Residency or Job Offer..?

[tritonvision]

Hi all,

I'm in a bit of a conundrum so I figured I post it here to get some new and fresh perspectives. I have always been passionate about a very specific field of pharmacy ever since I was an undergrad and have been working my way toward that ever since. I was never truly excited about the idea of doing a residency because I was pretty worn out from all of the presentations, posters, etc... But I made peace with it and applied because I know that this is the route I must take to get to where I want to be. I was lucky enough to get matched to a hospital that has a strong emphasis on that specialty with an available PGY-2 on it as well.

Recently I started my last rotation on the specialty of my interest, and I guess I performed well enough (with a bit of luck) that my preceptor offered me a full time position. So now I am trying to weigh the decision between pursuing the residency or accepting this job offer. Here is my thought process so far:

Residency:
Pros: High value that I can take to many places when I graduate. It will also provide me with specialized, professional training in this field. It will open many doors for my future career.
Cons: Busy and tedious work, low pay, interest on loans will accumulate.

Job:
Pros: I get to start right away in the career that I have always wanted. High salary which means I can start paying off the massive loans.
Cons: Guilt from declining the residency and it probably will look bad (pharmacy is a small world). The department thats hiring is a bit unstable as there are potentials for personnel/management changes, so accepting this is a risk. The experience I will gain here may not look as good as the 2 years of residency on my resume for future career opportunities (?).

I apologize for the long rant, but I really appreciate any inputs or feedbacks you guys may have. Thank you for reading!

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[pharmdpharmd]

As most people would tell, residency is a contract and you should honor it. And personally I would do the residency.

With being said however, you have to do what's best for you and family. Career is not the most important thing in your life.

Whatever decision you take, you have not look back at it because they are gonna be moments when u will regret your decision either way

 

[GoldfishPharmD]

Once again, you made a commitment. I think you should honor it. It's probably very likely your preceptor knew you matched with a residency, and I think it speaks bad on them to make you a job offer knowing that you already had a residency contract. Also, you said this may be an unstable position. If you lose your job, it may not be easy to get another one at another institution versus someone that did a residency/have more experience than you.

 

[inverness2012]

"Good name in man and woman, dear my lord,
Is the immediate jewel of their souls.
Who steals my purse steals trash. 'Tis something, nothing:
'Twas mine, ’tis his, and has been slave to thousands.
But he that filches from me my good name
Robs me of that which not enriches him
And makes me poor indeed." William Shakespeare in Othello

I would take the residency. You made a commitment. Stick to it.

 

[awval999]

These comments blow my mind. The whole point of pharmacy school and residency is to acquire that dream job. Who knows what the job market is going to be 2 years down the line. If the job offer is truly what you want to do for the rest of your career take it. You have to look out for yourself first.

I mean seriously, you are going to decline a full time speciality position as a new grad? Almost seems like a troll comment.

 

[KARM12]

What is the specialty?

 

[GoldfishPharmD]

These comments blow my mind. The whole point of pharmacy school and residency is to acquire that dream job. Who knows what the job market is going to be 2 years down the line. If the job offer is truly what you want to do for the rest of your career take it. You have to look out for yourself first.

I mean seriously, you are going to decline a full time speciality position as a new grad? Almost seems like a troll comment.

Why bother going into the match then? Why not just spend all your time and energy looking for that dream position or a back door in. People go into the match knowing it's a contract and you've made a commitment to it. If it was the other way around where the program decided to screw the resident over, everyone would cry foul but why is it okay for the resident to not honor their agreement?

 

[GoldfishPharmD]

This person just said this hospital is unstable as well. What if they reject their residency offer to take the position and the job never happens. I think you'll be doubly screwed then.

 

[tritonvision]

Thanks for the replies so far guys. Though I haven't officially signed the contract yet, it will still be hard for me to back away from this agreement because I know I made a commitment. But I guess I'm trying to look at this from the perspective of how it will affect my long term career and my happiness instead of merely "you made a commitment". I'm hoping that when/if it gets to that point, the residency directory will understand if I am honest with him.

