Has anyone regretted into residency program or not into residency program?

[forever27]

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I am facing this choice in the near future. I am not sure if I am going to the residency program after graduation. Our faculties always say the good sides about residency. However, only a few (<10%) P4 year students in our school applied residency. I want to know any of you heard any down sides about entering residency?

In addition, I want to relocate after graduation. Is it easier to go to retail than hospital to find a job in other state?

thanks

 

[patmcd]

The lower paycheck is certainly an issue for some people when they chose not to do a residency.

 

[Shadowstar]

I am facing this choice in the near future. I am not sure if I am going to the residency program after graduation. Our faculties always say the good sides about residency. However, only a few (<10%) P4 year students in our school applied residency. I want to know any of you heard any down sides about entering residency?

In addition, I want to relocate after graduation. Is it easier to go to retail than hospital to find a job in other state?

thanks

Its easier to go to retail everywhere I think. To land a job in a hospital, you'd either need experience, a residency, or both. But the pay for pharmacists with a residency is better than those without.

 

[konkan]

Its easier to go to retail everywhere I think. To land a job in a hospital, you'd either need experience, a residency, or both. But the pay for pharmacists with a residency is better than those without.

No, it's not. This is probably another reason why people aren't that enthusiastic about pharmacy residencies.

 

[Tessalon]

As mentioned above, watching your friends make up to 3x as much as you can be a little troublesome. They will also have 40 hour workweeks, while a resident will be working every other weekend and some weeknights for no extra pay in addition to their other responsibilities Monday thru Friday.
I will find out the match results this week , so I'm trying to be realistic about how the next year of my life is going to look. My vibe from other residents (some are also my friends and very honest) has always been, "yes it is hard, sometimes brutal, but I am so glad I did it."
A big motivating factor for applying to residencies was that while I feel capable of being a good pharmacist right out of school, rotations have taught me that there is so much that I still don't know and lack confidence in. In addition, I would not want to try to apply for a job I really want one day, only to be turned down b/c I didn't do a residency and another applicant did (even if I knew I was smarter than them, lol).
My advice is if you THINK you might want a job one day that a residency is a required as a prerequisite to advance, then do it. And get a good financial advisor to help find ways to make up the money in the long run. You may end up working longer in a job that you needed a residency to get because you like it more than a job you would have without one. So it could balance out.🙂

 

[Dr.Biassi]

I have a question for you all!!! Can you actually get job after pharmacy school, work for a couple year to pay off debt and then apply for a residency?

 

[SpirivaSunrise]

I have a question for you all!!! Can you actually get job after pharmacy school, work for a couple year to pay off debt and then apply for a residency?

Can you? Of course! Is it common? No, not really. But I do know some people that have, and I'm considering it myself.

 

[forever27]

A lot of my classmates think about this way. However, many graduated alumni told us it is hard because once you are used to one environment, there is no motivation to switch to another new one. Plus, once you get higher pay from retail pharmacy, you life is changed and nobody want to get "pay-cut" to hospital or residency. That is why I am confusing where I am going to do after graduation. It seems that the clinical pharmacists and residents/fellows around my school all went to residency right after their graduation. At most, a few of them do a part-time retail pharmacy job to get more income.

I have a question for you all!!! Can you actually get job after pharmacy school, work for a couple year to pay off debt and then apply for a residency?

 

[pharmhan]

I worked for 4 years in retail after graduating pharmacy school, and I'm applying to residency programs now. Let me tell you, doing a residency now is a major life decision, because now I have a family and the decision involves everyone. When I was right out of school, I was single and free of responsibility (other than taking care of myself!). Doing a residency now means my kids will have to go to daycare, and I won't be at home much to keep the home fires burning. When I graduated pharm school, I had no desire to do a residency, I was just eager to be done with school and start working (earning an income and paying off my loans). After working 4 years in retail and feeling like I was losing a lot of my clinical skills, I realized that this isn't how I want to spend the rest of my professional life...so after much deliberation and discussion with my husband, we decided that I should go for it this year with the residency. I find out the match results on Wednesday. I only ranked the 2 programs which are near our home and seemed pretty family-friendly. The program directors all aware of my commitment to family first. The big bummer is that with the cost of childcare sky high, all the 40k residency salary will be directly going into paying for daycare for 2 kids. So truly, I'm doing this for the experience, and no monetary gain. But I think it's totally worth it because I think post-residency, I'll have more job satisfaction, better work environment, more family-friendly hours. And those things matter more to me than making the most money possible.

 

[AnonFaculty]

My two cents: Its inappropriate to use a title like "Dr." until you have earned it. Its disrespectful to those who have and misleading.

 

[lord999]

When making my own decision, I asked 3 REALLY successful people who did resdencies and did clinical, and 3 residents who ended up in the basement (by choice, not force).

I'd suggest you find those in both camps: Those who ended up using their education, and those who didn't.

I made no value judgment on either party. However, I found that residencies are a highly individualistic experience, so I think it depends not only on you but what expereinces you get accepted for.

 

[VCU07]

I am facing this choice in the near future. I am not sure if I am going to the residency program after graduation. Our faculties always say the good sides about residency. However, only a few (<10%) P4 year students in our school applied residency. I want to know any of you heard any down sides about entering residency?

In addition, I want to relocate after graduation. Is it easier to go to retail than hospital to find a job in other state?

thanks

What really makes me mad is that our school has stressed residency from day 1, but 1/3 of us didnt match anywhere! I think residency is a good thing for moving our profession forward, but a large number don't match. Sure there is the scramble, but I cant move across the country for a less than stellar program. I am sure people will disagree, but just my opinion!