Clinical Pharmacist Jobs after PGY-1 Residency

[fiestychix03]

This is to current residents or recent pharmacists who have completed residency within the last year or two. What is the job trend as to getting a clinical pharmacist/specialist job. I ask because I have lots of hospital experience as a technician and are interviewing with a major hospital Univ. of MD Medical center for a clincal pharmacist position (staff) for whom I currently work for, as well as applied for residency. It's late now to withdraw from match and if I match I will happily do residency but if you were given the opportunity to work in the hospital right out of pharmacy school or do a residency what would you do? I hear it's hard now for even PGY-1 completed pharmacists to get a clincal position so many pharmacist tell me if I have the opportunity to go straight into hospital without a residency, do it. Feedback is greatly appreciated.

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[fiestychix03]

This is to current residents or recent pharmacists who have completed residency within the last year or two. What is the job trend as to getting a clinical pharmacist/specialist job. I ask because I have lots of hospital experience as a technician and are interviewing with a major hospital Univ. of MD Medical center for a clincal pharmacist position (staff) for whom I currently work for, as well as applied for residency. It's late now to withdraw from match and if I match I will happily do residency but if you were given the opportunity to work in the hospital right out of pharmacy school or do a residency what would you do? I hear it's hard now for even PGY-1 completed pharmacists to get a clincal position so many pharmacist tell me if I have the opportunity to go straight into hospital without a residency, do it. Feedback is greatly appreciated.

 

[thephoenician88]

This is to current residents or recent pharmacists who have completed residency within the last year or two. What is the job trend as to getting a clinical pharmacist/specialist job. I ask because I have lots of hospital experience as a technician and are interviewing with a major hospital Univ. of MD Medical center for a clincal pharmacist position (staff) for whom I currently work for, as well as applied for residency. It's late now to withdraw from match and if I match I will happily do residency but if you were given the opportunity to work in the hospital right out of pharmacy school or do a residency what would you do? I hear it's hard now for even PGY-1 completed pharmacists to get a clincal position so many pharmacist tell me if I have the opportunity to go straight into hospital without a residency, do it. Feedback is greatly appreciated.

I think an important factor in all this is whether you feel you are prepared to take on the duties of a clinical pharmacist without the extra training.

In other words, you'll be heavily relied on to make important decisions. If you don't have the experience it may be more difficult. More than that, let's say you make a mistake/ don't know something that's expected of you, it would be a lot harder to be accepted later as you're no longer a student/resident. You're the pharmacist and more is expected from you.

 

[bacillus1]

I think an important factor in all this is whether you feel you are prepared to take on the duties of a clinical pharmacist without the extra training.

In other words, you'll be heavily relied on to make important decisions. If you don't have the experience it may be more difficult. More than that, let's say you make a mistake/ don't know something that's expected of you, it would be a lot harder to be accepted later as you're no longer a student/resident. You're the pharmacist and more is expected from you.

Then the question becomes whether that experience is worth the $60k pay cut.

For me, it would depend on the position. You said "clinical position (staff)". So, which one is it, or is it basically a clinical/staff hybrid position? If it were just a staff position sitting in the central pharmacy without too many clinical duties, I'd likely still do the residency. If it were a clinical position or even a clinical/staff hybrid position, I'd take it. Of course this is in hindsight. Most of the positions available to PGY1s out there are clinical/staff hybrid positions, with a few clinical positions. For clinical specialist positions (except maybe in anticoag), they typically want PGY2s.

My opinion will likely change based on what position I'll end up getting after residency.

 

[thephoenician88]

Then the question becomes whether that experience is worth the $60k pay cut.

For me, it would depend on the position. You said "clinical position (staff)". So, which one is it, or is it basically a clinical/staff hybrid position? If it were just a staff position sitting in the central pharmacy without too many clinical duties, I'd likely still do the residency. If it were a clinical position or even a clinical/staff hybrid position, I'd take it. Of course this is in hindsight. Most of the positions available to PGY1s out there are clinical/staff hybrid positions, with a few clinical positions. For clinical specialist positions (except maybe in anticoag), they typically want PGY2s.

My opinion will likely change based on what position I'll end up getting after residency.

what's a 60k paycut when looking at the bigger picture? Is it really as significant as many make it out to be?

 

[bacillus1]

what's a 60k paycut when looking at the bigger picture? Is it really as significant as many make it out to be?

If I asked you nicely to please give me $45k (60k after taxes) right now, would you give it to me because it's an "insignificant amount of money"? Probably not. So why take a $60k pay cut if the result is the same afterwards? Now, if you were able to land a better job post PGY1, then it's worth it. I feel like many people will be able to land better positions after PGY1 than after graduation, but if you have a really good clinical offer now, you might not get a better one.

 

[fiestychix03]

If I asked you nicely to please give me $45k (60k after taxes) right now, would you give it to me because it's an "insignificant amount of money"? Probably not. So why take a $60k pay cut if the result is the same afterwards? Now, if you were able to land a better job post PGY1, then it's worth it. I feel like many people will be able to land better positions after PGY1 than after graduation, but if you have a really good clinical offer now, you might not get a better one.

