Incoming P1 facing rejection for intern jobs

[AprilSmith]

Hey, I am an incoming P1 at a top10 pharmacy school. There are tons of hospitals in the area and I've applied to many intern positions, interviewed for 2, and I've been rejected for all of them. I was even rejected for a position where the recruiter contacted my school to specifically recruit P1s to work for her. I know a fair amount of people who have gotten hospital jobs as P1s, so I didn't think it would be this difficult. I thought my resume was pretty good so now I am confused and concerned. Has anyone else gone through this?

-April

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[lord999]

You might want to do a mock interview with someone who provides feedback that doesn't have a personal interest in you (not parents, for example). You might be sending signals that you are not employable. Also, coming from and teaching at a top 10, that isn't even in the cards for any hospital at the intern level, it simply is the local pharmacy school unless you happen to be in Pittsburgh or somewhere that happens to have more than one in the city. It's more about you if they are actually hiring. If they are not, it might be a legal issue where they have to wait for the license before they can hire you (depends on the state, but mine would hire as a technician and then convert to intern when that license was presented).

 

[confettiflyer]

My gut says your interviews left a lot to be desired, since you got to a point where your resume got you in the door and schools were specifically looking for P1.

But wait...

You said incoming P1, that means you haven't started yet? Are you being passed over for actual P1's who are licensed? Perhaps then you were interviewed in error, please clarify your post and who are getting these jobs over you, it might just be a "reapply in the fall" thing and you're actually doing okay.


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[AprilSmith]

The job where they were specifically asking for P1s, that one I didn't get an interview for, so I guess there were better resumes ahead of mine.

The intern jobs I was applying for, they all said something like " you need to have an intern license within x days of hire" or something like that. So it seemed okay to apply a few months before starting pharmacy school.

 

[AprilSmith]

Sorry, let me clarify further.

One hospital in the area just did a hiring round for incoming P2s (students becoming P2s in August- already have license). This hospital just reached out to my school and told them to let the incoming P1s, who don't have a license until August, know that they are hiring. I didn't get an interview for this one.

When I had my interviews in May, one was a hospital technician position. I know several people who have been techs in hospitals already as undergrads, and one specifically who was hired as a tech before her P1 year. From what I heard, they ended up hiring incoming P1s for this tech position (which I'm fine with I guess because I know I didn't get it due to my average interview).

Other positions I've applied for, I think my failure can be chalked up to older/more experienced students having better apps than me.

Now that I think about it, I don't know any P1s who have gotten intern positions, but I know plenty of people working in a hospital by now. And I just wanted to see if I am actually "behind" or if this is normal and most people get hospital jobs their P2+ year. Sorry if my thoughts are sounding a little jumbled right now, let me know if I can clarify further.

 

[PharmtoCS]

How many interviewees were you competing against?

Hospital internships can be extremely competitive. I know of one position that was about an hour away from each of 4 pharmacy schools in the area. Had 100+ applicants.

 

[Seriously Serious]

Sorry, let me clarify further.

One hospital in the area just did a hiring round for incoming P2s (students becoming P2s in August- already have license). This hospital just reached out to my school and told them to let the incoming P1s, who don't have a license until August, know that they are hiring. I didn't get an interview for this one.

When I had my interviews in May, one was a hospital technician position. I know several people who have been techs in hospitals already as undergrads, and one specifically who was hired as a tech before her P1 year. From what I heard, they ended up hiring incoming P1s for this tech position (which I'm fine with I guess because I know I didn't get it due to my average interview).

Other positions I've applied for, I think my failure can be chalked up to older/more experienced students having better apps than me.

Now that I think about it, I don't know any P1s who have gotten intern positions, but I know plenty of people working in a hospital by now. And I just wanted to see if I am actually "behind" or if this is normal and most people get hospital jobs their P2+ year. Sorry if my thoughts are sounding a little jumbled right now, let me know if I can clarify further.

You may want to research the term "pharmacist intern". You do not magically become a licensed intern upon matriculation into a pharmacy program. In my state, you need to have passed at least 30 hours of pharmacy coursework before the license is extended to the student. I understand that you can apply for positions in advance, but you cannot work as an intern without an intern license. So applying for a pharmacist intern position as an incoming P1 is most likely premature. From my understanding, the time to apply in advance for an intern job is around December/January for a summer job that follows your P1/P2 year.

 

[confettiflyer]

You may want to research the term "pharmacist intern". You do not magically become a licensed intern upon matriculation into a pharmacy program. In my state, you need to have passed at least 30 hours of pharmacy coursework before the license is extended to the student. I understand that you can apply for positions in advance, but you cannot work as an intern without an intern license. So applying for a pharmacist intern position as an incoming P1 is most likely premature. From my understanding, the time to apply in advance for an intern job is around December/January for a summer job that follows your P1/P2 year.

It appears, for at least one of the hospitals, they wanted the school to reach out to matriculating students without a license for recruitment.

FWIW OP...I didn't get hired until the second semester of P1, and I knew of others that were picked up P2. As you befriend people who get hired, know that personal references carry the day. You'll also have exposure and a chance to shine at IPPE rotations depending on your school.

To me, getting hired early P1 is rare. But I was a P1 like 10 years ago so take that with a grain of salt.


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[Apples2Oranges]

I received a hospital internship the summer before my PY1 year from a "top 10" school as well. This was last year. I applied as an inpatient tech until they realized I was going to be a student and gave me the intern title without any intern license. So it may depend on your state or how lenient management is. There were a lot of people who applied for the position, and I had very little (almost none) pharmacy experience. So I guess I was partially lucky. But I did have 2 yrs of sorta-related hospital work experience prior.

