2014 Scramble Support

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GoldfishPharmD said:
Any interviews yet?
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nothing yet. eeeek

I'm ok if it doesn't go my way, everything happens for a reason.
thanks for asking though :)
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Just wanted to put in my two cents since I scrambled last year. There was no way ASHP could enforce those "post-match rules" and I got my residency position offer prior to that post-match date. I know a lot of other programs where this happened also and thats because as stated previously some programs didn't want to lose out on good candidates or they ended up taking in their own students that rotated at the medical center without matching.
 
EML9255 said:
nothing yet. eeeek

I'm ok if it doesn't go my way, everything happens for a reason.
thanks for asking though :)
Click to expand...

I am completely the same as you! I wasn't going to scramble, but then decided to submit three applications for the heck of it on Wednesday. I figured that I can't be anymore disappointed than I was last Friday, so why not? I know one of my programs is sending out interview invites next week, and I have no clue about the other two. For all I know they could have already filled the positions, so we shall see. Good luck to you!
 
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I have heard of a handful of programs from the scramble list have already extended position offers. Is there any point to even submitting an application today?
Seems like phorcas hasn't really helped with the scramble process much at all...
 
Today is the recommended day to offer spots. Programs have been interviewing candidates all week. Why would you wait for today?
 
I only had one phone interview last week..the just called this morning and said "hi this is _____ from ______ and we offered someone else a position this morning"

Is that some kind of joke!!! I actually got my hopes up for 3 seconds, email rejections are definitely appreciated. I haven't gotten any more interviews, waiting patiently for this week
 
abxk1234 said:
I have heard of a handful of programs from the scramble list have already extended position offers. Is there any point to even submitting an application today?
Seems like phorcas hasn't really helped with the scramble process much at all...
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Yes I am have list update for posistions from people who is been receive offers and many are already make offers. I not sure why it is say they are decide today...
 
pharmB that is awesome, congrats to you!
 
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I also got an offer today. Still can't believe it.
 
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Im getting worried...Waiting to hear back from a program today. I feel like the later in the day it goes, the higher chance is that they are contacting "preferred applicants" to take positions and then will send out the rejection emails......someone tell me otherwise =/
 
for those who got offers today... is your program still listed on the ASHP document?
just trying to gauge whether or not that thing is being updated or not, thanks
 
...9 rejections.....only a few more to go before I need to create a back up plan :bag:
 
So when are we supposed to give up? It would be nice to know when spots are filled, playing the waiting game is not fun
 
berrisweet712 said:
So when are we supposed to give up? It would be nice to know when spots are filled, playing the waiting game is not fun
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I have no idea...until you choose an alternate path i guess?....waiting isn't fun...and receiving a rejection email in error isn't either!!!!
 
EML9255 said:
for those who got offers today... is your program still listed on the ASHP document?
just trying to gauge whether or not that thing is being updated or not, thanks
Click to expand...

They removed my program from the Match site.
 
This post should make me feel better to know someone else is going through the same thing, but I feel the same let down of rejection.
 
GUYS!! i have a question... i received a voicemail from someone telling me to call them back ASAP... and its too late for me to call today so i shall try tomorrow morning... does that sound like an offer? if so, what if im waiting on other programs that i interviewed with and haven't heard back yet? :S Sigh.
 
Derpling said:
GUYS!! i have a question... i received a voicemail from someone telling me to call them back ASAP... and its too late for me to call today so i shall try tomorrow morning... does that sound like an offer? if so, what if im waiting on other programs that i interviewed with and haven't heard back yet? :S Sigh.
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My biggest stress was that I had several positive interview experiences, but each program had a different schedule for selecting their resident. I hopped on the first to make a solid offer because a guaranteed residency (and subsequent less stress) is worth more to me than hanging on a chance for a different position.
Do you have email information for the person? I'd email right now. Like, RIGHT NOW to get in touch. Remember, they're anxious to get this whole process done, too, so they're probably monitoring email and so forth a lot more.
 
