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- Jul 24, 2014
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Hello, I just signed up on SDN. I have been a lurker around here since my P2 year, I just graduated in May from a well respected college in FL that has a satellite campus in Puerto Rico. However, I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place regarding my future in the job market and I'm hoping opinions from current residents and past can help me decide and see advantages/disadvantages of what I am trying to decide.
Currently, I am an intern in retail trying to make enough to make amends with what my wife makes at her PGY-1 community residency (also a pharmD, grad from same class as me). I applied for residency and did not match due to difficulties applying abroad, in addition to not having enough money to apply to 5+ programs. I only got one interview in a program that people often talk about that it's biased towards candidates from the US and the local college of pharmacy (University of Puerto Rico). So, go figure how my luck went. This got me very depressed and the uncertainty of my future scared the crap out of me. Especially since I had surgery in May as well and got married in June...
I love clinical work so that is the main reason I always considered residency. I think I have a solid GPA (3.5) and I have always considered myself a hard worker. I never got involved in societies in school, 'cause honestly it was never my thing. I do know that 2 things affected my chances besides that:
1) Interview skills- they need work and this is a must have skill even without doing a residency
2) No strong hospital rotations prior to interviews- this was something out of my control, honestly, but my last 3 rotations were very rewarding in this aspect and my preceptors spoke highly of me. I even won a Patient First Award in a Florida hospital where I did my clerkship in Jan 2014.
Now, my current issue is that I would like to try again for next year. You may think I do or don't have good chances, but bare with me here, please...
A few weeks ago I got an offer from a major hospital an hour or so away (48 miles trip) from where I live currently (something I had to think about). This major hospital has a big clinical program where they have clinical pharmacists (hiring w/o PGY-1) and staff positions (mostly covered by BS Pharm's). They offered me a job as an intern (temporary) with very good possibilities of hiring me for a clinical position (if I show I am worth it). The DOP even told me they groom their interns towards their areas of interest. They offer an excellent benefits package (24 days vacations, 18 sick days/yr, free meals, free parking, uniforms, you get your birthday free, health insurance 401K, etc.). Now, I can see that you may think I am crazy if I leave this opportunity in less than a year to pursue a residency, however...
Puerto Rico is in a very alarming state. Crime rates are soaring and the economy is not good either. In addition, Puerto Rico ( in general) doesn't respect the new roles we have as clinical pharmacists as much as it idolizes MD's. That is why it has always been in my mind to move to the US. Since I had an excellent time doing 2 clerkships in FL during my P4 year, I honestly decided for me and my wife to create our future and settle down in FL (or Texas or any other East coast state). The conundrum here is that FL (not sure about other states) is pretty saturated with PharmD's, so the only way to make myself competitive is by doing a residency, at least PGY1. I have performed job searches and have seen that it's the norm that PGY-1 is preferred, but other highly sought positions ask PGY1 as a requirement. I understand some of these jobs do state that having 2-3 years in hospital experience is a good equivalent, but honestly I am not sure on my chances of getting hired in a clinical position in FL or another state if I stay here in PR working for this major hospital for 2-3 years. If I do that I'd like to pursue the BCPS as well (with or w/o residency anyways). I know these certifications are lame, but they do bolster your CV one way or another (My opinion, no need to debate this).
So, I either work for a few months in this major hospital and then try again to land a PGY1 in the US (doing a residency in PR is out of the question), risking less money in our household, but probably job security in the US, plus I can apply for BCPS after only 2 years post grad (instead of 3).
Or...
I stay until 2017 working in this major hospital ( that is if I get hired anyways, but chances are good since 3 clinical pharmacists left the job), developing myself and building experience. Then in 2017 I can apply for BCPS, get the certification and possibly move to the US with 3 years of hospital experience, plus hopefully a BCPS.
Lastly, I understand this is a long post. I don't have a tl;dr version, sorry. If you'd like to help and offer advice it will be more than welcomed. I do not want to start a debate regarding if residency is good or bad ( I am not against it nor in favor, I just understand how the profession is evolving). I'd like you to critique my chances for getting a PGY1 a second time around and/or if I should stay here in my homeland for a few years and grind through in order to develop myself without taking a hit in my pocket, since I do have a wife and probably will have kids in a few years.
Oh, and in case you're all wondering my wife is not planning to seek a PGY2 in Am Care or Community.
I'll appreciate your opinions and I hope I can enjoy myself for years to come on these forums.
Edit: I just noticed I did not explain why I did not participate in the Scramble 2014. My wife matched on a community residency here in PR. I was not interested in doing a community residency (they had 2 spots available that didn't match), so that left just 1 other residency available in PR where I did not match this year. Applying to overseas programs (for the Scramble) was totally out of the question. I got married and I wasn't going to spend a year away from my wife. This decision was made AFTER I knew she matched. Our plans would have swayed one way or the other depending on what would have happened. I do understand I could have matched in the US, but I didn't get a single invite. Thus, speculating what would I have done if I had matched overseas is not the issue here.