Thank you All for the feedback! It's more of a staff position however becasue Univ. of Md medical center is such a large teaching institution will get more exposure to various areas and satelitie pharmacies such as working in PEDS or oncology or one of the critical care pharmacies. I won't do as much on the floor monitoring however doctors still rely highly on our recommendations as we are getting calls throughout the day from them and nurses. If I will match I will definitely do a residency but if I don't, I know I will stll get into the hospital setting and I am very fortunate to start out at such a great institution.

 

[Lnsean]

This is to current residents or recent pharmacists who have completed residency within the last year or two. What is the job trend as to getting a clinical pharmacist/specialist job. I ask because I have lots of hospital experience as a technician and are interviewing with a major hospital Univ. of MD Medical center for a clincal pharmacist position (staff) for whom I currently work for, as well as applied for residency. It's late now to withdraw from match and if I match I will happily do residency but if you were given the opportunity to work in the hospital right out of pharmacy school or do a residency what would you do? I hear it's hard now for even PGY-1 completed pharmacists to get a clincal position so many pharmacist tell me if I have the opportunity to go straight into hospital without a residency, do it. Feedback is greatly appreciated.

why is this even a question...the obvious choice is the staff clinical position. what could a residency give you that this position wouldn't (unless you are going into some niche specialty)?

 

[Sparda29]

Now that I have worked as staff pharmacist for 6 months, I'd say that I prefer working as staff rather than clinical. I have zero interest in doing any of those cost analysis projects, meetings, formulary changes thru literature review, etc.

The only part of the clinical pharmacists job that I like is the prerounds, rounds, patient discharge counseling and therapeutic drug monitoring.

 

[fiestychix03]

why is this even a question...the obvious choice is the staff clinical position. what could a residency give you that this position wouldn't (unless you are going into some niche specialty)?

Yes I agree however it's more staff than actual clinical. Because I will be in a big teaching hospital 750+ bed institution it's clinical pharmacist versus clinical specialist. I am still fortunate because univ of md has like 10 different satelite pharmacies so If I don't match I would like to train n the pediatric or oncology inpatient pharmacies. I just wll be grateful for my foot in the door as I know it's hard to get a hospital job out of school these days.

 

[kwakster928]

In my institution, we have one clinical pharmacist. She is a great resources for odd drug information questions and grey areas in the established protocol. That said, she serves as more of an administrative role rather than direct clinical pharmacy role.

I am a big proponent of NOT separating the role between the staff and clinical pharmacist. I know this is the case in the large institutions where clinical pharmacists are more involved in the clinical pharmacy than staff pharmacists who purely concentrate on dispensing aspect. Based on my experience this practice model promote division among clinical and staff pharmacist.

You can be as clinical as you can be as a staff pharmacist. You just have to show your initiative and willing to keep up with the therapeutics. In my role, I round with physicians, do all my clinical activities and process orders at the same time. It can be done. You don't need a FTE just to do the clinical activities. It makes no sense to me.

Don't be a clinical pharmacist who doesn't know what a PCA is.

 

[Blackboxrx]

Yes I agree however it's more staff than actual clinical. Because I will be in a big teaching hospital 750+ bed institution it's clinical pharmacist versus clinical specialist. I am still fortunate because univ of md has like 10 different satelite pharmacies so If I don't match I would like to train n the pediatric or oncology inpatient pharmacies. I just wll be grateful for my foot in the door as I know it's hard to get a hospital job out of school these days.

They didn't hire a resident?

 

[fiestychix03]

They didn't hire a resident?

There's plenty of residents they accept each year. I just missed the deadline to apply for residency there. I work there currently so I pretty much feel comfortable I will get offered a inpatient clinical pharmacist position.

 

[Blackboxrx]

There's plenty of residents they accept each year. I just missed the deadline to apply for residency there. I work there currently so I pretty much feel comfortable I will get offered a inpatient clinical pharmacist position.

Nice congrats! I'll probably see you there if I match with them then

 

[delano2000]

This is to current residents or recent pharmacists who have completed residency within the last year or two. What is the job trend as to getting a clinical pharmacist/specialist job. I ask because I have lots of hospital experience as a technician and are interviewing with a major hospital Univ. of MD Medical center for a clincal pharmacist position (staff) for whom I currently work for, as well as applied for residency. It's late now to withdraw from match and if I match I will happily do residency but if you were given the opportunity to work in the hospital right out of pharmacy school or do a residency what would you do? I hear it's hard now for even PGY-1 completed pharmacists to get a clincal position so many pharmacist tell me if I have the opportunity to go straight into hospital without a residency, do it. Feedback is greatly appreciated.

Duplicate threads merged.

 

[fiestychix03]

Nice congrats! I'll probably see you there if I match with them then

Thank you so much! I f I don't match I definitely have this position lined up so I greatful for ths. Yes crossed fingers tomorrow and good luck to you! Univ. of MD is a great institution!