How good are my chances for PGY1?

[PharmaBerry]

Hello. I'm sure many people ask this question but I just wanted feedback from people that have experience with applying to/completing a residency. I am currently a PY3 at a small private pharmacy school. My GPA is my biggest setback for residency at a whopping 3.25. I didn't do so well my first year of school but have done better every quarter since then and raised my GPA consistently. I've worked in an outpatient setting for almost 2 years and am well connected with the pharmacists and pharmacy directors. I am working on my second research project with hopefully a publication soon and have held various leadership positions in organizations throughout my pharmacy school career. Do you think my GPA is going to hold me back a lot in getting a residency position? Do extracurriculars outweigh GPA or is it a pretty even balance? Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!

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[Humble Sloth]

Hello. I'm sure many people ask this question but I just wanted feedback from people that have experience with applying to/completing a residency. I am currently a PY3 at a small private pharmacy school. My GPA is my biggest setback for residency at a whopping 3.25. I didn't do so well my first year of school but have done better every quarter since then and raised my GPA consistently. I've worked in an outpatient setting for almost 2 years and am well connected with the pharmacists and pharmacy directors. I am working on my second research project with hopefully a publication soon and have held various leadership positions in organizations throughout my pharmacy school career. Do you think my GPA is going to hold me back a lot in getting a residency position? Do extracurriculars outweigh GPA or is it a pretty even balance? Any advice is appreciated! Thanks!

Holy cow! a 3.25? Did you even go to class? I was worried about my 3.78. It depends on how soft or hard your research is. Are you doing protein research? Are you doing research to investigate how Leydig cells ability to convert cholesterol into testosterone is severely reduced by a grade 3 Varicocele? Or are you doing some soft research such as how are geriatric patients able to adapt to to a certain medication regimen or something non-technical such as psychiatry or psychology or social aspects of medicine? Even with good research you maybe be screwed because that GPA is really not even close to competitive. I would think the minimum cut off would be 3.5 for PGY1.

 

[KatleyS]

I think it really depends on the residency. Applying for one isn't like applying to pharmacy school where those who have the highest GPA wins. It's your first real job interview, technically. I think if one was applying for a residency with a LOT of applications, I can see where a low GPA might hurt you because sites might use that factor via a computer algorithm to weed out candidates. Doesn't sound fair to throw out some candidates based on one factor, but there you have it. However, some residencies are more hands on and look at the whole picture with extra-activities, interviews, rotations, etc. A residency site is looking for someone who will benefit the organization and its interests just like any other job site.

I have also met some candidates with really stellar GPA's and CV's but who interviewed poorly so they didn't get ranked at residency. So, I don't mean to add stress to an already stressful situation, but it's important for the candidate to not only highlight the strong points of your CV on paper but how you present yourself during interview. Don't gloss over your weaknesses with defensive behavior but try to turn it into how you've overcome them. Depending on the residency type, brush up on what you would think they would ask clinically-wise. General Practice residencies tend to give candidates a clinical case and ask them to work out some pharmaceutical problems like a pharmacist.

Also, search through your social media footprint and take care of anything you think you don't want the entire world to know. Make it private not public. Interviewers are social media savvy, too.

 

[inverness2012]

It depends on the program. You sound like a great well rounded candidate. Some very competitive programs (i.e. UK, MUSC, Ohio State, etc.) may have a hard GPA cut off. I would apply widely.

 

[bacillus1]

It depends on the program. You sound like a great well rounded candidate. Some very competitive programs (i.e. UK, MUSC, Ohio State, etc.) may have a hard GPA cut off. I would apply widely.

This. Smaller programs that are not as well known will consider you, so apply to different kinds of programs, not just large academic medical centers.

 

[mfdoom]

I think leadership, work experience, and research bolster your app. A 3.25 would be way worse if you didn't have extracurriculars. I feel like programs nowadays value well-roundedness over really strong GPA + mediocre everything else. Also, do you get grades for P4 rotations? If so, that'll pad your GPA a little bit.

Another thing that is a big impact factor are your rec letters. Try to get rec letters from people who will put time into them and not just check off boxes with no comments included. And make sure they'll write you a positive letter in the first place.