & business card to give to them? I have never been and dont really know what to expect.

I know Midyear is over now but maybe this reply will help someone planning for next year.

I was also advised to bring my CV to Midyear. At the end of the conversation with whoever, I would ask them if I could leave a copy of my CV with their program. Some people looked at me like I was crazy, while other people were asking for a CV as soon as I walked up to the booth. So I would recommend bringing copies with you for the booths that do accept them. I have no idea if it really helps you in any way, though. I have also been told that if a program doesn't like you, they will bend the corner of your CV over or make a mark on it so that they remember you made a bad impression.

Originally Posted by mustang sally

I know Midyear is over now but maybe this reply will help someone planning for next year.

I was also advised to bring my CV to Midyear. At the end of the conversation with whoever, I would ask them if I could leave a copy of my CV with their program. Some people looked at me like I was crazy, while other people were asking for a CV as soon as I walked up to the booth. So I would recommend bringing copies with you for the booths that do accept them. I have no idea if it really helps you in any way, though. I have also been told that if a program doesn't like you, they will bend the corner of your CV over or make a mark on it so that they remember you made a bad impression.

Not necessarily. We made notes on CV's just so we could remember candidates because there were so many. We also made a note if they were "not polished", but that wasn't the only reason we would mark or bend a CV.

Originally Posted by cycloketocaine

Not necessarily. We made notes on CV's just so we could remember candidates because there were so many. We also made a note if they were "not polished", but that wasn't the only reason we would mark or bend a CV.

Define "not polished".

Also, question about the match. What are you supposed to do when you apply for programs that do and do not participate in the match and get banned? No PGY-2 for you? How is that fair if your PGY-1 doesn't use the match?

Originally Posted by BenJammin

Define "not polished".

Also, question about the match. What are you supposed to do when you apply for programs that do and do not participate in the match and get banned? No PGY-2 for you? How is that fair if your PGY-1 doesn't use the match?

Not polished as in typos, formatting errors, etc.

There are also non-accredited PGY2 programs out there that would be an option for those that complete a non-accredited PGY1.

Originally Posted by patmcd

Not polished as in typos, formatting errors, etc.

There are also non-accredited PGY2 programs out there that would be an option for those that complete a non-accredited PGY1.

The PGY-1s I looked at say they're accredited but that they do not participate in the match.

Originally Posted by BenJammin

The PGY-1s I looked at say they're accredited but that they do not participate in the match.

Programs accredited or seeking accreditation must offer their positions through the match.

http://www.natmatch.com/ashprmp/

Rule #2
Pharmacy residency programs must offer all of their positions through the RMP, with the exception of Department of Defense and Public Health Service pharmacy residency positions offered exclusively to commissioned pharmacy officers.

You can always look up the program in the ASHP residency directory. If it's in there, it's accredited, and therefore participates in the match.

We need a what residency is and what is isn't post.

What it isn't:
a guarantee for a job
a guarantee for higher pay
an extension of rotations

What it is:
work experience in an environment that emphasizes continued learning
an opportunity to have experiences not normally extended to new graduates
a solid networking experience

etc. Feel free to add.

Can anyone with residency experience or other insight comment on how truly difficult the year is in terms of hours worked, projects, quality of life, etc.? I know this will vary from program to program, but maybe if you can comment on your experiences or things that you have heard. I feel like residency is what I want/need to do to advance my career, but I'm a little bit terrified of what the year of residency may hold.

It varies from program to program.

My residency was 40 hours per week on-site, some time spent in the evenings on projects. How much time varied depending on what I was working on. I had no extra required staffing. I spent little more time working during residency than I do now with my FT job.

Originally Posted by spacecowgirl

It varies from program to program.

My residency was 40 hours per week on-site, some time spent in the evenings on projects. How much time varied depending on what I was working on. I had no extra required staffing. I spent little more time working during residency than I do now with my FT job.

That's cool. At what type of facility did you train...community hospital, teaching hospital, VA, etc.?

managed care

Originally Posted by joe melby

Can anyone with residency experience or other insight comment on how truly difficult the year is in terms of hours worked, projects, quality of life, etc.? I know this will vary from program to program, but maybe if you can comment on your experiences or things that you have heard. I feel like residency is what I want/need to do to advance my career, but I'm a little bit terrified of what the year of residency may hold.