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pharm B said:
My biggest stress was that I had several positive interview experiences, but each program had a different schedule for selecting their resident. I hopped on the first to make a solid offer because a guaranteed residency (and subsequent less stress) is worth more to me than hanging on a chance for a different position.
Do you have email information for the person? I'd email right now. Like, RIGHT NOW to get in touch. Remember, they're anxious to get this whole process done, too, so they're probably monitoring email and so forth a lot more.
Click to expand...

Thanks!! :) I just matched after I did this haha!
 
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So happy to hear you guys are getting spots in the scramble! :)
 
Hey everyone that has been successful at matching can you give me insight on your strategy? I want to give hope to my final year friends who are still going through this process...did Geography play a role, was it at a place you did a past rotation or knew the preceptors, did you do a in-person interview or you got matched by a phone or Skype interview. I just want to see if my advice I gave my friends were mainly true.

Congrats again to all of you who did so far as I am very happy to hear this, for others don't loose hope! There are programs that still scramble late and my program is still looking for a candidate and we are still deciding when we want to interview!
 
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Me interested in managed care but have 2 year to go. Anyone applied to managed care? how hard was it? And how many managed care residencies did not match?
 
Do you think it's still a good idea to go through the list of available position on the NMS website and contact them?
 
hpamazing said:
Do you think it's still a good idea to go through the list of available position on the NMS website and contact them?
Click to expand...
I guess it's worth a shot, but it seems like it's a little late in the game.
 
Does anyone know of any programs that still have openings and are looking for candidates?
 
So there is nothing much we can do at this point ha?

I got 4 rejections out of 12 in post-match that I applied to, and the rest didn't give me a word. I would just rather know if they filled the spots than not giving me response back at all..

I heard some programs didn't ever reply back last year.

Are some of you in the same situation?
 
OKI said:
So there is nothing much we can do at this point ha?

I got 4 rejections out of 12 in post-match that I applied to, and the rest didn't give me a word. I would just rather know if they filled the spots than not giving me response back at all..

I heard some programs didn't ever reply back last year.

Are some of you in the same situation?
Click to expand...


I actually called the places I applied to yesterday to let them know that I am still interested in the program and they just told me then if the position was filled or not. I didn't really get e-mails or any other form of notification from most places. I still have two places that I had to leave voicemails with and never heard anything back so I'm not really sure if I should give up or not (but I kinda already have). I say if you haven't heard from them it doesn't hurt to contact them and find out if they are still interviewing candidates. Either way, I totally feels your pain. I'm not really diggin' this whole "not knowing what I'm doing next year" thing.
 
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rxgirl413 said:
I actually called the places I applied to yesterday to let them know that I am still interested in the program and they just told me then if the position was filled or not. I didn't really get e-mails or any other form of notification from most places. I still have two places that I had to leave voicemails with and never heard anything back so I'm not really sure if I should give up or not (but I kinda already have). I say if you haven't heard from them it doesn't hurt to contact them and find out if they are still interviewing candidates. Either way, I totally feels your pain. I'm not really diggin' this whole "not knowing what I'm doing next year" thing.
Click to expand...

I think at this point, the squeaky wheel gets the grease. The more aggressive you are, the more interested you are.
 
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I have come to the realization that I am not going to have the chance to do a residency and get more schooling/training. It's straight to the real world of working for me.
 
rivulet said:
I have come to the realization that I am not going to have the chance to do a residency and get more schooling/training. It's straight to the real world of working for me.
Click to expand...

If you don't get it this year, you can always try again next year. I had a few friends from my class that didn't match last year and tried again this year. They matched because they were able to show growth from their applications last year that made them much more competitive. The hard part is giving up the salary that you will be earning in the real world.

