Is there any advantage in graduating at the top of your pharmacy class?

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Nick Riviera PharmD

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Just wondering if it matters for pharmacy. It seems like it doesn't, but I'm not sure.

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No. From my experience with my DM

1. Breathing
2. Has a Valid License
 
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Residencies are for suckers. You can be a dumba** and still get a pharmacy job, even a job in the hospital. The C student with good interpersonal skills can get a better job that a person at the top of the class. Last time I checked, to get a pharmacist position u just need a bachelors or a PharmD degree. What do u call a pharmacy student graduating at the bottom of their class?....lol a pharmacist. And retail for sure only cares that u have a pharmacist license. By the way there are now unemployed pharmacist with residencies.
 
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50% end up in the top of the class and 50% end up in the bottom of the class
 
Arms and legs with a licence is all that is needed
 
GPA (Don't have to the very top student though) matters for residency, and residency can certainly give additional career paths that matter. Although that's probably a waste if you go retail.

The qualities such as, intelligence, diligence, competitiveness, needed to be at the top of the class, serves career advancements just as well.
 
Unless you go to a pharm school that does not provide GPA. A handful of schools do pass fail classes ( some include an honors option). If you go to a school like that you may need ranking. WSU in Spokane does that now. Thry do provide your class ranking though.
 
Residencies are for suckers. You can be a dumba** and still get a pharmacy job, even a job in the hospital. The C student with good interpersonal skills can get a better job that a person at the top of the class. Last time I checked, to get a pharmacist position u just need a bachelors or a PharmD degree. What do u call a pharmacy student graduating at the bottom of their class?....lol a pharmacist. And retail for sure only cares that u have a pharmacist license. By the way there are now unemployed pharmacist with residencies.
Man you really hate residencies
 
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Residencies are for suckers. You can be a dumba** and still get a pharmacy job, even a job in the hospital. The C student with good interpersonal skills can get a better job that a person at the top of the class. Last time I checked, to get a pharmacist position u just need a bachelors or a PharmD degree. What do u call a pharmacy student graduating at the bottom of their class?....lol a pharmacist. And retail for sure only cares that u have a pharmacist license. By the way there are now unemployed pharmacist with residencies.

I preface this statement by saying I do not have a residency, but I participate in the hiring process - a residency, high GPA, high class rank all play a role in getting hired - last open position we had - we had 70 applicants for one position at our hospital.

So yes, graduating at the top of you class (meaning a good GPA) does make a difference, but only in the first few years outside of school or when it comes to getting a residency.

and yes, I graduated second in my class, so I wish it meant even more!
 
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I preface this statement by saying I do not have a residency, but I participate in the hiring process - a residency, high GPA, high class rank all play a role in getting hired - last open position we had - we had 70 applicants for one position at our hospital.

So yes, graduating at the top of you class (meaning a good GPA) does make a difference, but only in the first few years outside of school or when it comes to getting a residency.

and yes, I graduated second in my class, so I wish it meant even more!

How hard do you think it may be to get a PGY1 if at the top of the class, great reviews on APPE rotations, BUT have no pharmacy work experience outside of school?
 
Residencies are for suckers. You can be a dumba** and still get a pharmacy job, even a job in the hospital. The C student with good interpersonal skills can get a better job that a person at the top of the class. Last time I checked, to get a pharmacist position u just need a bachelors or a PharmD degree. What do u call a pharmacy student graduating at the bottom of their class?....lol a pharmacist. And retail for sure only cares that u have a pharmacist license. By the way there are now unemployed pharmacist with residencies.

Our hospital requires residency for all inpatient positions, since we do not have any positions that are purely staffing 100% of the time. Many hospitals are going that route now. It might not be necessary, but this is the reality now.
 
Our hospital requires residency for all inpatient positions, since we do not have any positions that are purely staffing 100% of the time. Many hospitals are going that route now. It might not be necessary, but this is the reality now.

Is this true for PRN positions at your hospital? Is it realistic to hope for a PRN hospital staffing position during a fellowship?
 
Is this true for PRN positions at your hospital? Is it realistic to hope for a PRN hospital staffing position during a fellowship?

Our chief doesn't believe in PRNs aside from ones that have been there for years (previously worked full time at the same hospital). We did hire a pharmacist to work every other weekend maybe half a year ago, and yes she is also residency trained. She is working while enrolled in a PhD program. As I said, don't have any positions that are 100% "staffing". This particular pharmacist was hired to cover weekend medicine discharges.
 
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Some jobs require you to have at least a 3.0 GPA, so don't slack off too much!
 
As long as you have a respectable GPA, there is no real advantage to being the top of your class.
 
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