Left PGY-1, now in retail. BCACP a possibility?

[PharmyOfNone]

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I ended my time as a PGY-1 resident to pursue a better job with an awesome company that primarily does retail pharmacy work and is expanding its community clinic events. Can I eventually sit for BCACP in this kind of job?

 

[gwarm01]

The professional requirements to sit for board certification are pretty vague. I think it just says to "spend 50% of your time in ambulatory care activities" without fully explaining what that means. You could probably do it.

 

[PharmyOfNone]

The professional requirements to sit for board certification are pretty vague. I think it just says to "spend 50% of your time in ambulatory care activities" without fully explaining what that means. You could probably do it.

That's what I'm thinking.

 

[awval999]

They just want your $600.

 

[297point1]

I want your $600 as well. Send it to me, and I'll issue you official BFD credentials.

 

[Trent Steele]

Shouldn't be an issue as long as you have the proper time spent. Also, I applaud you on accepting a job opportunity while in residency, most here seem to think that its career suicide to leave a residency for some reason.

 

[Member 5149]

My understanding is you have to spend 5 years working in a clinical field w/o a residency in order to be able to sit for the exam.

 

[GoldfishPharmD]

It's 4 years per their page

http://www.bpsweb.org/specialties/AmbulatoryCarePharmacy.cfm

 

[SClENCE]

What's BCACP?

 

[Sugoi Travis]

What's BCACP?

Board-Certified Ambulatory Care Pharmacist I believe.

 

[Guilded_Age]

Why did you quit a residency, yet want board certification? Both have fairly limited usefulness in my opinion. I'm a little confused on your intentions, son.

 

[Jibby321]

What's BCACP?

Useless is what it is. Lol

 

[PharmyOfNone]

Why did you quit a residency, yet want board certification? Both have fairly limited usefulness in my opinion. I'm a little confused on your intentions, son.

The residency was a poster child for using its residents as cheap labor with no academic/clinical development along the way. We were there to punch a clock. If we happened to learn anything between July and June, then that was just a bonus.

I want the certification to show that I am dedicated to providing the best care I can. I'm trying to introduce a free monthly clinic in my area for the usual top 3 (DM, HTN, lipids) and expand our MTM services. I think my patient population appreciates personal service over what they usually find at McWal-Mart.

It's 4 years per their page.

Oops, for some reason I thought it was 3. Good catch.

Edit: I must have glanced at BCPS instead of BCACP for timelines. Good God, BPS. For BCPS: 1 year of residency or 3 years experience? Talk about clueless. My residency was in no way preparatory for this exam, nor was it a condensed clinical exposure.

 

[PharmyOfNone]

Shouldn't be an issue as long as you have the proper time spent. Also, I applaud you on accepting a job opportunity while in residency, most here seem to think that its career suicide to leave a residency for some reason.

A friend recently reached out to me in distress. She had matched into a program she could no longer attend. She asked if I had to pay a fine (LOL!) for leaving my program, or if I was otherwise blacklisted.

Pharmacy is small, but when your co-residents are just trudging toward the finish line, word gets out that not only did you leave, but you left an awful program.

 

[monkieez]

Just curious, was your residency program accredited? Is accreditation easy to get? I feel like many programs do in fact take advantage of cheap labor with high staffing requirements on top of strenuous clinical rotations, but hopefully you do get learning out of it.

 

[gwarm01]

For BCPS: 1 year of residency or 3 years experience? Talk about clueless. My residency was in no way preparatory for this exam, nor was it a condensed clinical exposure.

I just saw a job posting for a staff relief pharmacist this morning. "Hospital residency ( PY1) or equivalent hospital experience (5yrs) preferred."

Talk about drinking the kool-aid.

 

[PharmyOfNone]

Just curious, was your residency program accredited? Is accreditation easy to get? I feel like many programs do in fact take advantage of cheap labor with high staffing requirements on top of strenuous clinical rotations, but hopefully you do get learning out of it.

It is accredited. I think ASHP is more than willing to take any hospital's money to accredit a residency program as long as it meets the bare minimums.

 

[FrogPharmacist]

I ended my time as a PGY-1 resident to pursue a better job with an awesome company that primarily does retail pharmacy work and is expanding its community clinic events. Can I eventually sit for BCACP in this kind of job?

I did the same thing with my residency this year. My residency was also a terrible experience and did not prepare me for anything. Did you sit for the exam this year? If so, what things did you do over the past four years to prepare you and to fulfill the requirements. Or did your employer just sign off on it for you. I will be in an FQHC retail pharmacy, so I think it will be pretty easy to qualify.

Thanks!

 

[Marzapan]

I did the same thing with my residency this year. My residency was also a terrible experience and did not prepare me for anything. Did you sit for the exam this year? If so, what things did you do over the past four years to prepare you and to fulfill the requirements. Or did your employer just sign off on it for you. I will be in an FQHC retail pharmacy, so I think it will be pretty easy to qualify.

Thanks!

If dealing with patients screaming about out of stock toilet paper, insurance issues or attitudes that your tech is giving them at the drop off window is considered "ambulatory care experience" and such individuals with 4 years of this experience can become a board-certified specialist then said credential is a completely worthless certification and I think this profession is doomed. Oh wait it already is...

On a side note this is exactly why I throw out retail pharmacists' applications without reading them...

 

[steveysmith54]

BCACP= Board Certified Advanced COVID-19 Pharmacist.

 

[JustFillIt]

I did the same thing with my residency this year. My residency was also a terrible experience and did not prepare me for anything. Did you sit for the exam this year? If so, what things did you do over the past four years to prepare you and to fulfill the requirements. Or did your employer just sign off on it for you. I will be in an FQHC retail pharmacy, so I think it will be pretty easy to qualify.

Thanks!

Not sure you noticed but this thread is over 5 years old.

The op is likely depressed, bankrupt, and regretting his decision to become a pharmacist now.

 

[Xenophylia]

Not sure you noticed but this thread is over 5 years old.

The op is likely depressed, bankrupt, and regretting his decision to become a pharmacist now.

Why can't I like this post twice??? But I'll bet he's being the BEST depressed, bankrupt, and unemployed pharmacist he can be! Good for him- dreams DO come true!!!