The reason why I'm still on the fence is because everyone in our field currently put residency on the pedestal. Preceptors and pharmacists are telling their students that they won't even look at anyone without a residency. It makes me ask myself "Will the experience I gain here for the next 2..3 years be enough to match that of a residency on a resume?". I looked at indeed.com and 90% of the positions for the specialty that I want to get into do not list residency as a requirement, but who knows.. things may change down the line. My question for everyone is.. whatever specialty that you are chasing after.. amb care, ID, peds, etc... if you are offered a full time position in that specialty right now.. what will you do? will you still pursue a residency?

 

[GoldfishPharmD]

For me, no. I don't think I'm prepared to start working in my field at this moment. I still have much to learn and would rather get that in an environment that promotes my learning and doesn't expect me to know it all. Additionally, I would honestly feel like a crappy person to back out of my contract with my residency. They believed in me enough to rank me and if I backed out, they will have to try to fill that spot and what happens if they don't? I wouldn't feel too great about myself.

I don't know what area you're going in to, but doing a residency is never a waste. You'll be a well rounded individual and you'll get a great deal of experience. I say do this year and then see what positions are available without having to do a second year.

 

[Carboxide]

Sorry, but you are wrong. You signed that contract when you submitted your match list. At this point you are LEGALLY obligated to take the residency. If you don't, you are barred from the match for life. Is that risk worth it to you? What if this job falls through? You will then be unable to ever do a residency.

 

[Argentium]

.

 

[GoldfishPharmD]

Lots of kool aid drinking here ...

1. Five or ten years down the road, will you regret your decision? will you ever wonder "what if?"
2. You are "contractually" and "legally" bound to whatever commitment you made. Big whoop. All contracts are LEGALLY (in caps too!) bound and breaking contracts and renegading on offers happens all the time. Do not ever think that your employer wouldn't screw you over in a heartbeat if they had to.
3. Being barred from residency -- do people actually go back and do residencies anyways?
4. Your reputation MAY take an initial hit but I would be surprised if it followed you a few years out into your career.

All of the punitive arguments for renegading are naive at best.

I really would encourage you to think about what is best for you and whether you are comfortable from an ethical perspective with breaking the agreement. If you are not, then honestly residency is a great option and congratulations on matching!

It's kool aid drinking to expect someone to abide by a contract that they knew about prior to going into the match? If this was prior to matching, I would have said go with the position, but it's not. It's after the fact, so the situation is different. It's not just an ethical issue. The OP stated the instability of this institution. What if they go ahead and accept and it falls through? They're screwed on both fronts.

 

[tritonvision]

It's definitely a lot to think through. I appreciate everyone's input.

 

[Dalteparin]

Leaving aside the issue of honoring your commitment, I'd tell you to run like hell from the unstable department. Worst case scenario, the new manager decides s/he needs to cut the budget and guess who will be cut first? You, the new hire.

Also, it was shady for your preceptor to wait until after the Match to offer you the job. S/he knows you've already matched and can't back out; why would s/he put you in this position? (Hell, does this preceptor even have the authority to offer you a job???) As I said to another poster in the same situation, I can't help but wonder if there's some bait and switch going on here. "I know we told you this'd be a critical care specialist job, but actually you'll just be doing med rec. Sucka!!!"

 

[KidPharmD]

Regardless of your commitment...

You asked if 2-3 years of this position would have the same effect as a residency. I think you will find that it will not. First, you won't get the concentrated training that you get in a residency. Second, it probably wont be equivalent on a resume. Positions that require a PGY1 usually state "or 3-5 years similar experience," positions that require a PGY2 often say "or 5-1o years similar experience." The only exceptions are if you qualify for and then pass the BPS exam for the specialty.

 

[Transformer]

Regardless of your commitment...

You asked if 2-3 years of this position would have the same effect as a residency. I think you will find that it will not. First, you won't get the concentrated training that you get in a residency. Second, it probably wont be equivalent on a resume. Positions that require a PGY1 usually state "or 3-5 years similar experience," positions that require a PGY2 often say "or 5-1o years similar experience." The only exceptions are if you qualify for and then pass the BPS exam for the specialty.