Take it from someone that didn't get a single residency interview last year and thought there was no hope for becoming the specialist I had dreamed of becoming since my first year of pharmacy school:

Just because you didn't get a residency doesn't mean that you can't be a clinical pharmacist or whatever career you had set for yourself. Pharmacy really is a learn as you work profession. It is also VERY small. The more time you spend in the real world, the more you're going to learn - so, I don't think it's fair of you to say that you won't get more schooling or training, because you definitely will! Networking will be a KEY goal for you too.

You can't give up on your dream job just because you didn't match or what have you. All a residency does is give you a foot in the door. If you're really passionate about something or dead set on working with a specific patient population, do your best to excel at whatever opportunities that are given to you and express your interests to whoever you can. No mediocre "I'm stuck working for retail chain XYZ/small, unexciting hospital/etc. and I hate my life" attitude. You are not stuck. You are helping people. And you have been given the same tools that everyone has been given to be the best pharmacist possible, and so you should be THE BEST PHARMACIST POSSIBLE! Our goal is to improve our patients' lives, our communities, and to make sure that people take medications safely and effectively. We are the medication specialists, so keep your eye on the overall prize. It really helps put things into perspective.

Connections are made everyday and you want to ensure that you have a fantastic reputation from where you're coming from. You never know when a little networking might throw something in your lap. Many of my classmates had that happen, and actually, one of the girls I used to go to school with is an oncology pharmacist her first year out of school without residency training and she does an AMAZING job at it. Personally, I didn't think I was going to get a residency last year, so I made it a point to find a job that would get me into my specialty area eventually if I didn't find a position as a resident.

Utilize all of your contacts. That was what ended up being my saving grace last year. I knew the RPD for my program, found out that they had very little applications because it was brand new, and I did my research. The goals of the residency were exactly what I was looking for and it gave me ample opportunity to work in my practice area. I asked the RPD if I could apply late to the program and was granted permission to do so. I had an interview a week later, found out I got the job two days after the interview, and the rest is history.

So the point of this: Don't get bummed out. Work hard. Play hard. And most importantly: don't give up on the dreams you've set for yourself. You just had a road block on your path to getting to where you want to be. After all, no one can say life is easy, right? And the best things are worth the wait.

EDIT: Holy moly, sorry for the novel. I promise to get off my soap box…maybe. ;)
 
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OKI said:
So there is nothing much we can do at this point ha?

I got 4 rejections out of 12 in post-match that I applied to, and the rest didn't give me a word. I would just rather know if they filled the spots than not giving me response back at all..

I heard some programs didn't ever reply back last year.

Are some of you in the same situation?
Click to expand...


So I got 20 out of 22 rejections post match....from the first interview came a rejection and my second now requests an onsite interview post phone interview.... I'd say email them and there's still some programs with unfilled positions...
 
nervoushabits said:
If you don't get it this year, you can always try again next year. I had a few friends from my class that didn't match last year and tried again this year. They matched because they were able to show growth from their applications last year that made them much more competitive. The hard part is giving up the salary that you will be earning in the real world.

Take it from someone that didn't get a single residency interview last year and thought there was no hope for becoming the specialist I had dreamed of becoming since my first year of pharmacy school:

Just because you didn't get a residency doesn't mean that you can't be a clinical pharmacist or whatever career you had set for yourself. Pharmacy really is a learn as you work profession. It is also VERY small. The more time you spend in the real world, the more you're going to learn - so, I don't think it's fair of you to say that you won't get more schooling or training, because you definitely will! Networking will be a KEY goal for you too.

You can't give up on your dream job just because you didn't match or what have you. All a residency does is give you a foot in the door. If you're really passionate about something or dead set on working with a specific patient population, do your best to excel at whatever opportunities that are given to you and express your interests to whoever you can. No mediocre "I'm stuck working for retail chain XYZ/small, unexciting hospital/etc. and I hate my life" attitude. You are not stuck. You are helping people. And you have been given the same tools that everyone has been given to be the best pharmacist possible, and so you should be THE BEST PHARMACIST POSSIBLE! Our goal is to improve our patients' lives, our communities, and to make sure that people take medications safely and effectively. We are the medication specialists, so keep your eye on the overall prize. It really helps put things into perspective.