Assuming you just sent a normal resume and a cover letter, that's not enough. When you're amongst kids who are also from a top school, you're nothing. Get connections in order. When I was notified of the position from a random PY3 (via mass FB group message), I contacted her to ask for the manager. I directly e-mailed the manager my application and my intentions to work for them. While my real application was sitting in HR for WEEKS, the manager called me within days of e-mailing him. I got the interview then was accepted before HR even processed my resume. I told them I'd be willing to work any amount of hours or any day. Now I work for one of the "top 20" hospitals in the country. Don't be discouraged. Keep applying. I was rejected so many times by my school's hospital that I gave up and applied to another university hospital 30 min away. It was only when I got the job that my school contacted me to work full time. I said no.

 

[BlackDiamond277]

In my state, you can get your intern license as soon as you matriculate. I'm also an incoming P1 and I've already accepted an intern position to start mid-August.

 

[gwarm01]

It sounds like it's just a little too early for you. We didn't get intern licenses until our second semester, so I was hired on as a pharmacy tech until I got mine.

 

[Abby Atwood]

I entered pharmacy school with no pharmacy experience so getting a job was difficult. I wound up working as an over the counter stock person at a large retail pharmacy for the first part of my P1 year. They were able to transition me to a tech position and then an intern position later on. Don't get wrapped up in thinking that a job is beneath you.

My biggest weakness in looking for jobs or getting where I want to go was my unwillingness to ask people for things. There are lots of people who are willing to help you or boost you up, but no one will act unless you ask them to.

 

[Seriously Serious]

In my state, you can get your intern license as soon as you matriculate. I'm also an incoming P1 and I've already accepted an intern position to start mid-August.

Wow, that's interesting. I think it defeats the purpose of being licensed... Being accepted into a pharmacy program doesn't automatically grant you the fundamental drug knowledge or give you a background in patient care... to each his own I suppose.

 

[MrBonita]

Do you have any friends who work at a hospital that can recommend you? something seems odd

 

[smercer]

Wow, that's interesting. I think it defeats the purpose of being licensed... Being accepted into a pharmacy program doesn't automatically grant you the fundamental drug knowledge or give you a background in patient care... to each his own I suppose.

I agree, however, you are to be supervised by a pharmacist and they should be ensuring you can handle a task before just letting you do it. Also if a person has worked in a pharmacy for several years prior to starting school, they will have a great deal of experience that will be useful. Yes they will clearly not know as much as a P4 student, but where do you really draw the line, especially when every program has different curriculum.

 

[AprilSmith]

Do you have any friends who work at a hospital that can recommend you? something seems odd

I had a few friends in 2 different hospitals who said they would put in a good word. Nothing came from it.

 

[confettiflyer]

Wow, that's interesting. I think it defeats the purpose of being licensed... Being accepted into a pharmacy program doesn't automatically grant you the fundamental drug knowledge or give you a background in patient care... to each his own I suppose.

Neither does being a P1, arguably.


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[bulldog1123]

OP you definately are not "behind."

My retail internship didn't officially start until midway thru my P1 year despite being a tech for them for roughly 3 years.

I also had tried to apply to some hospital positions prior to starting my first year and did not hear back from any of the locations. However, once you start and come closer to completion of your first year, the opportunities start to arise. It will be competitive, but the chances will be there.

Midway thru my first year, I landed a Kaiser clinical internship that 70 P1s applied too. During the summer between my 1st and 2nd year, a large number of my classmates landed tech or intern positions in hospitals all around the major city I live in (which has two pharmacy schools and a third an hour away). We are all not from a "top" pharmacy school. While it plays a role, a larger emphasis is on how you market yourself and what you bring to the table based on your resume.

All in all, you aren't behind. Just get ready to start looking, applying and competing as you progress through your first year. Don't be discouraged that you aren't getting anything before the school year starts.

 

[angelsplight]

May be your state operates differently but where I'm at, you don't get your intern license till you've completed your 1st year of pharmacy school. At that point is where the trouble begins, some pharmacies here have limited amount of hours they can offer interns so you may have been a technician here for 6 years but once you get your intern license, see ya (Wegmens cough cough). I'm entering my P3 year and half my class still are searching for intern positions. My roommate got up in the morning everyday for the past few months going though multiple pharmacies trying to get an intern position but for the most part, most don't hire during the summers because of lesser workloads during the time or who knows why. I'm lucky that pharmacies I did my IPPEs remembered me and I just quickly texted them when I was looking and got my intern position in a week.

 

[bulldog1123]

May be your state operates differently but where I'm at, you don't get your intern license till you've completed your 1st year of pharmacy school. At that point is where the trouble begins, some pharmacies here have limited amount of hours they can offer interns so you may have been a technician here for 6 years but once you get your intern license, see ya (Wegmens cough cough). I'm entering my P3 year and half my class still are searching for intern positions. My roommate got up in the morning everyday for the past few months going though multiple pharmacies trying to get an intern position but for the most part, most don't hire during the summers because of lesser workloads during the time or who knows why. I'm lucky that pharmacies I did my IPPEs remembered me and I just quickly texted them when I was looking and got my intern position in a week.

wow thats rough, which state are you in if you dont mind me asking?

 

[angelsplight]

wow thats rough, which state are you in if you dont mind me asking?

NYS