Currently, I am an intern in retail trying to make enough to make amends with what my wife makes at her PGY-1 community residency (also a pharmD, grad from same class as me). I applied for residency and did not match due to difficulties applying abroad, in addition to not having enough money to apply to 5+ programs. I only got one interview in a program that people often talk about that it's biased towards candidates from the US and the local college of pharmacy (University of Puerto Rico). So, go figure how my luck went. This got me very depressed and the uncertainty of my future scared the crap out of me. Especially since I had surgery in May as well and got married in June...
I love clinical work so that is the main reason I always considered residency. I think I have a solid GPA (3.5) and I have always considered myself a hard worker. I never got involved in societies in school, 'cause honestly it was never my thing. I do know that 2 things affected my chances besides that:
1) Interview skills- they need work and this is a must have skill even without doing a residency
2) No strong hospital rotations prior to interviews- this was something out of my control, honestly, but my last 3 rotations were very rewarding in this aspect and my preceptors spoke highly of me. I even won a Patient First Award in a Florida hospital where I did my clerkship in Jan 2014.
Now, my current issue is that I would like to try again for next year. You may think I do or don't have good chances, but bare with me here, please...
A few weeks ago I got an offer from a major hospital an hour or so away (48 miles trip) from where I live currently (something I had to think about). This major hospital has a big clinical program where they have clinical pharmacists (hiring w/o PGY-1) and staff positions (mostly covered by BS Pharm's). They offered me a job as an intern (temporary) with very good possibilities of hiring me for a clinical position (if I show I am worth it). The DOP even told me they groom their interns towards their areas of interest. They offer an excellent benefits package (24 days vacations, 18 sick days/yr, free meals, free parking, uniforms, you get your birthday free, health insurance 401K, etc.). Now, I can see that you may think I am crazy if I leave this opportunity in less than a year to pursue a residency, however...
Puerto Rico is in a very alarming state. Crime rates are soaring and the economy is not good either. In addition, Puerto Rico ( in general) doesn't respect the new roles we have as clinical pharmacists as much as it idolizes MD's. That is why it has always been in my mind to move to the US. Since I had an excellent time doing 2 clerkships in FL during my P4 year, I honestly decided for me and my wife to create our future and settle down in FL (or Texas or any other East coast state). The conundrum here is that FL (not sure about other states) is pretty saturated with PharmD's, so the only way to make myself competitive is by doing a residency, at least PGY1. I have performed job searches and have seen that it's the norm that PGY-1 is preferred, but other highly sought positions ask PGY1 as a requirement. I understand some of these jobs do state that having 2-3 years in hospital experience is a good equivalent, but honestly I am not sure on my chances of getting hired in a clinical position in FL or another state if I stay here in PR working for this major hospital for 2-3 years. If I do that I'd like to pursue the BCPS as well (with or w/o residency anyways). I know these certifications are lame, but they do bolster your CV one way or another (My opinion, no need to debate this).
So, I either work for a few months in this major hospital and then try again to land a PGY1 in the US (doing a residency in PR is out of the question), risking less money in our household, but probably job security in the US, plus I can apply for BCPS after only 2 years post grad (instead of 3).
Or...
I stay until 2017 working in this major hospital ( that is if I get hired anyways, but chances are good since 3 clinical pharmacists left the job), developing myself and building experience. Then in 2017 I can apply for BCPS, get the certification and possibly move to the US with 3 years of hospital experience, plus hopefully a BCPS.
Lastly, I understand this is a long post. I don't have a tl;dr version, sorry. If you'd like to help and offer advice it will be more than welcomed. I do not want to start a debate regarding if residency is good or bad ( I am not against it nor in favor, I just understand how the profession is evolving). I'd like you to critique my chances for getting a PGY1 a second time around and/or if I should stay here in my homeland for a few years and grind through in order to develop myself without taking a hit in my pocket, since I do have a wife and probably will have kids in a few years.
Oh, and in case you're all wondering my wife is not planning to seek a PGY2 in Am Care or Community.
I'll appreciate your opinions and I hope I can enjoy myself for years to come on these forums.
Edit: I just noticed I did not explain why I did not participate in the Scramble 2014. My wife matched on a community residency here in PR. I was not interested in doing a community residency (they had 2 spots available that didn't match), so that left just 1 other residency available in PR where I did not match this year. Applying to overseas programs (for the Scramble) was totally out of the question. I got married and I wasn't going to spend a year away from my wife. This decision was made AFTER I knew she matched. Our plans would have swayed one way or the other depending on what would have happened. I do understand I could have matched in the US, but I didn't get a single invite. Thus, speculating what would I have done if I had matched overseas is not the issue here.
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