Doing it all over again...?

[PharmLife4Me]

Hi guys & gals, I don't know if this is the best place to post this, but I am hoping that since you all have been through pharmacy school once (hopefully only once) and have seen the in and outs of everything, I would love it if you could tell me some of the things you regret or don't regret doing or things you wish you would have done while a P1 or a P2 .. If you could do it all over again, what changes would you make. If there aren't any changes you would make, enlighten me with your perfect pharmacy school experience

I'm looking for any advice for a p1!

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[Farcus]

get involved earlier, do research earlier, establish more connection, don't be a push over or softy but don't be too alpha dominant either

 

[RedRos]

Take rotations at hospitals early on where you have a potential to get a residency

 

[PharmLife4Me]

Take rotations at hospitals early on where you have a potential to get a residency

Are these readily available, or do you have to apply for hospital rotations?

 

[Kenzi11611]

Work. Find either a retail or hospital internship and get some great on the job training. Also grades are important in that you get like 3.4 or better but are not the be all end all of everything. Enjoy life and find a good work/school/social life balance.

 

[RedRos]

Are these readily available, or do you have to apply for hospital rotations?

It depends on your pharmacy school. If these hospitals are around your school, they most probably have affiliation with them. At my school, we gave our choices of rotations, but it was also a lottery system. So not everyone got all the rotations they wanted.

Also, as mentioned, some kind of job experience is always a plus.

 

[rxlea]

I wouldn't do it all over again

 

[lactonerx]

I have no advice since I feel like I did everything "right" but did not match...

 

[joetrisman]

get involved earlier, do research earlier, establish more connection, don't be a push over or softy but don't be too alpha dominant either

I feel the same about all of the above.

Also looking back, I would have ran for every leadership position available till I landed one. I would have focused on performing projects related to residency activities (eg MUE, P&T projects) as many programs are adding these to their applicant rubric. I would have went with the long detailed CV as opposed to the short one. I would have applied broadly to many different programs rather than only focusing on large academic teach programs such that I would have had at least a couple safety programs. I would have worked harder to establish an inpatient intern position rather than become complacent with having a retail gig after receiving no response to so many inpatient apps. Finally, I would have gone to a COP that wasn't new as I think that hindered my options to a large degree judging by the competitiveness of my CV as compared to my peers from other schools in the context of how many interviews I received as compared to them.

 

[GoldfishPharmD]

I wouldn't do it all over again

Maybe, I don't know.
I've really given this a lot of thought. I love pharmacy as far as having this vast knowledge of medications and being able to help others.

I hate pharmacy as far as how it is set up right now as a student. I feel as though, you have one of two options. You work retail and if you want to get out and pursue other areas of pharmacy, it's going to be an extremely difficult struggle. Or, you do a residency, which is competitive as all get out and the match process makes no sense sometimes.

I feel the same about all of the above.

Also looking back, I would have ran for every leadership position available till I landed one. I would have focused on performing projects related to residency activities (eg MUE, P&T projects) as many programs are adding these to their applicant rubric. I would have went with the long detailed CV as opposed to the short one. I would have applied broadly to many different programs rather than only focusing on large academic teach programs such that I would have had at least a couple safety programs. I would have worked harder to establish an inpatient intern position rather than become complacent with having a retail gig after receiving no response to so many inpatient apps. Finally, I would have gone to a COP that wasn't new as I think that hindered my options to a large degree judging by the competitiveness of my CV as compared to my peers from other schools in the context of how many interviews I received as compared to them.

I agree with pretty much everything Joe said. I think the things that definitely hurt me is that I didn't work during pharmacy school and just focused on going to school and doing tons of EC's. Another issue is that my school is lesser known and new. Third, I didn't apply broadly. That last point is definitely something I wish I could go back and change. I would have applied to 10 programs of various levels of competitiveness (all program are competitive but the big name academic institutions seem to be the worse).

Pharmacy school is 4 years and you're going to do some things right and some things wrong. I think the most important that I have to say is enjoy it. Learn and by that I mean REALLY learn. There was a lot of load and dump, but really study it and really try to understand how important it is for you remember this information. Also, enjoy your time there. Make friends, find a mentor, do things because you love doing them and not just because you want to pad your CV. I promise school will be much more rewarding. Also, stay out of the drama.

 

[BenJammin]

With all the hospitals that are cutting back hours and pharmacists, I would never do it again. Best thing that ever happened to me was not getting a residency.

 

[PharmLife4Me]

With all the hospitals that are cutting back hours and pharmacists, I would never do it again. Best thing that ever happened to me was not getting a residency.

Please elaborate for me on the hospitals that are cutting back hours and pharmacists.

 

[GoldfishPharmD]

Cut backs are everywhere though? Not just hospitals, retail places too.

 

[joetrisman]

Couple of other noteworthy things:

Log your intern hours at your externships. You never know if you might match in a state that requires this and causes problems if you weren't proactive about it. Ask me how I know

Send everything residency or board of pharmacy related via UPS to ensure delivery.

Something I found out today...when sending off for a 10 week processing FBI background check, don't take the advice of your wife and use a credit card as money orders costs extra. You will be doomed to have your credit card stolen or new cards sent for a random reason, and subsequently your old cards deactivated before the fee is processed but LONG after the FBI check was sent off. Ask me how I know

 

[GoldfishPharmD]

Couple of other noteworthy things:

Log your intern hours at your externships. You never know if you might match in a state that requires this and causes problems if you weren't proactive about it. Ask me how I know

Send everything residency or board of pharmacy related via UPS to ensure delivery.

Something I found out today...when sending off for a 10 week processing FBI background check, don't take the advice of your wife and use a credit card as money orders costs extra. You will be doomed to have your credit card stolen or new cards sent for a random reason, and subsequently your old cards deactivated before the fee is processed but LONG after the FBI check was sent off. Ask me how I know

Ah, the joys of getting licensed. I'm going through this now. Such a headache.

 

[joetrisman]

USPS lost my fbi background check application

 

[frk]

I would say I wish I had better grades but then I wouldn't have less of a life....so I don't think I would change anything. But when doing research pick a topic that interests you, it makes long nights of data collecting more tolerable

 

[pillpharmer]

I wish I would have been more involved in pharmacy organizations and networking. Also, doing poster presentation at pharmacy organization meetings and just general research with professors.