Connections are made everyday and you want to ensure that you have a fantastic reputation from where you're coming from. You never know when a little networking might throw something in your lap. Many of my classmates had that happen, and actually, one of the girls I used to go to school with is an oncology pharmacist her first year out of school without residency training and she does an AMAZING job at it. Personally, I didn't think I was going to get a residency last year, so I made it a point to find a job that would get me into my specialty area eventually if I didn't find a position as a resident.

Utilize all of your contacts. That was what ended up being my saving grace last year. I knew the RPD for my program, found out that they had very little applications because it was brand new, and I did my research. The goals of the residency were exactly what I was looking for and it gave me ample opportunity to work in my practice area. I asked the RPD if I could apply late to the program and was granted permission to do so. I had an interview a week later, found out I got the job two days after the interview, and the rest is history.

So the point of this: Don't get bummed out. Work hard. Play hard. And most importantly: don't give up on the dreams you've set for yourself. You just had a road block on your path to getting to where you want to be. After all, no one can say life is easy, right? And the best things are worth the wait.

EDIT: Holy moly, sorry for the novel. I promise to get off my soap box…maybe. ;)
Click to expand...
nervoushabits said:
If you don't get it this year, you can always try again next year. I had a few friends from my class that didn't match last year and tried again this year. They matched because they were able to show growth from their applications last year that made them much more competitive. The hard part is giving up the salary that you will be earning in the real world.

Take it from someone that didn't get a single residency interview last year and thought there was no hope for becoming the specialist I had dreamed of becoming since my first year of pharmacy school:

Just because you didn't get a residency doesn't mean that you can't be a clinical pharmacist or whatever career you had set for yourself. Pharmacy really is a learn as you work profession. It is also VERY small. The more time you spend in the real world, the more you're going to learn - so, I don't think it's fair of you to say that you won't get more schooling or training, because you definitely will! Networking will be a KEY goal for you too.

You can't give up on your dream job just because you didn't match or what have you. All a residency does is give you a foot in the door. If you're really passionate about something or dead set on working with a specific patient population, do your best to excel at whatever opportunities that are given to you and express your interests to whoever you can. No mediocre "I'm stuck working for retail chain XYZ/small, unexciting hospital/etc. and I hate my life" attitude. You are not stuck. You are helping people. And you have been given the same tools that everyone has been given to be the best pharmacist possible, and so you should be THE BEST PHARMACIST POSSIBLE! Our goal is to improve our patients' lives, our communities, and to make sure that people take medications safely and effectively. We are the medication specialists, so keep your eye on the overall prize. It really helps put things into perspective.

Connections are made everyday and you want to ensure that you have a fantastic reputation from where you're coming from. You never know when a little networking might throw something in your lap. Many of my classmates had that happen, and actually, one of the girls I used to go to school with is an oncology pharmacist her first year out of school without residency training and she does an AMAZING job at it. Personally, I didn't think I was going to get a residency last year, so I made it a point to find a job that would get me into my specialty area eventually if I didn't find a position as a resident.

Utilize all of your contacts. That was what ended up being my saving grace last year. I knew the RPD for my program, found out that they had very little applications because it was brand new, and I did my research. The goals of the residency were exactly what I was looking for and it gave me ample opportunity to work in my practice area. I asked the RPD if I could apply late to the program and was granted permission to do so. I had an interview a week later, found out I got the job two days after the interview, and the rest is history.

So the point of this: Don't get bummed out. Work hard. Play hard. And most importantly: don't give up on the dreams you've set for yourself. You just had a road block on your path to getting to where you want to be. After all, no one can say life is easy, right? And the best things are worth the wait.

EDIT: Holy moly, sorry for the novel. I promise to get off my soap box…maybe. ;)
Click to expand...




