GPA in Residencies and Fellowships

[tackett26]

Do you know how much weight residency and fellowship programs put on GPA during the PharmD? Does it matter which school you went to? ie: Some schools may teach only to the very basic requirements, wheras other schools may go far above and beyond that?

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[clutzyshell]

Do you know how much weight residency and fellowship programs put on GPA during the PharmD? Does it matter which school you went to? ie: Some schools may teach only to the very basic requirements, wheras other schools may go far above and beyond that?

We haven't entered Match 2012 yet and interviews are still in progress. So I will give you my two cents based on what I'm experiencing (interview invitations).

There is no cookie-cut answer. I'm sure many would give you a good generalization that large teaching hospitals OR known research hospitals tend to pick high GPA applicants. Or that VA hospitals are super competitive so you need to be the triple threat--good GPA, extracurriculars, and internships. So many generalizations... but none of them provide a black and white answer.

Based from this applicant pool this year, GPA seems to be looked at first and they're considered if they have a gpa 3.5 or higher. Many facilities specify "you must have a 3.0 or greater to be considered" but we don't know if 3.1 vs 3.9 gives them a certain amount of points on the rubric.

From my experience: I go to a no-named pharmacy school and I have a gpa on the lower end of the spectrum on consideration. But I was offered 7 of 10 interviews. Of course I had a nice mix: I put 1 "settle" residency, 5 "reach" residencies and the rest I was just really interested in.

The best way is to ask this during the residency showcase or to state what facilities you're looking at to apply and current residents, people that interviewed or are on the interview committee can shed some light.

But obviously, getting the best GPA and CV is ideal. But as we know, its the interview itself that seals the deal.

 

[NicPharmacy]

From my experience: I go to a no-named pharmacy school and I have a gpa on the lower end of the spectrum on consideration. But I was offered 7 of 10 interviews. Of course I had a nice mix: I put 1 "settle" residency, 5 "reach" residencies and the rest I was just really interested in.

Wow! What do your other stats look like? I only have a 3.1 GPA and have only gotten 1 interview. I figured it was my GPA that wasn't getting me rejected from the interview process.

 

[bacillus1]

Wow! What do your other stats look like? I only have a 3.1 GPA and have only gotten 1 interview. I figured it was my GPA that wasn't getting me rejected from the interview process.

So far I got 5 rejections (and 3 invites) with a 3.7, so either they're looking for even higher GPAs (unlikely), or my CV is deficient in things they like, such as a hospital job or publications. Also I applied to extremely competitive programs (5 VAs as well as a non-VA program that had over 40 applicants per spot last year).

 

[cycloketocaine]

So far I got 5 rejections (and 3 invites) with a 3.7, so either they're looking for even higher GPAs (unlikely), or my CV is deficient in things they like, such as a hospital job or publications. Also I applied to extremely competitive programs (5 VAs as well as a non-VA program that had over 40 applicants per spot last year).

My program director and I had a discussion last week. We really think that publications are more of an essential part of an application due to the number of applicants that have them. They are no longer just something to put you over the top anymore.

 

[joetrisman]

My program director and I had a discussion last week. We really think that publications are more of an essential part of an application due to the number of applicants that have them. They are no longer just something to put you over the top anymore.

yay🙁

 

[clutzyshell]

Wow! What do your other stats look like? I only have a 3.1 GPA and have only gotten 1 interview. I figured it was my GPA that wasn't getting me rejected from the interview process.

I'll definitely post on Match Stats 2012 after the Match and I'll even include the places I've interviewed at.

But I'm very superstitious and I don't want to jinx myself. lol. All I can say is my CV is probably what filled in the remaining GPA points I needed (I got a 3.2 but all As in all clinical rotations but Cs in clinical didatic classes... which I'm pretty sure doesn't look all that great.)

 

[NicPharmacy]

I'll definitely post on Match Stats 2012 after the Match and I'll even include the places I've interviewed at.

But I'm very superstitious and I don't want to jinx myself. lol. All I can say is my CV is probably what filled in the remaining GPA points I needed (I got a 3.2 but all As in all clinical rotations but Cs in clinical didatic classes... which I'm pretty sure doesn't look all that great.)

I have wondered if they look at just your GPA overall or the individual classes. If you look my GPA is lower b/c of early classes like Med Chem (sorry I can't memorize the structure of every med)

I figured it was my GPA that wasn't getting me rejected from the interview process.

Sorry for my typo, I meant to say that I figured it was my GPA that WAS getting me rejected from the interview process.

 

[joetrisman]

My program director and I had a discussion last week. We really think that publications are more of an essential part of an application due to the number of applicants that have them. They are no longer just something to put you over the top anymore.

In general, when you speak of publications in applicant's CV, what kind of publications are we talking about? Newsletter, Student Pharmacist (and the like), or peer reviewed journal? Do you show much weight difference between where the publication is? If it is in a peer reviewed journal, you show much weight difference between prospective, post hoc, etc? Any additional information on this would be appreciated as I have a gaping hole in my CV in this area.