Mine was at a VA medical center. 8 hour/day (but really ~10 since you need workup your patients before your preceptor show up), We also staffed 2 shifts every 4th weekend + 2 hr weekday staffing every week.

Longitudinal stuff conducted: 1 main research project + presentations, 1 MUE, 1 new drug monograph, 1 teaching certificate program from the affiliated university, 4 drug info papers, 2 topic discussion, 2 journal clubs, 1 pharmacy management presentation, organize pharmacy week event and CE dinner, 4 hospital newsletter articles. Can't remember the other minor stuff.

Most of the work wasn't all that challenging, just time consuming especially if you want to do well rather than just turn in what's passable. A year of residency is consider equivalent to 2-3 years of practice experience for a reason. In hind sight, that year went by SOOO fast. I miss it sometimes because life was so simplified, everything boilded down to a single minded goal of crossing that finish line.

If you are interested in doing a residency, and want to specialize in say pediatrics, do you have to apply for a PG1 residency first, then apply for the PG2 residency? Or does the PG2 residency include the first year as well?

Also, whats the difference between a residency and a fellowship? Or are they the same?

Originally Posted by Phoenix2027

If you are interested in doing a residency, and want to specialize in say pediatrics, do you have to apply for a PG1 residency first, then apply for the PG2 residency? Or does the PG2 residency include the first year as well?

Also, whats the difference between a residency and a fellowship? Or are they the same?

You would have to apply for PGY1 and then PGY2. There are, however, PGY1s in childrens' hospitals (for example at Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia and A.I. DuPont), but they're insanely competitive. Someone told me that A.I. DuPont (in Delaware) got over 60 apps last year for their one PGY1 position. The pediatric PGY1 migt not be sufficient thoug for all aspects of pediatric practice.

Hi,

Do you know anything about residency for an international student? I am anxious about that because I don't know whether I can apply for residency and whether hospital will sponsor for me or how the process works. If any of you knows, please please let me know. Thanks so much.

Originally Posted by sinkle42

Hi,

Do you know anything about residency for an international student? I am anxious about that because I don't know whether I can apply for residency and whether hospital will sponsor for me or how the process works. If any of you knows, please please let me know. Thanks so much.

Please search the forum, as this has been answered before. Most porgrams will require you get licensed to practice in that particular state and the requirements for licensure vary by state. On top of that, few programs will sponsor international graduates.

Hello,

I'm very interested in doing a PGY1 ambulatory care pharmacy residency, but have heard that it is very hard to obtain full time (40hrs/wk) ambulatory care pharmacist positions in CA after completion of the residency. One classmate of mind who did an amb care PGY1 at Kaiser told me that only 1/3 of her fellow amb care residents got full time amb care jobs after PGY1 completion,1/3 got part time amb care positions and the remaining 1/3 were unknown. The associate dean at my pharmacy school also told me that its also hard to get full time am care jobs in CA & that I would have to go to the rural areas or outside of CA.

Does anyone know of the job outlook in CA for those who complete a PGY1 in ambulatory care? What is the likelihood that a full time (40hrs/wk) ambulatory care position in CA is obtained after the completion of the PGY1 in ambulatory care?

Thank you very much.

I graduated last summer and now I'm working retail. I'm having second thoughts on working retail and now considering doing a residency. Can anyone tell me if I'm considered a less competitive applicant than a pharmacy student applying. My concern is that residencies will view me as being out from school and rusty on some of the knowledge that I haven't utilized working in retail.

If someone does a PGY1 residency that has a focus in a specialty of pharmacy i.e. PGY1 with Amb care focus will that individual have a difficult time obtaining a PGY2 position if they choose to specialize in lets say ID or Oncology Pharmacy?

I'm in my P3 year and very eager to do a residency hopefully. I have a decent GPA and was very involved in school, mostly outside of pharmacy, but a few pharmacy organizations as well. I was also accepted into the MBA program and am taking a few MBA classes at the moment. My only concern is that I couldn't find a job, so I have little work experience. I have really tried everything I could think of since P1 year. Is this going to put me at a huge disadvantage?