For a clinical specialist position, you should complete a residency now.

In a few years when you are applying for a desired clinical job outside of your health system network, you will most likely be interviewing with employers/clinical pharmacists who have completed a year or two of residency. As evident by the responses you are receiving now, they will be bias (especially if they have never worked with you or heard of you or where you currently work) and they will favor those who completed a residency; unless you have completed the following:

- Board Certified in your specialty (BCOP, BCPP, AQs, etc)
- 5+ years of work experience related to your specialty
- Excellent Recommendations and Networking
-Show you are one of the best in your field of specialty via accomplishments such as publications etc etc.

It is a longer route and it is definitely doable, but it is an uphill battle, and you're really better off completing the two years of residency now and reaching your goal faster that way. Good Luck

 

[lmfaotrigine]

I really think you are kidding yourself if you don’t believe the purpose of a residency is to up your chances of landing a hospital pharmacy job. Personal development, increasing clinical skills and whatnot are great and all, but a residency is not the only way to get there. They will have to train you regardless of whether or not you’ve done a residency. If you can see yourself staying at this job for at least three years, take it. If you could spend your whole career there, then who cares what’s on your resume?

Something I hope you digest: Our current residents that are finishing in a couple months who have both expressed desire to stay on at our institution, can’t because there are no openings. So, you are going to go through a whole year just to hope you end up with the same opportunity you have now??? Seems like an easy decision.

Also every hospital now has several people who would jump at the chance to fill your vacated residency spot. Have you seen the scramble thread? There are no hard feelings.

Start earning your pharmacist’s pay. Save for a house down payment, pump money into a 401k, murder those student loans, and trade up your beater.

 

[Dalteparin]

Something I hope you digest: Our current residents that are finishing in a couple months who have both expressed desire to stay on at our institution, can’t because there are no openings. So, you are going to go through a whole year just to hope you end up with the same opportunity you have now??? Seems like an easy decision.

But is this really an opportunity? Bear in mind what the OP has said about the department - changes in management and personnel, and the person who extended the offer was his preceptor, not the director. For all we know, this isn't even a legitimate offer. Maybe the preceptor assumes that the OP will get a job based on his/her say-so, but the director has somebody else in mind. Maybe the preceptor just heard about a possible opening that isn't official yet.

At most hospitals, clinical pharmacists do NOT have the authority to make hiring decisions. The fact that the OP's preceptor thinks s/he does have that authority is a huge red flag to me; if I made a student a job offer, my boss would probably fire my insubordinate ass. No matter how much the clinical staff may like a person, ultimately the hiring decision rests with the director. The OP did not hear from the director, and that's why I'm convinced that this offer is pixie dust.

 

[spacecowgirl]

These comments blow my mind. The whole point of pharmacy school and residency is to acquire that dream job.

No the whole point is to acquire a dream career. And that takes making good choices over the course of years.

OP - yes, some of residency is tedious and busy work. You know which other jobs have that? Only every job everywhere.

 

[KidPharmD]

I just want to point out that my residency is less tedious than many jobs I have had. I have also had no busy work. Every project I undertake has a genuine purpose.

 

[BMBiology]

Job:
Pros: I get to start right away in the career that I have always wanted. High salary which means I can start paying off the massive loans.
Cons: Guilt from declining the residency and it probably will look bad (pharmacy is a small world). The department thats hiring is a bit unstable as there are potentials for personnel/management changes, so accepting this is a risk. The experience I will gain here may not look as good as the 2 years of residency on my resume for future career opportunities (?).

Is this with a big company/hospital? Is the position new or did someone just leave the company? Why are they hiring? Did they just get a new contract?

The longer you wait to get into this job market, the harder it will be. I didn't do a residency but my co-workers did. I actually get pay more than them because I have been taking more workload. In all honesty, pharmacy is not hard. It takes time, hard work and some interpersonal skills.

 

[IndustryPharmD]

What does your gut tell you? Whenever two options are equally weighed in terms of pros/cons , I trust my gut. So far, never had to regret it. What affects your happiness with a job or a career choice the most are usually intangibles anyway.