How Much Does School Reputation Matter When Applying to Residency Program

[slatenator]

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[KARM12]

I am a pre-pharmacy student with multiple admissions offers to schools and am seeking an honest opinion on how much the reputation of a pharmacy school matters when attempting to get accepted to a residency program.

For example, I was admitted to Regis University, a very new school that I suspect is not very prestigious, the University of Washington, a very prestigious school, and the University of Oklahoma, a somewhat presitgious schools but good for me because of in-state tuition rates.

I am hoping to apply to a program in clinical pharmacy (don't know specific specialization yet).

Similar to undergraduate, I suspect that going to a less prestigious school would allow me to get better grades so perhaps the school name vs. the grades I recieve will cancel each other out. Can anyone give me advice on this matter. Thank you so much for your time...

School matters to a point...it depends on the residency you are applying to though. Out of your list I would go to Oklahoma... it is in state = cheaper for you, and it is a well known, good school.

 

[patmcd]

If you're willing to invest the money, UW offers a top notch education.

 

[meLtdown4meL]

Go to the University of Washington- it is a good education, it's an excellent city (I'm a current CA transplant), and you have more options in terms of internship opportunities (multiple hospitals and progressive community pharmacy internships). You can apply for an in-state residency waiver after your first year assuming you get a valid WA drivers license and apply to vote in the state of WA... so you'd only pay out of state tuition for one year.

Good luck.

 

[OUpharmD12]

Lol slate are you lying about getting in because in the OU class of 2014 thread you said you haven't heard back from them yet on your interview?

 

[Dalteparin]

It may also depend on which geographic area you're looking at. If you plan to stay in the region long-term, you'll probably be better off going to Oklahoma. You'll make connections with a lot of your future colleagues that way and it might give you an "in" at some local programs.

And paying cheaper tuition is always a plus.

 

[pharmwannebe2]

Lol slate are you lying about getting in because in the OU class of 2014 thread you said you haven't heard back from them yet on your interview?

you're really nosey aren't you.

 

[sweets7]

I have a question along the same lines.. I am also torn between two schools: Nova Southeastern in Ft Lauderdale and Western University in Pomona.

Nova is significantly cheaper but not sure how great their reputation is. Western is close to home but much more expensive. How important is the reputation or class size of the pharmacy school you attend when applying for residency positions?

 

[confettiflyer]

I have a question along the same lines.. I am also torn between two schools: Nova Southeastern in Ft Lauderdale and Western University in Pomona.

Nova is significantly cheaper but not sure how great their reputation is. Western is close to home but much more expensive. How important is the reputation or class size of the pharmacy school you attend when applying for residency positions?

GO TO WESTERN. Stay in California. You'll have an easier time "staying" within the sphere of the west coast than trying to "break back in" after you graduate.

 

[Pharmella]

The more prestigious school will make a difference, but not a huge one. Not only because the residency program will know what to expect in terms of your clinical knowledge, but you will also have more opportunities for leadership experiences and more advanced clinical rotations.

 

[LovinPharmD]

I am also highly interested in going on to a Pharmacy Residency after graduating from my PharmD program, but i am not sure how to know which school has a better reputation. I have applied to University of New Mexico and University of Washington. I am an in-state resident as well as undergraduate at UW, but im not sure if staying here will be a good fit for me. So how different is the reputation from UW to UNM? Would it be a smarter choice to stay at the UW, in regards to being competitive for residencies?

Thanks!

 

[xiphoid2010]

I am also highly interested in going on to a Pharmacy Residency after graduating from my PharmD program, but i am not sure how to know which school has a better reputation. I have applied to University of New Mexico and University of Washington. I am an in-state resident as well as undergraduate at UW, but im not sure if staying here will be a good fit for me. So how different is the reputation from UW to UNM? Would it be a smarter choice to stay at the UW, in regards to being competitive for residencies?

Thanks!

Go with which ever is going to cost you less. Reputation matters somewhat, but only if everything else is roughly equal. And you can always compensate for a school's lack of reputation by having a kick-ass portfolio.

 

[njac]

I am also highly interested in going on to a Pharmacy Residency after graduating from my PharmD program, but i am not sure how to know which school has a better reputation. I have applied to University of New Mexico and University of Washington. I am an in-state resident as well as undergraduate at UW, but im not sure if staying here will be a good fit for me. So how different is the reputation from UW to UNM? Would it be a smarter choice to stay at the UW, in regards to being competitive for residencies?

Thanks!

I honestly don't know. I imagine they would rank similarly, being established state schools. UNM has had some time in the national spotlight with several students being elected into national positions in APhA-ASP over the past 4-5 years. I honestly don't know much about UW and if you feel UNM is a better fit there are lots of opportunities for extra clinical experience if you look for them.