So what do you suggest we do in the following year to strengthen our application? A lot of the hospital jobs require experience or a PGY1. Do you think RPDs look at it as a bad thing if we do retail for a year? Can you please give some examples of what your friend did to strengthen their app? Thanks!!
 
berrisweet712 said:
So what do you suggest we do in the following year to strengthen our application? A lot of the hospital jobs require experience or a PGY1. Do you think RPDs look at it as a bad thing if we do retail for a year? Can you please give some examples of what your friend did to strengthen their app? Thanks!!
Click to expand...

One thing I'd suggest is getting involved in local pharmacy organizations like your APhA or ASHP state affiliate. And when I say "get involved", I don't just mean pay your dues and forget about it, I mean be an active participant. Find out about their committees and join one that interests you. Attend the committee meetings, and when they ask for volunteers to do something extra, raise your hand. A lot of RPDs and preceptors are involved in state affiliates, so participating in these organizations is a good way to meet them and make a (hopefully) good impression.

BTW, yes, I've known people who did retail or mail order for a year and then matched.
 
berrisweet712 said:
So what do you suggest we do in the following year to strengthen our application? A lot of the hospital jobs require experience or a PGY1. Do you think RPDs look at it as a bad thing if we do retail for a year? Can you please give some examples of what your friend did to strengthen their app? Thanks!!
Click to expand...

I think that working -period - and coming back to apply again will show dedication. Hospital experience is good but there are also community residencies out there that would really value that retail experience. There is no real difference aside from setting between a community residency and a hospital residency - and don't let anyone tell you different. They will both prepare you well, and this is coming from a community resident who will be a PGY2 specialty resident in an am care/hospital based residency. Moral of the story with community vs. hospital: broaden your sights and look into programs you hadn't looked into this year. You can't afford to be picky if you're really dedicated to getting a residency.

Volunteer!! Do something not pharmacy related. Join Big Bros/Big Sisters, work at the animal shelter, volunteer at nursing homes, etc. It looks really good on apps to do these things.

If you don't have another degree, look into MBA or MPH programs. You won't be able to finish, but if you're interested in doing one of those, you could always start taking a few classes and add to your CV.

Reach out to your contacts and put a bug into RPD's ears. It doesn't hurt to be a constant presence.

If I think of anything else, I will be sure to edit this. :)
 
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Dalteparin said:
One thing I'd suggest is getting involved in local pharmacy organizations like your APhA or ASHP state affiliate. And when I say "get involved", I don't just mean pay your dues and forget about it, I mean be an active participant. Find out about their committees and join one that interests you. Attend the committee meetings, and when they ask for volunteers to do something extra, raise your hand. A lot of RPDs and preceptors are involved in state affiliates, so participating in these organizations is a good way to meet them and make a (hopefully) good impression.

BTW, yes, I've known people who did retail or mail order for a year and then matched.
Click to expand...


Thanks for the advice!! Really appreciate it
 
nervoushabits said:
I think that working -period - and coming back to apply again will show dedication. Hospital experience is good but there are also community residencies out there that would really value that retail experience. There is no real difference aside from setting between a community residency and a hospital residency - and don't let anyone tell you different. They will both prepare you well, and this is coming from a community resident who will be a PGY2 specialty resident in an am care/hospital based residency. Moral of the story with community vs. hospital: broaden your sights and look into programs you hadn't looked into this year. You can't afford to be picky if you're really dedicated to getting a residency.

Volunteer!! Do something not pharmacy related. Join Big Bros/Big Sisters, work at the animal shelter, volunteer at nursing homes, etc. It looks really good on apps to do these things.

If you don't have another degree, look into MBA or MPH programs. You won't be able to finish, but if you're interested in doing one of those, you could always start taking a few classes and add to your CV.

Reach out to your contacts and put a bug into RPD's ears. It doesn't hurt to be a constant presence.

If I think of anything else, I will be sure to edit this. :)
Click to expand...


Thanks so much, I definitely going to start looking into that stuff!
 
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