 

[xiphoid2010]

In general, when you speak of publications in applicant's CV, what kind of publications are we talking about? Newsletter, Student Pharmacist (and the like), or peer reviewed journal? Do you show much weight difference between where the publication is? If it is in a peer reviewed journal, you show much weight difference between prospective, post hoc, etc? Any additional information on this would be appreciated as I have a gaping hole in my CV in this area.

Publications in my mind are those found in journals. You don't have to be the first author, but if you are, that would rock. So for those of you helped with research during internships or as an RA, don't forget to ask your name be included when they publish.

Which journal matters, but since you are not expected to be research focused, its not like a big thing with faculties.

 

[Sparda29]

What sucks for me is that all my rotations were Pass/Fail and have no bearing on GPA, so I'm stuck with the miserable GPA from the didactic years.. The school changed this policy for the Class of 2013 and beyond (they're getting letter grades with GPA bearing).

 

[clutzyshell]

I have wondered if they look at just your GPA overall or the individual classes. If you look my GPA is lower b/c of early classes like Med Chem (sorry I can't memorize the structure of every med).

I got Cs for most of my kinetics, clinical and pharmacology didactic classes but As on all my rotations and the BS classes such as law, pharmaceutical sci etc etc. One of the programs looked at my gpa and commented that I am on the low end of the cutoff for consideration and she even flipped through my transcript during the interview and was like "... and you got Cs in all the clinical classes". lol.

But then I told them throughout all my years in pharmacy school, even as a full time student I worked as a nearly full-time intern, working on average 30 hours (sometimes more) weekly between community pharmacy, hospital pharmacy, and a random side job--all for financial reasons--and they were pretty nice about it.

They then said that they interviewed someone before me and that person worked 13ish hours per week and that was preceived as being "a lot" HAHA ... oh these out of state peeps ...

 

[BenJammin]

At this point, I don't care about my GPA. I have friends who were turned away from all residencies with a 3.8 and one guy that got his dream job with a 3.1 so there's not much I can do about that. I'm at a 3.2 and a perfect 4th year of rotations would push me to 3.35. A's in all of my therapeutics classes though and lots of publications so I'm holding out hope.

 

[IndustryPharmD]

Because residencies see you on paper first, they probably weigh GPAs more. Fellowships see you in an interview (at the Midyear) first, so by the time they have a chance to look at your CV, they already have an impression of you, which weighs a lot more than a GPA. To be honest, I don't even know the GPA range for the top applicants we had this year.

I would say that anything above 3.5 is a respectable GPA...

 

[BlueHens66]

Because residencies see you on paper first, they probably weigh GPAs more. Fellowships see you in an interview (at the Midyear) first, so by the time they have a chance to look at your CV, they already have an impression of you, which weighs a lot more than a GPA. To be honest, I don't even know the GPA range for the top applicants we had this year.

I would say that anything above 3.5 is a respectable GPA...

My GPA was listed on the top of my CV but it never once came up in conversation at PPS or on-site interviews for fellowship, except one time. A Director at an on-site interview commented that I should be proud to list my 3.7 GPA, but it is probably unneccessary as most candidates have similar GPAs who are brought on-site.

It's far more important to be a well-rounded, experienced individual with a great personality on interviews. The GPA is just icing on the cake.

 

[Sparda29]

Because residencies see you on paper first, they probably weigh GPAs more. Fellowships see you in an interview (at the Midyear) first, so by the time they have a chance to look at your CV, they already have an impression of you, which weighs a lot more than a GPA. To be honest, I don't even know the GPA range for the top applicants we had this year.

I would say that anything above 3.5 is a respectable GPA...

Hypothetical Question. You get an applicant, you like their CV and invite them for an interview. They blow you away during the interviews and you are certain you want to hire them. Now you are getting paperwork, transcripts, etc together and you discover the applicant has a GPA of a 2.3. Would that GPA matter to you at that point?

 

[IndustryPharmD]

Hypothetical Question. You get an applicant, you like their CV and invite them for an interview. They blow you away during the interviews and you are certain you want to hire them. Now you are getting paperwork, transcripts, etc together and you discover the applicant has a GPA of a 2.3. Would that GPA matter to you at that point?

Hypothetical question back: just what would they do to blow me away? Throw BS at me faster than I could see through it?

Getting that low of a GPA and having a personality and intelligence of a person capable of acing an interview are two things that just don't go together in my book.

 

[Its Z]

Hypothetical question back: just what would they do to blow me away? Throw BS at me faster than I could see through it?

Getting that low of a GPA and having a personality and intelligence of a person capable of acing an interview are two things that just don't go together in my book.

20 years ago my dop told me "dont BS a BSer." I live by it.

 

[spacecowgirl]

Hypothetical Question. You get an applicant, you like their CV and invite them for an interview. They blow you away during the interviews and you are certain you want to hire them. Now you are getting paperwork, transcripts, etc together and you discover the applicant has a GPA of a 2.3. Would that GPA matter to you at that point?

Yes.