 

[LovinPharmD]

Yeah i think you are right njac. I think they are similar reputation enough that i should pick the one that i feel more comfortable in. The tuition will end up being the same anyway. I just know UW has a good reputation in the medical field but i think i would be happier and therefore do better at UNM.

 

[Pharmella]

http://grad-schools.usnews.rankings...raduate-schools/top-pharmacy-schools/rankings

http://www.aboutpharmacyschools.com/pharmacy/education/schoolranking.asp

Hands down UW is a more prestigious school. Also consider that Washington is a very progressive state for pharmacy practice. Take a look at what student orgs are available for you to join, and you might be able to ask the schools how many of their former students went on to pursue residency. I know they collected that info from me...

 

[njac]

and while pharmacists can administer drugs in WA, NM is one of only 2 states that recognizes pharmacists with provider status.

 

[Pharmella]

I agree that a great portfolio of experiences will overcome the differences in reputation between most schools.

 

[Sh_hS]

I kinda have similar concerns.....I just got accepted into U of Maryland and Ohio State U.....can't decide which one to go to because I'm not familiar with both schools/states......does anyone care to give some advices? Thanks in advance!

 

[xiphoid2010]

I kinda have similar concerns.....I just got accepted into U of Maryland and Ohio State U.....can't decide which one to go to because I'm not familiar with both schools/states......does anyone care to give some advices? Thanks in advance!

OSU is #5, U of Maryland is #9. No need to worry about the ranking in either one of them. Go with whichever is cheaper and you like more.

OSU lets you change from out-of-state tuition to instate after 1 year. So unless you are a Maryland resident, it's probably the cheaper of the 2. Not to mention living cost between Columbus and Baltimore is like night and day.

 

[Sh_hS]

OSU is #5, U of Maryland is #9. No need to worry about the ranking in either one of them. Go with whichever is cheaper and you like more.

OSU lets you change from out-of-state tuition to instate after 1 year. So unless you are a Maryland resident, it's probably the cheaper of the 2. Not to mention living cost between Columbus and Baltimore is like night and day.

Thank you for the advices!
I live in Utah and I have heard about many pharmacy interns worry about that they can't find jobs after graduate. Do you know if that's true for other states as well (Utah has a small job market in general)? I was worrying about which school to go to is because of this reason as well.....Do you think these schools' ranking will make a difference in such situations?

 

[xiphoid2010]

Thank you for the advices!
I live in Utah and I have heard about many pharmacy interns worry about that they can't find jobs after graduate. Do you know if that's true for other states as well (Utah has a small job market in general)? I was worrying about which school to go to is because of this reason as well.....Do you think these schools' ranking will make a difference in such situations?

Like many already mentioned. Ranking makes zero difference if you are going into retail. It matter somehwhat if you want to apply for residency and go clinical, because the better rotations/networking these schools have.

Right now, pretty much most of the east/west coast job market are in saturation. Ohio is also pretty bad because 3 new pharmacy diploma mills sprang out of thin air. However, there are still jobs to be had in other less popular states. So your willingness to move to wherever there are jobs after graduation will likely be a key factor.

 

[citychris]

I am facing a similar situation between University of Utah and UNM. Any input?

 

[njac]

I don't know much about Utah, but I've been happy with my education from UNM. There have been many "pimp" questions in residency that I knew from school, not residency.

 

[takins33613]

How do residency programs view you as an applicant if you graduated from a school that only had Candidate Status, not full accreditation?

 

[IWantToBeGreat]

This is an awesome thread! I'm also debating between two pharmacy schools: UOP (California) and OSU (Oregon). As a CA native, I am 60-70% sure I do a residency in CA (interest in clinical pharmacy, unsure of specialty maybe pediatrics or mental health?).

On one hand, I greatly enjoyed my visits to Oregon and am in love with Portland. I like OSU's connection with research university, OHSU. It's really well known in the Pacific Northwest. OHSU has a med, nursing, PA and dental school - perhaps more chances to start interprofessional interaction. Also as a runner, I also like that Oregon has a really big running community.

On the other hand, UOP is a well-known school in CA - thus, it could help me make some great connections when I apply for residencies or jobs! Family also lives about 1 hr away in the Bay area. However, I am not keen about living in Stockton. I've lived in Northern CA my whole life so I also wonder if staying here will be too much in my "comfort zone" (?). I do have a few friends attending this school already and some that will be joining the class of 2013. Whereas, I know nobody in OR.

Basically, how hard will it be to get back into CA? Which school seems more progressive to you? (ie: interested in preparing students for a more dynamic career in pharmacy, more interprofessional interaction, etc)

Please help me out. I appreciate any feedback/advice!